Gavin Pearce (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister please provide an update to the House on how the national plan is providing safety and confidence to Australians as they arm themselves with COVID-19 vaccines, ensuring that we make it through the pandemic?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Braddon for his question and I thank him for his service to our country. Just by way of referring to the member for Braddon, he will be very pleased to know, as we were able to advise earlier today, that last night our defence forces, working together with New Zealand defence forces, brought over 650 people out of Kabul. That was a tremendous effort by our people in Kabul. They're returning safely and will soon be on their way back to Australia.

The national plan provides the certainty and the safety for Australians to move forward, out of the lockdowns that we see before us now, which are necessary for this time. It enables them to see past the lockdowns. It enables them to see their ability to live with the virus in the future. I commend Qantas, because Qantas have, I think, encapsulated what that hope is about and what the national plan can achieve—because that's what the national plan is designed to realise. And I call on all Australians to continue, as they have been doing, turning up each and every day and getting their jabs in the arm and bringing us closer and closer to that day. The plan gives Australians the certainty and it gives Australians the safety that is necessary to move forward.

And it's not about a day; it's about the science and it's about the protection that Australians will have by achieving those important vaccination rates of 70 per cent and 80 per cent, supported by preparing our health systems and ensuring there is care and caution for our most vulnerable, which is part of the plan. It is achieved by continuing to vaccinate—including children aged 12 to 15, who will be vaccinated alongside the adult population. We expect that final advice from ATAGI later this week. I was updated today by General Frewen, who says the plans working with the states and territories to initiate that program are proceeding well—and we will discuss those further later in the week. There were almost 300,000 vaccinations yesterday. There have been some six million jabs in arms in New South Wales, with two-thirds of those delivered by GPs and pharmacists, who have been doing such a magnificent job—60 per cent first dose in New South Wales and the ACT, and 75 per cent first dose for the over-50s.

This plan does give that hope and confidence that Australians are looking for. It is underwriting the confidence, particularly of small businesses who want to look past these lockdowns. Small businesses don't want to have to survive on government cheques; they want their customers back. That's what the plan achieves. Australians want to return to their hours and their jobs because they want to be getting wages, not COVID disaster payments. Those COVID disaster payments have been a great support to get Australians through, but the national plan means we will get out of this and we will move forward. Our plan is to get there and we need to support and stick to that plan, not stand in the way of it like those opposite.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the Leader of the Opposition, I will ask everyone to return to their seats, if they can, for a second. I want everyone in their seat to look up at David Foote. It is a bit hard doing the official photograph at the moment, and he is taking a few photos before question time gets too far away. That was the quietest it's been; I might get you to stay there, David, and we might do that a few times! The Leader of the Opposition has the call.