Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Once again we've had a series of misquotes, vague references and accusations against the Prime Minister from the opposition in question time today. What a way to finish the last week of another very difficult year. Surely there were questions of policy that they could have asked. But no: only innuendos and wild accusations, including around quarantine proposals, loaded with implications.

Quarantine Services Australia is a not-for-profit company established by the private sector to support industry, and it's important to note that the government is not funding QSA in any way. Of course, we do have an interest in the work they propose to do, because we want Australian businesses to be able to bring in the skilled workers they require in order to grow and create more jobs during our pandemic recovery. We know there's a skilled workforce shortage in Australia, and travel restrictions during the pandemic have presented particular challenges. That's why we've flagged skilled workers as our next stage in the border reopening—which, as we know, was due this week but has been paused until the 15th to give us time to understand the new omicron variant.

That said, our vaccination rates being among the highest in the world means that we're now in a very strong position. That's why the New South Wales, ACT and Victorian governments removed the requirement to quarantine for fully vaccinated international travellers from 1 November. In my home state, Tasmania, we're due to follow on 15 December. Dependent on vaccination rates, the remaining states and territories have flagged their intention to remove the requirement for fully vaccinated international travellers to quarantine by the end of this year or early next year.

So, the large-scale quarantine services that we thought, back in July, may have been necessary are unlikely to be required in the future, due to what we've achieved with our vaccination program. However, we do know that quarantine arrangements will likely continue to be necessary for certain groups of people coming into the country. So the formation of Quarantine Services Australia is a positive thing—an industry-led solution to help industry bring in the workforce they require. The Department of Home Affairs engaged DPG to facilitate a model capable of developing a quarantine approach that was private sector funded, scalable and acceptable to the states and territories. The model was required to be operational in the absence of any federal government financial support.

On the topic of quarantine facilities, I remind senators that during the course of COVID-19 this government has successfully worked in partnership with the northern Tasmanian government to utilise the Centre for National Resilience at Howard Springs and indeed doubled its bed capacity, expanding the facility's capability to 2,000 beds. We're also looking at Victoria's Mickleham facility, which has a 100-bed capacity, and the first stage should be complete shortly. We've also been working with the Western Australian government on a new Centre for National Resilience, and we're in talks with the Queensland government on a federal quarantine facility there, too. These new Centres for National Resilience, which are fully funded by the Commonwealth, will increase capacity to repatriate Australians. However, afterwards, these facility will be available for other important long-term resilience uses, such as supporting responses to natural disasters.

Today is our final day in this place for 2021, and later today we'll be undertaking a time of reflection and thanks for the year we've had. We'll be wishing those around us a great break, a lovely holiday and a joyous Christmas season. With that in mind, how can we justify the behaviour we've seen in this place not just today, when those opposite have once again launched an attack on the Prime Minister, but also over recent days, when unparliamentary behaviour and comments have been made against each other? The Jenkins report was titled Set the standard, and that is something that each and every one of us in this building—particularly in this place—should reflect on over the coming weeks. Too often there is language used and remarks made with the sole purpose of inflicting pain, and blatant disrespect is evident. We should be attacking the policies of our opponents, not the person.

I hold the institute of the Senate and other senators in high regard and believe that when we return in 2022 we must hold each other to even greater account. This is not a gender or sexuality issue and it's not a political or race issue. We are all here as equals, and we need to show due respect of that fact and to each other. I look forward to seeing everybody in the new year.