Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Gallagher, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that on:

(i) 7 September 2020 Minister Hunt said 'Australians would be among the first in the world to receive a COVID-19 vaccine', and

(ii) 5 November 2020 Prime Minister Morrison assured Australians they would be 'at the front of the queue';

(b) further notes that contrary to these assurances by the Prime Minister and Minister for Health to the Australian people:

(i) more than 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have already been administered across at least 60 countries, and

(ii) the Department of Health provided evidence to the Select Committee on COVID-19 that Prime Minister Morrison's public target of 4 million doses by the end of March 'seems impossible now', and

(iii) the Morrison Government only secured access to 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine after 34 other countries had secured 1 billion doses;

(c) calls on Prime Minister Morrison to abandon his spin and be honest and transparent with the Australian people with respect to the COVID-19 vaccination programme; and

(d) expresses its disappointment in Prime Minister Morrison's refusal to condemn Mr Craig Kelly MP's ongoing misinformation and fearmongering, including in relation to the work of the Therapeutic Goods Administration and its oversight of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia is one of the first countries in the world to complete full safety and medical assessment of the vaccine, and we have one of the highest rates of doses per capita in the world. We're on track to commence rollout in late February, and the Academy of Science has endorsed our vaccine strategy.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that general business notice of motion 974 standing in the name of Senator Gallagher be agreed to.