Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

The government does not support this motion. The ABS is the definitive authority of mortality statistics and data in Australia and provides regular publications including provisional mortality reports, published every second month; deaths in Australia, updated annually; and excess mortality reports, published twice yearly. This data is published online and available to everyone. It is used by researchers, government departments and agencies, like the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and reported in reputable publications.

In their analysis the ABS has compared the number of deaths which have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic to the number of deaths expected based on historical trends and adjusted for population changes. This includes deaths from all causes and not only those related to COVID-19.

While death rates and cause of death are key indicators of the health status of a population, it is important to remember that every death that makes up the total statistic is a personal tragedy, and I acknowledge the tragic impact of these deaths on the families and friends of those who lost lives.