Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When it comes to this government and COVID vaccinations, Australia's children are neither seen nor heard. Amid all the talk from this Prime Minister—and it is largely just talk—it's as if our 12- to 15-year-olds don't exist. The United States and Canada started vaccinating that age group in May. Many European nations started in June, as did Israel. They knew it was a race. Canada has now fully vaccinated 60 per cent of its 12- to 15-year-olds. Australia has managed zero. Even parents with children deemed eligible because of underlying health issues are struggling to get appointments for their kids. Either national plan targets should include 12- to 15-year-olds or the government needs to specify vaccine targets for that age group.

Children should be vaccinated quickly, and their parents deserve to know when. Parents across Australia are struggling in lockdown, dealing with the added stresses of home-schooling. At the very least they're owed the basic courtesy of clarity. We desperately need to see our children back at school, but not at any cost, and certainly not at the cost of risking them coming home with COVID. The Prime Minister needs to stop trying to force exhausted parents to look through his rose-tinted glasses. The Prime Minister needs to be straight with people and look after these young Australians.