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 and Aged Care, Senator Colbeck. The ACT Chief Minister and Chief Health Officer argued that people aged 12 years and above should be factored into the vaccination rate required for reopening. Given that 38 per cent of cases in the ACT are children under 17, and around 30 per cent of COVID-19 cases in NSW are people under 20, will the Morrison-Joyce government consider this?

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

If the ACT Chief Minister actually believed that, why did he agree to the Doherty modelling at national cabinet, which was agreed by all of the premiers, which includes vaccination and consideration of vaccination rates for proportions of the population? Of course vaccination for children is important. It is more important, Mr President. But the ACT Chief Minister sat in national cabinet and agreed to the targets in the Doherty modelling. If he wanted to change it, why didn't he do it then instead of in a press conference?

He can do it on Friday when national cabinet meets again. There will be further information on the Doherty modelling presented to national cabinet on Friday. That's public information, so if the Chief Minister of the ACT wanted to change the parameters of the modelling with respect to the vaccination rollout, why didn't he do it in national cabinet? Why does he do it publicly in a press conference or get Senator Keneally to ask a question in question time? He's sitting in a chair at national cabinet, which gets to make the decisions. Why doesn't he ask the questions there? Why doesn't he propose the modification of the parameters at that point in time? Why doesn't he do that? He is one of the few people that gets to sit in national cabinet. He's one of the few people that gets to be a participant in those decisions, so why doesn't he use the forum that he has available to him to actually put those inputs into that process?

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

The New South Wales Chief Health Officer, Kerry Chant, has said in relation to vaccines, and I quote:

I believe in targeting school-age children, in particular high school children, very quickly because we know they contribute to transmission.

The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for children as young as 12. If the Morrison government had ordered more Pfizer last year, would Australians aged 12 to 19 now be vaccinated?

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

Senator Keneally is right: the New South Wales CHO does actually believe in vaccination of children, and I have to say I congratulate New South Wales on the work that they have done, particularly with respect to vaccination of senior high school students, which frees them up to sit their very important examinations towards the end of the year. I congratulate the New South Wales government and the CHO on actually taking action to put in place the convictions that they clearly have. Congratulations to them on doing that. What this government has done and will continue to do is to work collaboratively with the states to deliver the national plan for the rollout of the vaccine in accordance with the health advice and of course in accordance with the national plan for opening up the Australian economy.

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

Is the reason children aged 12 and above are not included in the targets that Mr Morrison did not order enough Pfizer last year to vaccinate 12- to 15-year-olds?

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

The reason that they're not in the targets is we actually don't have an approved vaccine for them or ATAGI advice to support the rollout of vaccine to them. The Labor Party come in here continuously putting false premises to the parliament, but they are also trying to undermine public confidence in the vaccination rollout program. We continue, as we've done all the way through, to act on the health advice. We don't yet have ATAGI advice with respect to the vaccination of children between the ages of 12 and 15. We are expecting it very soon.

Senator Watt interjecting—

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

Senator Watt.

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

We are expecting it very soon—in fact, we're expecting it to go to national cabinet this week.

Senator Keneally interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Keneally.

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

We will continue to follow the advice of the health professionals who have very well guided us—(Time expired)