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 Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. In section 1.1 of the Morrison government's fourth vaccine plan released in just two months, the Morrison government lists everyone it blames for the slow COVID-19 vaccine rollout, including ATAGI, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, state and territory governments, vaccination clinics and Australians themselves. How did the Morrison government forget to list itself?

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

What a petty question from Senator Gallagher! What a misrepresentation of the documents and the facts! The government acknowledges that there have been challenges in relation to the vaccine rollout. We acknowledge that, and we take responsibility for it and for fixing it. We take responsibility for ensuring that, notwithstanding the challenges that have been had in terms of supply that was forecast to arrive but didn't arrive and notwithstanding changes to health advice, we continue to push on with ensuring that we have supply growth and growth in distribution points now and into the future. In doing that, we're in the best position to be able to see continued growth in relation to the vaccine rollout.

The data for the last 24 hours is just out, and some 221,859 Australians turned out in the last 24 hours to receive their latest vaccine doses. That is yet another daily record set in relation to the vaccine rollout, and I thank each and every one of those Australians who, notwithstanding the negativity elsewhere, are turning out in record numbers. It has pushed the total number of doses administered across Australia to more than 13 million now. In doing so, it sees the over-70s pass the 80 per cent threshold. That first age cohort who were prioritised under the vaccine rollout—we now have more than 80 per cent—have managed to achieve the target, and, having done so, we will no doubt see even more push on and get their second dose as those rates climb and that number grows even larger in that age cohort, as it will right across the Australian population.

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 reason the initial vaccine rollout was bungled is the Morrison government's failure to secure adequate supplies. Does Mr Morrison take responsibility for his failure to keep Australians safe?

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

The Morrison government procured some 195 million doses. That's before we get to the recent announcements in relation to those booster doses that were procured. The government, as I said before, absolutely accepts responsibility for the rollout, the challenges and fixing it. That's our job as a government. We don't shirk that or shy away from doing so. We are pleased to see that we have increased volume of supply. We are pleased to see that we have increased distribution points, which are able to be brought on progressively as we get that increase in supply. We are particularly pleased to see the way in which Australians are responding in record numbers to the vaccine rollout. Australians are responding in ways that don't mean they need $300 payments; they're making it clear they want the vaccine. They're making it clear they want to turn out. We are supporting them to make sure they have increasing chances to turn out, rather than the types of silly-policy thought bubbles from those opposite. (Time expired)

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

In June, Mr Morrison boasted nobody in Australia had died from COVID-19 in 2021 and nobody was in intensive care. Mr Hunt boasted it was one of the most extraordinary public health achievements in Australian history. Twenty-one people have tragically died in the New South Wales outbreak, and 51 people are now in intensive care. Does Mr Morrison concede he is actually responsible for one of the most extraordinary public health failures?

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

No, we don't make that concession. We acknowledge that managing COVID-19, managing a global pandemic, remains incredibly challenging. Australia has done far better than the rest of the world in the management of the pandemic, but tragically 932 Australians have lost their lives from COVID-19—932 in total. Twenty-one have lost their lives during this New South Wales outbreak. Our government is determined though that Australia will continue to do the best we can in managing the pandemic according to the medical advice that we have. That's why we commissioned the Doherty Institute to undertake the modelling there. It's why we have made sure that we progress and advance the plan built on that advice and evidence. Australia's not immune from COVID-19, but we are absolutely able, as we've done, to continue to respond to the changing circumstances of the delta variant and to other challenges thrown at us but to do so in world-leading ways.