Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to talk about the Morrison government's complete failure on managing the COVID vaccine. The speaking points this week must be 'deflect from New South Wales at all costs' or 'defend the Premier of New South Wales whatever it takes'. We had Prime Minister Morrison out in the media this morning invoking that Churchill quote 'It's always darkest before the dawn'. And then we had a government frontbencher out this morning attacking the states that don't have COVID rampaging through them at the moment, threatening those states. So we are already awake to what is going to happen this week.

You'd think the Morrison government might've learnt that attacking states like Western Australia, who've been absolutely clear about the way we have confronted this virus, with hard lockdowns and so on—you'd think they might've learnt when Mr Morrison and the member for Pearce, Mr Porter, backed in Clive Palmer. Against all Western Australian voters, they backed in Clive Palmer. When they realised how unpopular that was, Mr Morrison suddenly changed his mind.

Attacking Western Australia, threatening the income we get from the Commonwealth government, is again going to backfire on you. Mr Morrison had two jobs here. One was hotel quarantine and one was vaccine. He has failed at both. He has absolutely backed in a premier who has also failed. I wish the people of New South Wales all the best, but, with Mr Morrison backing you, I don't like your chances. So lay off WA; we're doing just fine. Our mining sector is working, keeping the country going. So don't come after Western Australia. You've got enough problems at the moment.