Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Hansard source

I would urge those on the other side to use the entire quote in context, rather than the way that they do in this place, because it provides a very different perspective.

What's occurring in Australia right now in the context of the provision of quarantine for people coming into Australia is that we are operating a quarantine system based on a national cabinet agreement that's been reaffirmed by national cabinet a number of times. The hotel quarantine system is being operated at a national level in consultation and collaboration between the states and the Commonwealth based on a national cabinet decision. That's the process and the fundamentals under which the quarantine system for people returning to Australia is being conducted right now.

As the Prime Minister has said and as a number of my colleagues have said, we're very happy to receive submissions from states and territories with respect to further quarantine proposals. There's a conversation occurring right now; in fact, there's an agreement between the Commonwealth and Victoria with respect to a proposed additional facility in Victoria. The arrangements for that are being finalised right now; those negotiations with Victoria continue.

We will continue to work in accordance with the national cabinet decision for the operation of quarantine for people coming back into Australia with COVID. We will continue to work with the states and territories on the development of additional capacity in the states and territories based on proposals provided by those states and territories. We've accepted the proposal from Victoria. We continue to operate that. And I might add, those proposals were about providing additional capacity to the system so that we can bring more people home. We will continue to work in the collaborative way we have through national cabinet.