Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Is it correct that the Prime Minister waited until 25 July to announce the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre, well after high levels of community transmission in Victoria had taken hold, after 294 Victorian aged-care residents had been infected and after 26 aged-care residents in Victoria had died?

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

Over the course of the many months since March, there were responses, as I articulated to the House earlier this week, undertaken to put in place the plan that was pulled together in March and then refreshed on several occasions leading up to the events which the shadow minister has made reference to. Preparations were underway to bring together that Victorian Aged Care Response Centre, and it was established at the time that the member has raised in his question. All through this crisis, though, and, indeed, before that time, engagement between the Victorian government and the Commonwealth government was being undertaken to provide the response that was necessary in these centres and consistent with the plan.