Senate debates

Monday, 23 August 2021

Questions without Notice

Covid-19

2:11 pm

Photo of Kristina KeneallyKristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, Senator Payne. I refer to reports that the New South Wales minister for health, Brad Hazzard, wrote to Minister Hunt on 11 August requesting the Australian Defence Force open vaccinations centre in Sydney and in the state's west. Now 12 of New South Wales's hardest hit local government areas in Western Sydney are facing even tighter restrictions, including curfews, and the state is facing an ever-worsening outbreak. Why, almost two weeks later, has the Morrison-Joyce government failed to formally respond to the New South Wales government's request for help in Western Sydney?

Photo of Marise PayneMarise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank Senator Keneally for her question. I don't have a full brief on this matter, but let me provide the information that I do have to the Senate. As I understand it, the New South Wales minister for health wrote to the Commonwealth minister for health, Minister Hunt, on 11 August and was responded to by phone on the same day. That was followed up by phone on 12 August, with a formal reply sent by letter on 13 August. This fact has been acknowledged and confirmed by Mr Hazzard on several occasions. On 12 August, at a press conference, Minister Hazzard, I am advised, said: 'They responded very quickly and I think Minister Hunt responded within minutes to say they would see what they could do to try to get onto it. So we just have to hope everyone's got enough staff and enough vaccines to be able to get up there and do what we need to do.' On 13 August, Mr Hazzard said: 'They've stepped up. Minister Hunt responded quite quickly. I think it was within an hour or two he responded to me and indicated that they would have the appropriate committees put in place to get the ADF working with the public health network up there with the western New South Wales local health district.'

The Commonwealth responded within 24 hours by commissioning 50 ADF members for community support and compliance and also five ADF medical teams of up to 14 members each for western New South Wales. In addition—

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Senator Keneally on a point of order?

Photo of Kristina KeneallyKristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | | Hansard source

I do appreciate the minister's information. However—and this is a point of order on relevance—the question specifically was about Western Sydney, not western New South Wales. They are two different places.

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Senator Keneally, with respect, there was a preamble to the question. The minister outlined at the beginning that they were providing the information they had available. I would be reluctant to rule what the minister is saying as not in order given the question.

Photo of Marise PayneMarise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

As I understand it, there are already 300 ADF members on the ground in Western Sydney as part of a joint operation with the New South Wales Police Force. As at 22 August, across the12 affected local government areas of concern in Greater Sydney, 777 primary care and Commonwealth sites are administering the AstraZeneca vaccine, including 500 general practices, 266 of which are also offering the Pfizer vaccine, seven general practice respiratory clinics, four Aboriginal controlled health services and 176 community pharmacies.

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Senator Keneally, a supplementary question?

2:14 pm

Photo of Kristina KeneallyKristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | | Hansard source

Will the Morrison-Joyce government agree to the New South Wales government's request for ADF support to boost vaccination—not the police checks on homes but vaccination—in Western Sydney? Yes or no?

Photo of Marise PayneMarise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

As I indicated, there are a number of Defence teams and personnel in New South Wales supporting New South Wales requirements. Defence has also deployed five vaccine delivery teams to support NSW Health in regional New South Wales. Defence is supporting NSW Health by providing 12 public health support teams to assist with COVID-19 case management. There are also five vaccine delivery teams to support NSW Health in regional New South Wales. There are eight teams operating at the New South Wales Public Health Emergency Operations Centre in St Leonards. Two teams are operating in facilities in Parramatta. One team is operating in Liverpool. One team is operating at Nepean Hospital. Defence has committed a further four teams to assist NSW Health with these activities. From tomorrow, 24 August, these personnel will be deployed to NSW Health districts as required. Defence has responded to all requests for assistance from Emergency Management Australia.

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Senator Keneally, a final supplementary question?

2:15 pm

Photo of Kristina KeneallyKristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | | Hansard source

Why is the Morrison-Joyce government quick to use the ADF in political ads in the midst of the Black Summer bushfire season but not quick to assist the people of South-West and Western Sydney to get vaccinated against COVID-19?

2:16 pm

Photo of Marise PayneMarise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

There are two things about that. The first is that, at a point in time in which Australian Defence Force men and women are not only on the ground in Sydney and elsewhere in New South Wales and other parts of Australia responding to COVID-19 critical needs but also on the ground in Kabul in Afghanistan and at Al Minhad supporting the most extraordinary emergency evacuation we have undertaken in decades, all that Senator—

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! I take the point of order, Senator Payne. Senator Keneally.

Photo of Kristina KeneallyKristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | | Hansard source

The question was not about Kabul. The question was not about Afghanistan. It was about the Morrison-Joyce government use of the ADF in political advertising and in COVID vaccines.

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Senator Keneally, I'm going to remind senators, when they stand to raise a point of order: don't just go straight to restating the question. At least try and have a semblance of the standing orders by mentioning a standing order. Senator Keneally, I have ruled before that, when questions are politically loaded, a minister can respond in kind. Your earlier questions were specific, and I think a lot of specific information was provided. There's an opportunity to debate them after question time, but that had loaded language, and the minister is in order in responding.

Photo of Marise PayneMarise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

As I said in my previous response, as at 22 August, across the 12 affected local government areas of concern in Greater Sydney, 777 primary care and Commonwealth sites are administering the AstraZeneca vaccine, including those 590 general practices, seven general practice respiratory clinics, four Aboriginal community controlled health services and 176 community pharmacies. (Time expired)