Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, 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. In question time yesterday Mr Morrison falsely claimed that former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had travelled in and out of Australia while the borders were closed. What is this Prime Minister's problem with telling the truth?

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

I believe the Prime Minister has tabled a response in the House addressing those matters.

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

Senator Wong, a supplementary question?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday Mr Morrison claimed he had exceeded his promise to get 26,200 stranded Australians home by Christmas. Isn't it the case that at least 9,000 of those registered to come home when he made that promise are still stranded? I again ask: what is this Prime Minister's problem with telling the truth?

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

Since 18 September more than 43,000 Australians have returned home. Over 17,000 of these passengers were registered with DFAT, including more than 3,700 vulnerable Australians. Since the government provided advice to Australians overseas to reconsider the need to travel abroad and to return home, more than 432,000 people have returned home—a significant number passing through the types of quarantine places established across Australia. Those quarantine places are capped and are limited. We are working, as we have been, as closely with the states as possible to make sure there are as many opportunities as can be for Australians to return home but to do so in a way that poses no threat to the safety of Australia and our management of COVID. (Time expired)

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

Senator Wong, a final supplementary question?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 12 November Mr Morrison promised stranded Australians:

There is a queue, and Australians are at the front of the queue.

But the government's own data shows that in October only 50 per cent of the seats on planes arriving in Australia were filled by Australian citizens. What is this Prime Minister's problem with telling the truth?

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

Our government makes sure it gives priority to Australians in chartering flights and facilitating flights. I can tell you that on those flights, absolutely, priority is firmly and squarely given to Australians. There are commercial flights as well that the government does not facilitate tickets on, but the government has made sure that the criteria for those who may not be Australians returning home are tight. Those criteria include circumstances where an individual may be the partner of an Australian citizen with rights to reside here. These are often compassionate circumstances or circumstances that are essential to the function of government or otherwise. Our effort has been on getting Australians home but doing so in a way that maintains Australia's safe management of COVID-19.