Daniel Mulino (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In order to protect our health and the economic recovery, this government has had two KPIs: an effective quarantine system and the speedy rollout of the vaccine. It is failing on both counts.

First, Australia's vaccination rollout is taking far longer than it should. This is creating unnecessary health risks and also costing our economy tens of billions of dollars. The government's own 2020 budget papers state that an early rollout of the vaccine would be worth $34 billion to the economy. How much would a slow vaccine rollout cost the enemy? The government won't answer that question. We're seeing the human cost of a slow vaccine rollout in the news from Victoria today. This is a clear demonstration that, despite what senior members of the government say, there should be urgency. Where are the ads? Where is the plan? How can anybody have confidence?

What about quarantine? The Halton report was given to national cabinet in October of last year. Eight months on, where are the new models of quarantine which were recommended? Where is the new national quarantine facility that was recommended? All we have is recycled announcements, and Australians are left exposed by the unnecessary risks that hotel quarantine creates. We can't keep the borders closed indefinitely.

The government says there's no rush. Today, of all days, they can't keep peddling that false argument.