Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. Former Minister for Finance Mathias Cormann has been jetting across Europe in an RAAF plane to the tune of $4,300 an hour to interview for his next job. What does the minister say to the nearly 37,000 Australians stranded overseas who are watching a former minister of the Morrison government fly around at taxpayer expense while they remain stranded overseas and are likely to miss Christmas with their families?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me firstly deal with returning Australians, and then I'll return to the issue of Mr Cormann and the OECD. In relation to returning Australians, it is well known that the prime constraint in relation to getting more people into Australia is the quarantine facilities and their availability within Australia. Our government thanks the states and territories for working with us in relation to increasing the numbers of quarantine places. We are thankful for the fact that, working with the states and territories, we've been able to grow the number of returning Australians on a regular basis. And we welcome the fact that when Victoria is able to again welcome returning Australians and house them in hotel quarantine then we will be in a position to see a further growth, from 5,600 currently processed to around 5,700. This is about—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those opposite seem to think hotel quarantine is an easy, safe thing and we can just pile more and more and more and more people in and there is no consequence to it. Well, I think the people of Victoria have seen that there is a consequence to it and the people of South Australia have seen that there is a consequence to it. There are absolutely real issues when it comes to how we safely return Australians to Australia.

Senator Wong interjecting—

In no way do we wash our hands of it, Senator Wong.

Senator Wong interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong!

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are absolutely working closely with the states and territories. We've put ADF troops on the line to work with them. We have grown the number of places. We're getting more Australians home. We're doing that as quickly as possible while keeping Australians safe from COVID at the same time.

Senator Wong interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, on numerous occasions there I was calling senators to order. This will become a very miserable two weeks if people don't have some basic decency so that I may hear answers for inevitable points of order. You're quite right, Senator Wong; Senator Birmingham does have a very strong voice. I still had trouble hearing him. Senator Keneally, a supplementary question?

Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Morrison defended the $4,300 an hour spent on a private plane, saying:

If Mathias was flying around on commercial planes, he would have got COVID. The risk of that was extremely high.

Can the minister explain to the nearly 37,000 stranded Australians why Mr Morrison believes it's acceptable for them to fly commercially, at hugely inflated prices, and face the extremely high risk of contracting COVID-19 but it's not okay for a former member of his government?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not only do those opposite seem to think there's some magical solution to be able to increase the availability of safe entry points into Australia, not only do they ignore the fact that there are—

Senator Keneally interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Keneally.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

charter flights and supported commercial arrangements that our government has put in place; they also bring the most small-minded 'Little Australia' attitude to our candidacy for the OECD. Having come out in support of the candidacy initially, they now seem to want us to run a campaign in a half-baked way intending to somehow lose. Having decided to field a candidate for this position, Australia intends to campaign to win. That's what's important—to actually make sure that, having put Australia out there to win, we get on and do so. We are supporting this candidacy. We are doing so because it will help Australia in the long term to influence the result— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Keneally, a final supplementary question?

Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week, stranded Australians appearing before the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19 referred to the Morrison government's decision to fly Mathias Cormann in an RAAF plan as 'appalling' and 'an old mates club'. Are they wrong?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have absolute sympathy for the plight of many Australians overseas, and it is why we are working to increase those quarantine places, put in place more supported fights and provide targeted assistance in a range of different ways. In relation to support for candidacies, we think this is a thing Australian governments consistently should provide. Indeed, if we look back, I can see that Gareth Evans was provided with some $250,000 of support, in 1999 dollar terms, for his candidacy, by the Howard government, for UNESCO—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Keneally, a point of order?

Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is relevance. At no time did I mention 1995 or Gareth Evans. There are 37,000 stranded Australians. That number has doubled, and he hasn't—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Keneally, resume your seat! If you want to keep showing this amount of disrespect to the chair on the first day of the final fortnight, it's going to be a very slow question time as I constantly interrupt questions and answers. I do ask, while it is a very vibrant chamber, for people to at least heed me and pay a little bit of respect to the chair when I'm calling people to order.

On the point of order, Senator Keneally, your question contained a number of pejorative phrases in terms of quoting people. When questions contain pejorative phrases, I'm listening carefully. In comparison, for example, the first question asked today was very specific and there was no latitude for the minister to stray. But, when questions contain politically loaded phrases, I don't think it's out of order for a minister to be able to respond in kind. That said, this was a quotation and not an assertion on your behalf. I accept that. I'm listening carefully to the minister's answer. He has 15 seconds remaining to address the question.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We absolutely are giving all the support we can to get returning Australians home safely whilst not jeopardising the safety of people in Australia or our economy, in terms of the number of places that are available to get people back safely and securely. (Time expired)