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

It's good of Senator Lambie to ask me the question and then answer it for me, but I disagree with her question and I disagree with her answer. The reason that Tasmania is not going to open until it reaches 90 per cent vaccination rate is a matter for the Tasmanian government. It's purely a matter for the Tasmanian government. It is their decision. I would hope that the Tasmanian government does what is happening in a number of other jurisdictions and follows the national plan supported by the Doherty modelling in support of Australians being able to move freely around the country and get back to contact with their families. That's what national cabinet agreed. That was the process, and that was the rationale behind getting the Doherty modelling done in the first place—at what point in time could we safely reopen and at what level of vaccination rate could we start to safely reopen the Australian community?