Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Widespread COVID-19 vaccination is crucial to keeping Australians safe. I represent a border community that suffered enormously from the New South Wales and Victorian border closures last year. The Prime Minister's recent comments about a vaccine passport for interstate travel have alarmed my constituents. Such a passport would impose extraordinary hardship on our community once again. Can the Prime Minister give an ironclad guarantee that his government will not require vaccine passports for interstate travel?

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

I thank the member for her question. The proposal that has been raised in the media, and I look forward to—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left!

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

I was responding to questions in the media about this matter, and I responded to those questions. A proposal will be discussed at the next meeting of national cabinet. But let me be very clear: the first task is to ensure we continue with the process of vaccinating Australians, and I was pleased last week that it was the first time we had reached half a million in week and 100,000 in a single day. Early this week, we expect to be over half—on first doses—of the population over 70. We welcome that and we will continue to press on.

But the proposal we are talking about is not that someone would require a passport to get from one state to another—not at all. The proposal actually was put to me by the president of the AMA, when I was in Western Australia. I was reconvening with him at the time, and he suggested to me that in the event that states put in place border restrictions—like the member would have experienced between Victoria and New South Wales—then it would be very helpful if people who had been fully vaccinated would be exempt from those restrictions and would be able to move across the borders. In the extreme circumstances where border restrictions were put in place, they would be able to move freely across those borders. I would have hoped that that would be a good suggestion, particularly for those living in border communities, where they have been fully vaccinated and, in the rather extreme situation where border arrangements were put in place by state governments—not by the federal government—but if it was the state government putting in place a border restriction, then it was suggested to me—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. Has the Prime Minister concluded his answer? The Prime Minister has concluded his answer.