House debates

Tuesday, 1 June 2021

Statements by Members

Morrison Government: COVID-19

1:29 pm

Photo of Rob MitchellRob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

[by video link] Last week we asked a question of the Prime Minister and the Minister for Health and Aged Care regarding aged-care facilities and vaccines. Australians have been shocked as we've seen the Prime Minister and the health minister mislead the Australian people with what they've said in relation to aged-care facilities and vaccinations for staff and residents. We now know that aged-care workers haven't been vaccinated—despite what we were told by the government—and that their lives are at risk because of the incompetence of this government, which has failed on the two thing it needed to do: quarantine and vaccinations. When the Prime Minister said he put the country on a war footing with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, we didn't expect him to wave a white flag and head off overseas again. We need a government that is on the side of the Australian people, not looking after itself at the expense of vulnerable and elderly Australians, who have been left behind because of this government.