Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

We're all very aware of the devastation that COVID is causing around the world, with around 10,000 deaths a day. Serious outbreaks in our region threaten both our region's health security and Australia's health security and economy, and that's why we have pivoted our aid program to respond. We've added $1 billion in additional COVID-19 related spending to help our region weather the storm. This year we are providing record funding of nearly $1.7 billion to the Pacific. That's 50 per cent higher than when Labor was last in office. To help contain Fiji's current outbreak, we've already provided 250,000 Australian vaccines, and at least 750,000 more will follow. Yesterday a joint Australian and New Zealand medical assistance team arrived in Fiji. Our support has helped Fiji to maintain its world-class levels of testing and contact tracing. In PNG, Australia has reprioritised well over $100 million to support PNG's COVID-19 response and provided an additional $52 million in targeted financing for critical health and education services. This is in addition to providing PNG with AUSMAT teams, Australian vaccines and substantial supplies of personal protective equipment to bolster PNG's COVID-19 response.

Nowhere is the threat to Australia more acute than in the Torres Strait. Vaccinating communities on both sides of the Torres Strait is critical to Australia's health security. On the Australian side, almost 95 per cent of the eligible population on the outer islands of Saibai, Boigu and Dauan have received their first dose of vaccines. With Australia's support, Western Province is currently PNG's third-best-performing province for vaccine delivery, a remarkable achievement given its geography. The government remains absolutely focused on protecting Australians from COVID-19 at every level—globally, regionally, domestically and on our borders. (Time expired)