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

Thank you, Mr President. The Commonwealth government, through a GP led respiratory clinic, has had a presence through Maari Ma in Wilcannia since May 2020. Maari Ma transitioned to become a Commonwealth vaccination clinic on 22 March this year—very early in the vaccine rollout—offering the AstraZeneca vaccine and then started administering Pfizer on 11 June, well before this outbreak occurred—

Senator Watt interjecting—

Senator, if you are talking down AstraZeneca, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. If you are talking down AstraZeneca, which is what you're doing by your statements, you ought to be ashamed of yourself, because the medical advice is that the best vaccine for you is the one that you can get today. That vaccine has been available in this community since March of this year, in line with our commitment to prioritise Indigenous communities—

Honourable senators interjecting—