Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Colbeck. Yesterday in question time the minister said:

The confidence that Australians have in the vaccines that we have available is going to be absolutely crucial to the take-up of vaccines across the country and to the protection of Australians, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

Are the comments from Mr Craig Kelly assisting or hindering confidence in the vaccines?

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

I thank the senator for the question. At the outset I confirm the statement that I made yesterday. I stand by that wholeheartedly. It is an extremely important thing that Australians have confidence in our national vaccine strategy. I repeat and reaffirm those statements.

The medical and health advice that we have received from those who are guiding our response to COVID-19 is extremely important. I can confirm to the chamber that the Prime Minister has met with Mr Kelly today; that Mr Kelly has, in a statement, confirmed that he met with the Prime Minister this morning; and that the Prime Minister has reinforced to Mr Kelly the importance of enduring public confidence in the government's vaccine strategy, confirming my statement of yesterday.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Well, I think it's reasonable that the Prime Minister has conversations with his colleagues in this place and reinforces his point of view. As part of that process, in his statement today Mr Kelly said:

I agreed to support the government's vaccine rollout which has been endorsed by medical experts.

I have always sought to support the success of our nation's public health response during the pandemic.

I believe that the spread of misinformation can damage the success of our public health response during the pandemic.

So I reinforce the statement that I made yesterday, particularly in the context of the vaccine rollout for senior Australians—who, we all understand, are the most vulnerable. (Time expired)

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

Senator Watt, a supplementary question?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday the minister said he was disappointed in 'completely reckless commentary with respect to the vaccine'. Does the minister agree that Craig Kelly continually undermining public confidence in Australia's medical experts and the COVID-19 vaccine is 'completely reckless commentary'?

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

Before I call Senator Colbeck, I urge senators to use formal titles. If I misheard that, my apologies. Please use formal titles for members of the other place.

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

Yesterday I did condemn the Labor Party's reckless strategy of undermining our vaccine rollout—

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

Order! Senator Watt, he's been speaking for six seconds but I will allow you to raise a point of order.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance: the question was clearly about Mr Kelly's comments, not the Labor Party's comments. The minister should stick to Mr Kelly's comments.

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

On the point of order, Senator Colbeck?

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

Mr President, Senator Watt was clearly misquoting what I said yesterday and partially quoting my statements. So, if he wants to fully—

Senator Wong interjecting—

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

Sorry, Senator Colbeck—

Senator Wong interjecting—

Senator Wong, with respect, I do grant people some latitude to introduce their point of order before I call them. I was going to ask the minister to come to a point of order. The minute you started saying it was a selective quote, Minister—that is not a point of order. But if you wish to raise a point of order on direct relevance, I'm happy to hear it. Or, there's a time to debate or answer the question. On the point of order, Senator Watt, I'm not going to rule halfway through the first sentence that a minister is not being directly relevant to an answer. The question did contain an extensive quote from the minister. He is allowed to put that quote in context and address the substance of that quotation as well. Senator Colbeck.

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

Again, I repeat that yesterday I condemned the Labor Party's reckless approach to undermining our vaccine strategy. Their commentary is not useful. And I repeat the statement that Senator Watt has also repeated today—that the strength of our vaccine strategy and public confidence in our vaccine strategy is absolutely vital to the take-up of vaccine in this country. That's why the Prime Minister has called Mr Kelly in this morning to have the conversation that he has had, and I think that's appropriate. I don't support anybody who's providing information that undermines the national vaccine strategy that we have. And I have to say, Mr Kelly's getting more airtime from the publicity given to him by the Labor Party than he is by his own means. It's the Labor Party who is elevating this issue beyond what I believe it should be.

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

Senator Watt is on his feet for a final supplementary question.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Kelly has been spreading reckless and dangerous misinformation for months. Why has it taken so long for the Morrison government to tell him to stop? Is keeping Mr Kelly happy more important than the health and safety of Australians?

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

The most important thing, from this government's perspective, is the health and safety of Australians and the confidence that Australians have in the vaccine rollout that we will commence very soon. That is the most important thing to this government. So we will continue, on the advice of the medical experts, to do everything we possibly can to ensure that there is a strong level of public confidence in the vaccination program that we are about to roll out and that Australians can, with confidence, take up the vaccine that's going to be provided as part of that rollout process. That is the most important thing to this government and to me in my ministerial duties. That's what we will continue to reinforce: that we have strong, health based evidence, supported by experts and the great work of our world-class TGA advice, to provide confidence in the vaccination rollout. (Time expired)