Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Hansard source

As I've said, our objective is to ensure that all Australians have access to the vaccine, including Indigenous Australians. That's why specific measures have been put in place by the government to ensure that they can. We continue to work closely with the ACCHOs, which I have to say are doing a really good job, in working with Indigenous communities.

I again condemn the negative messages being spread in some Indigenous communities—and I'm sure Senator McCarthy will join me in doing that—that are frightening Australian Indigenous people off being vaccinated. We are working with those communities. We are adapting programs that have been run for the broader community specifically to Indigenous communities so that they can understand the importance of vaccination and then participate in the vaccination process. We will continue to do that, understanding how important vaccination is to Indigenous Australians. (Time expired)