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. Can the minister confirm that the Prime Minister has now met face to face with Mr Kelly? Did the meeting occur today? What did Mr Morrison say to Mr Kelly? What commitments did the Prime Minister get from Mr Kelly?

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

Obviously the Prime Minister meets with and speaks with his colleagues on a frequent basis, but I can confirm, as Senator Colbeck has already told the chamber, that the Prime Minister met with Mr Kelly, the member for Hughes, this morning. The Prime Minister made clear that the Prime Minister and the government do not support any views that undermine the vaccine strategy, whether made by Mr Kelly or by anyone else. Mr Kelly has subsequently issued a statement referred to by Senator Colbeck in which Mr Kelly has made clear that he had a meeting with the Prime Minister and that the Prime Minister reinforced the importance of ensuring public confidence in the government's vaccine strategy. Mr Kelly has stated that he has agreed to support the government's vaccine rollout, as endorsed by medical experts. Indeed, it is the government's expectation—and we will continue to advocate strongly for this—that the vaccination rollout will be supported and backed across the Australian community and that Australians will be encouraged to embrace it and to receive those vaccines, as and when they are made available according to the targeted strategy that we have developed alongside experts.

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

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

This morning, when asked by Ms Plibersek whether Mr Morrison agrees with his views, Mr Kelly said: 'You have to ask the Prime Minister. I don't know.' What did the Prime Minister say to Mr Kelly that he's unwilling to say publicly?

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

I've just outlined what the Prime Minister said to Mr Kelly and what Mr Kelly has put on the public record subsequent to his meeting with the Prime Minister, and I have no doubt that, as the Prime Minister has done time and time again, he would reinforce in the other place and in any meeting the importance of the vaccination strategy and, indeed, the evidence upon which our vaccination strategy is built. It's a $6.2 billion vaccination strategy—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order on my right and on my left!

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

that entails four separate purchasing arrangements for 140 million doses—

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order, Senators Rennick and Wong!

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

to be made available to the Australian people—

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

Order, Senator Birmingham! Senator Wong, on a point of order?

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

I repeat: I'll give Senator Rennick leave to make statements if he wants to have them.

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

That's not a point of order. Senator Wong, please resume your seat.

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

Tell us what you think—

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

Senator Wong, please resume your seat. I was calling both of you to order. Interjections are disorderly, as is responding to them across the table and the chamber.

Senator Rennick interjecting—

Order! Senator Rennick, that's not helpful, as I'm calling Senator Wong to order. Senator Watt, you've been particularly voluble in the first 20 minutes. I'm going to ask you to take a breath for a while. Senator Birmingham, please continue.

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

The government's position is crystal clear. We have worked alongside our health experts, as we have at every stage of the pandemic, in terms of the procurement strategy and the distribution strategy, and our focus, with absolute resolve, on seeing that strategy implemented.

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! I'm having trouble hearing Senator Birmingham. It's not usually a problem Senator Birmingham has. It means there's way too much noise coming from the chamber. 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

Does Mr Kelly's public statement acknowledging the damage of disinformation extend to Mr Kelly removing all content peddling disinformation from his Facebook, Parler and Telegram accounts or any other social media account? Has Mr Morrison asked Mr Kelly to post his statement on his social media to warn his followers of the damage of disinformation?

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

Mr Kelly's statement, as I've referenced, is publicly available. It's publicly available on social media platforms as well, and we expect that Mr Kelly will work within the terms and content of that statement.

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

Senator Keneally, on 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

I did directly ask if Mr Kelly would remove the content he has already posted. The minister provided an answer that he would in future not post any new content. I asked the minister if he could answer that question.

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

That was the conclusion of your question. If I had a better chance of hearing Senator Birmingham, I'd have a better chance to rule on points of order, so, on both sides of the chamber, I ask people to not interject and to not take the bait and respond to interjections.