Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sorry, I was taken back, listening about Senator Seselja's new fondness for electric vehicles!

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

Order! Come to your question, Senator Gallagher.

Senator Seselja interjecting—

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Your choices are better than ours, are they?

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

Order.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Colbeck. On 7 January, Mr Morrison promised that the government would deliver four million vaccine doses by the end of March. Will the Morrison government deliver on this promise?

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

Thanks for the question. The thing that we've always promised to the Australian people and indicated to the Australian people is that our vaccine rollout would be based on vaccine approval and then the delivery processes that followed along behind that. The Prime Minister said just recently at a press conference, with respect to the vaccine rollout, that the 'four million position will be something that is going to be achieved in early April as opposed to late March'. That's what the Prime Minister said just recently at a press conference, acknowledging the fact that, with some of the conditions that are occurring in Europe and the scaling up of the manufacturing of the vaccine here in Australia, that was the process and that was the expectation. They are the Prime Minister's words from a press conference just recently. We continue to work with the TGA on the approval process. We continue to work with the vaccine companies on supply to ensure that we have an available supply to roll out effectively to Australians across the country.

The thing that we have the benefit of is that we are providing to Australians fully approved vaccines. We don't have to have the circumstances that many other countries have been forced into, which is having emergency approvals for their vaccines. Australians will benefit from the fact that the data that comes from the application of vaccines in other countries becomes available to the vaccine companies and then to our TGA for the formal approval of the vaccines.

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

Senator Gallagher, a supplementary question?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

) ( ): The Department of Health has said that the Prime Minister's target of four million doses by the end of March 'didn't seem to be possible'. When did the department first become aware it was not possible to deliver on the Prime Minister's promise made to the Australian people?

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

I've just indicated exactly the Prime Minister's position and the way that we are rolling out the vaccine. It would have been useful, Senator Seselja, if the senator had listened to the answer that I have just given. We have always said to the Australian people that the supply of the vaccine and the rollout process would be dependent on approval and on supply issues from manufacturers. We have been very frank with the Australian people; we have been very open with the Australian people. As issues have arisen, we have told the Australian people what is occurring. I have just given you the quote from the Prime Minister where he said it was more likely to be early April than late March for the four million vaccines. That is a statement of the Prime Minister.

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

Senator Gallagher, a final supplementary question?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

By what date in April will the Morrison government deliver on the Prime Minister's target of four million doses and will Mr Morrison accept responsibility if he fails to deliver on this promise?

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

It is really disappointing that the Labor Party continue to not listen to the answers that are quite genuinely provided to them and continue their reckless campaign to undermine the rollout strategy that we are running. The recklessness of the Labor Party in trying to undermine the confidence of Australians in our vaccine strategy really should be condemned. We have said consistently that the rollout and availability of vaccine would be dependent on approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. We now fortunately have the Pfizer vaccine approved. Once it's approved it can then be shipped; it can be tested by the TGA to ensure that it will do what it said it would do and that it is safe to provide to Australians. We're now going through the process of the approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and we will continue to work with the companies and the TGA on a safe rollout of our— (Time expired)