John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] I'm speaking in this adjournment debate today from Epping, in my electorate of Bennelong. This perverse sentence underlines the new normal of these last two years. That a parliamentary debate could be conducted from anywhere but the chamber was unheard of before 2020 and that I'm speaking from one of the lockdown suburbs in my electorate that is only half locked down speaks to the bedlam that has accompanied this latest Delta outbreak.

It was only a handful of weeks ago that we all stood in this chamber and, looking at the state of the country, we were happy to deduce that the worst of COVID was behind us. It seemed that the state-wide lockdowns and border chaos of 2021 was settling down into a predictable series of three-day snap lockdowns and isolated cases that didn't lead to broader outbreaks. The case that had visited five barbecue shops in Sydney in June led to more questions about which barbecue was bought rather than a fear of a broader community transmission. In June, we didn't realise how good we had it.

Just two days after returning from Canberra, the world turned upside down for Sydneysiders, and from this vantage point in the middle of a two-month lockdown it's hard to recall the optimism we all held that this would only be for two weeks. Now two months may be optimistic. Through the last month we have seen the virus hotspots jump from east to south-west and restricted areas followed, recently increasing from just three to eight. The latest changes included the local government area of Parramatta, which includes a number of suburbs in Bennelong, including Epping, where I'm holed up now.

This lockdown is tough for all Sydneysiders, but there is a particular level of difficulty with living on the border of a restricted LGA. Those of us in Epping and Ermington have the same restrictions as the rest of Parramatta with the fraction of the cases currently. But it is imperative that we abide by the orders and stay out of nearby Ryde. Meanwhile those on the western side of the city of Ryde find themselves unable to get to their nearest shops, which may be on the other side of the hard boundary in Epping. Eastwood has it toughest of all, with the boundary sitting just one block away from the central shopping district. Throughout this lockdown, I've been calling on local people to keep an eye on the New South Wales Health website to ensure they are always on top of the local restrictions, and I issue that callout again today. We must continue to obey these restrictions if we are to have any hope of beating this insidious virus.

The other tool in our arsenal, of course, is the vaccine. I'm proud to say that, as of last week, I'm fully vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine—and, if you're my age or older, you should be too. I was delighted to be standing next to the Prime Minister this time last year at AstraZeneca's headquarters, just down the road in Macquarie Park, as we announced our first vaccine deal, and I remain completely confident in the vaccine's safety. I got in line to get the jab as soon as I was eligible and, with the health guidance change recommending that the second jab at an earlier date was now possible, I brought forward my second appointment. The whole process has been simple, painless and well managed by local doctors and the New South Wales government.

More importantly, I know that getting vaccinated is the first step to reopening and life returning to normal. I cannot stress enough the need for everyone to get out there and get vaccinated with whatever jab you can get. The vaccines are safe and they will keep Australia safe. If we can follow the health orders and get vaccinated we'll hopefully be through this soon. In the meantime, the most important thing we can do is to stay positive. The gold medals in Tokyo have been a much-needed boost to our national morale, and the remaining Olympics and Paralympics will hopefully keep us going. But please make sure you reach out for help if you need it, utilise the COVID buddy system and keep an eye out for your neighbours. With these three things together we will get through this situation.