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

[by video link] The situation in New South Wales is of course concerning to all members. I've been in touch again with the New South Wales Premier today. I commend the New South Wales Premier and the New South Wales government on the steps they are taking to address the community outbreak that has occurred there, which is still not at levels like we see overseas. It's a very attentive government with the best contact tracing system, I would say, of any jurisdiction, certainly in Australia—and I'd go further beyond that to anywhere in the world—so I have great confidence in the New South Wales health officials to do the job that is needed now. They've moved very quickly, not just on the testing that has being undertaken but also on the tracing down of those contacts within those 24-hour periods, which is so vital to contain these outbreaks.

The COVID pandemic has not gone anywhere, all Australians understand that. When you've had some 370,000 Australians and others coming to Australia over the period of the pandemic there have been a small number, around 20 or so, of breaches that've occurred within a system that has otherwise been successful in preventing 99.99 per cent of any transmission out of that more than 370,000 arrivals into the country.

The vaccination program today, as we sit here, as I sit here, as members of the House sit where you're sitting in the chamber today, will be seven million doses that will have been administered. Two-thirds and more of the population over 70 have received their first dose. Half of the population over the age of 50 have received their first dose. More than a quarter of the population aged over 16 have received their first dose. The number of Pfizer vaccine doses available will increase significantly in July and again in September and October, as has been outlined by Lieutenant General Frewen, who has oversight control of the vaccination program.

As is always the case, and as has occurred in Melbourne and in other parts of the country when these outbreaks occur—and we have always indicated that that is always a risk—our health officials will respond, our health workers will respond and we will get through this challenge, just as we have so many others over the course of this pandemic. The fact remains that the two jobs of this government are: save lives, save livelihoods. If it were not for the actions of our government, together with governments around Australia, more than 30,000 additional Australians would have lost their lives to COVID. In addition to that, we would not have more people in work today than we did before the COVID pandemic began. Saving lives, saving livelihoods—that's what this government is achieving together with other governments around the country. Australians understand that. And we'll continue to do the job.

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