Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Why is the Prime Minister spending his time fighting with state premiers instead of fixing an aged-care system that is in crisis and an economy that's in recession for the first time in 30 years?

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

Throughout this COVID-19 pandemic, states and territories, together with the Commonwealth, have been able to put Australia in a position where, when you look at the international comparisons, Australia has fared well compared to almost any other developed nation in the world, not only when it comes to health outcomes but also when it comes to economic outcomes. The responses that have been put in place, led by the Commonwealth, include over $300 billion of support. I note a report by the Australian National University found that, in the absence of those policy interventions, the number of people in poverty would have increased from 1.6 million to 3.8 million. So, in the research done by the ANU, 2.2 million people have been identified as having been saved from poverty as a result of the responses we have put in place.

Across the states and territories we have worked together as a national cabinet to achieve many things. There have been some areas of disagreement—I grant you that—but, compared to the way the states and territories and the Commonwealth would argue under COAG, where issues went largely to retire rather than to be promoted, the national cabinet has gone the other way, whether it's the achievements we've been able to make on the EBPC Act in reducing regulation, particularly the Western Australian government working with the Commonwealth government; the billion dollars in the skills funding agreement, which will see 340,000 additional training places put in place; the national freight code or, indeed, the agricultural code, which will be considered by the national cabinet; or the occupational licensing agreements that have been put together. We will continue to work together on these important issues.

But what is really important now, as we go forward, is there is no dispute from the Commonwealth about the powers that the states and territories have in relation to borders. There is no dispute about those powers. It is also the point that what we want to be able to achieve together is the road back for our economy, to ensure that we can see the jobs continue to come back in our economy, whether it's in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania or anywhere else. Just as the national cabinet worked together to put the three-step plan in place, which was overwhelmed by the resurgence of the virus in Victoria, we will build that plan again. We will, together, get the road back. We will continue to outline those plans, together with the states and territories, on how the economy can open up again, because that must be our goal. We can't retreat. We must always go forward when it comes to battling this virus, and that is what the Commonwealth government is doing, in partnership with the states and territories.