Vince Connelly (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister please inform the House how the national plan, backed by expert advice, will enable Australians to live with the virus and will help create a stronger nation on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic?

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

I thank the member for Stirling for his question. He will particularly welcome the news that I just conveyed to the House about just how many people we are managing to evacuate from Afghanistan, from Kabul, at this present time, and I thank the member for his service.

The national plan is the clear path Australia needs to live with the virus in the future. That is what we must do. We must face that future and we must live with the virus into the future. It is a plan that is for safe reopening. It's a safe plan that focuses on protecting the most vulnerable throughout the many stages of that plan. It's a safe plan that parents can have confidence in, that employers can have confidence in, that workers can have confidence in and that communities can have confidence in, because it is evidence based. It is an evidence based, scientific plan that is supported by the best medical advice but also the best economic advice, which says that when you get to 70 per cent and 80 per cent of your population over the age of 16 that is vaccinated then you can live without the lockdowns into the future. That is what is incredibly important.

It's an honest plan because it understands and acknowledges that once we get into phase B and, indeed, into phase C there will be additional cases and we will be living with COVID within our communities. We'll be doing it safely and we'll be working with states and territories to ensure that our public health systems are there and able to support the community in the same way that they do that with all other infectious diseases. It's a necessary plan because it means children will be able to go back to school. It's a necessary plan because it means businesses will be able to plan for their future. It'll ensure that Australians will be able to get those hours back and go back to work. It means that our tourism and travel sectors will be able to get back onto their feet. And our aviation sector—and not just domestic but international as well.

It means that artists will be able to go back on stage and perform at live venues. It means that agricultural producers will be able to get the workers they need to ensure that they can provide the food and fibre that our country needs and that we export to the rest of the world. It means that universities and colleges will be able to welcome those students back and they'll be able to return to our country. It's a plan that ensures that financiers and investors in Australia can have confidence and they can be reassured and reinforced, and our credit rating will be able to be reinforced as well. This is a plan that, above all, will bring Australians back safely together. It's a plan that has been supported by Australians by going out there and getting vaccinated—307,000 doses yesterday; 1.9 million a week; nine million AstraZeneca doses, and more, have been administered. There are more places you can get vaccinated now than there are petrol stations to get petrol in your car. The plan is coming together.