House debates Questions without Notice
COVID-19: Aged Care
Anika Wells Lilley, Australian Labor Party
2:47 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. On 12 August, the royal commission heard that some aged-care workers in Victoria still cannot get masks, gloves or gowns. Why?
Greg Hunt Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health
I've largely answered this, but I might add to it—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Hon. Members:
Honourable members interjecting—
Greg Hunt Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health
In relation to the—
Honourable members interjecting—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
It's a reasonable point!
Tony Smith Speaker
No interjection is reasonable! The minister has the call.
Greg Hunt Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health
As I said, more generally across the country, 14 million masks have been provided to aged-care facilities. In relation to gowns, three million have been provided. In relation to sets of gloves, 7.66 million pairs have been provided to aged-care facilities. In relation to, specifically, P2 respirators, there are approximately 1.3 million. And, over yesterday, we had approximately 50,000 masks provided within Victoria. So there is an ongoing and continuous supply made available. I am aware that, in some facilities, they may have had distribution challenges, but what we do, whether it's through AUSMAT, whether it's through the work of the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre—
Mr Albanese interjecting—
Mr Dutton interjecting—
Tony Smith Speaker
It might actually assist the House if the Leader of the Opposition and the Minister for Home Affairs ceased their very loud conversation.
Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Home Affairs
It was cordial.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
We're united on—
Tony Smith Speaker
Are you? Yes. Okay. There's a great anteroom out there; do you want to go? The minister has the call.
Greg Hunt Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health
In addition, through AUSMAT and the ADF, through the work of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner and through the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre, we engage with every facility that has need, and we work with the National Medical Stockpile to ensure that those distributions are made. The other thing that I would add is that there have been 3,167,245 goggles or face shields distributed to aged care in Victoria.