Anthony Chisholm Queensland, Australian Labor Party
2:00 pm
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Colbeck. When the parliament met in June the Prime Minister arrogantly boasted, 'There is not one person who is in an ICU in an Australian hospital as a result of falling victim to COVID.' How many Australians are in an ICU due to COVID today?
Richard Colbeck Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services
[by video link] I'm just looking for this morning's details. Mr President, I'll have to take that question on notice. I do not have in front of me the specific details of today's epi figures.
Anthony Chisholm Queensland, Australian Labor Party
2:01 pm
In June the Minister for Health and Aged Care told the parliament that no-one catching COVID and dying in Australia in 2021 is 'one of Australia's great public health achievements'. How many Australians have tragically died as a result of COVID-19 in Australia this year?
Richard Colbeck Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services
2:02 pm
[by video link] On the numbers I have, in Australia we have had 936 deaths in total from COVID across the entire pandemic.
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
It's on direct relevance. The question wasn't that; the question was this year.
Scott Ryan President
You've reminded the minister of the question. He has been speaking for 19 seconds. Senator Colbeck, have you concluded your answer?
Richard Colbeck Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services
As at the beginning of this year there had been 910 deaths, so that means that so far this year there have been 26 deaths.
Anthony Chisholm Queensland, Australian Labor Party
2:03 pm
Does Mr Morrison take responsibility for the hospital admissions and tragic deaths that could have been avoided if he had established a national quarantine system and fixed his bungled vaccine rollout?
Richard Colbeck Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services
[by video link] The quarantine system in this country operates by agreement through national cabinet by the states, so every time the Labor Party criticise the national quarantine system they are, in fact, criticising their state colleagues, who under the national health agreement have agreed to conduct and manage hotel quarantine across the country. We continue, as I've said on a number of occasions, to build the number of points available for Australians to access the vaccine. We continue to do that. We continue to build the number of vaccines available to Australians. As at today, well in excess of 13 million vaccines have been administered to Australians across the country. (Time expired)