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 Minister for Health, Senator Colbeck. New South Wales is sadly facing another devastating COVID-19 outbreak as a result of an unvaccinated airport driver contracting COVID-19. Jane Halton, the Morrison government's hand-picked adviser, warned of this in her report last year, and this morning said:

… I actually drew people's attention when I debriefed them to this particular issue. I actually said that this was a potential hole and people needed to be very, very aware that these people and their transport arrangements had to be a high priority.

Why are the people of New South Wales now suffering for the Morrison government's failure to act on warnings and recommendations delivered eight months ago?

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

I thank Senator Keneally for the question. The national hotel quarantine system is operating based on the decision of national cabinet and the agreements of national cabinet to manage hotel quarantine for Australians returning to Australia.

I am as concerned as Senator Keneally and anyone else in this chamber that the driver was not vaccinated, but the responsibility for those frontline workers managing hotel quarantine are based with the states, based on the decisions of national cabinet. As we heard from the Chief Medical Officer, the recommendations of the Halton review have been implemented across the states. Ms Halton has made a number of recommendations and public comments, urging states to ensure that their hotel quarantine systems are complying with those processes.

As the CMO indicated to us at estimates, recently, the management of hotel quarantine and the national system for managing returning travellers is a standing agenda item at every AHPPC meeting, which is attended by the chief health officers of each state, to ensure that they continue to implement all of the learnings that have occurred even since the Halton review comments over the last 12 months, to ensure that the hotel quarantine system does perform in the best possible way, to ensure Australians remain safe from the virus.

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

In facing another COVID-19 outbreak, the New South Wales Liberal Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has said, 'Until the vast majority of our population is vaccinated these threats will be real and ongoing.' When will the vast majority of the New South Wales population be vaccinated?

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

The objective of the government is that every Australian who wants to have a vaccine will have the opportunity to take one up by the end of this calendar year. That includes all New South Wales residents. It includes everyone across the country. We released, yesterday, the data to indicate the vaccine supply availability that will facilitate that, each of the vaccine types that will be available to Australians to access a vaccine by the end of this year. So we continue to work cooperatively with the states—

Senator Keneally interjecting—

It is actually happening. There were close to 140,000 Australians who took up a vaccine just yesterday. Just yesterday, close to 140,000 Australians took up a vaccine. Over 1.1 million Australians have taken a vaccine in the last 10 days. (Time expired)

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

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

Premier Berejiklian also said, 'New South Wales has had a real sense of urgency, in relation to the vaccine rollout.' Given that Mr Morrison has said that it's not a race, why has the Morrison government not shared Premier Berejiklian's 'real sense of urgency'?

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

I agree with Premier Berejiklian, with respect to the work that she's doing, and I congratulate the New South Wales government, in particular, for the magnificent job they have done in managing COVID-19 throughout the pandemic. It is clear from all of the evidence we have that they have been the best at managing outbreaks and working their way through the challenges that we have all faced in the period of the pandemic. We are supporting every state and territory with the supply information that was provided to them through national cabinet on Monday, and we will continue to do that. As vaccine supply arrangements are confirmed, they will be firmed up and the supplies provided to the states so that we can continue to support Australians.