Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bragg for his question—and I know he's had a relentless focus on how we help Australians through the challenges caused by COVID-19. Globally we've seen yet another wave of the challenges resulting from COVID-19, just as we've seen the waves of COVID-19 continue. The most recent wave that has challenged the globe, of course, has been the omicron wave. We've seen a huge spike in case numbers right around the world, but, thankfully it's a less severe variant than has previously been faced. I want to thank all Australians for what they have done over the past two years but particularly during the recent summer season in the face of the global challenges of COVID-19. Together, the resilience and efforts of Australians have achieved remarkable outcomes—some of the lowest fatality rates in the world, some of the highest vaccination rates in the world, some of the strongest economic outcomes in the world. More than 51 million vaccinations have been applied across our country, with around 94 per cent of those aged over 16 fully vaccinated and more than nine million people having had a booster.

There are no silver bullets to dealing with COVID-19; we have to continue to work through the ever-changing circumstances. As we do that we are able to continue to work towards the normalisation of the treatment of COVID as we live more effectively with COVID, with a highly vaccinated population. From 21 February, in just 13 days, we will see our international borders reopen to tourists, giving a much needed lift to our tourism industry, a further step in our economic plan that has kept Australians secure in their jobs, kept Australian businesses stronger and has enabled our economy to withstand its biggest test in decades. We are one of only nine countries in the world to still have a AAA credit rating intact even with the spending incurred through COVID. Our inflation is well below that of other advanced economies. Our unemployment is at a 13-year low. These economic outcomes are facts and are testament to the fact that Australia's policies worked to help keep Australians safer and more secure. (Time expired)