Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. A week ago the Prime Minister promised to build a new quarantine facility at Jandakot Airport in Western Australia after the Department of Finance recommended that site after a feasibility study. So why has Mr Morrison already broken that promise, announcing the quarantine station will now be moved to a new site near a contaminated RAAF base?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] If Senator Pratt had bothered to look at any of the detail of what was said when the Jandakot site was announced as a preferred location a little over a week ago, she would have known that at the time I spoke very publicly about the fact that terms in relation to access to that site weren't settled, that contingency and back-up plans looking at other sites were underway and that the government was receiving advice. Indeed, the memorandum of understanding that we signed with the Western Australian government, who are clearly far more mature on these issues than Senator Pratt or the Anthony Albanese opposition, acknowledged the fact that there were contingency sites underway. The WA government has been engaged in that and is aware of that. What we've done is we've moved to the Bullsbrook site, the defence training centre there, on the basis of it being the site that will enable us to most efficiently, in terms of time and money, get the project built and delivered. That's why we're going there. It's that simple.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pratt, a supplementary question?

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The proposed quarantine facility still has no budget, no contractor and no time line and will not take quarantine out of Perth CBD hotels, and it won't even open until two years after the start of this pandemic. Why is Mr Morrison so slow to act in keeping Western Australians safe?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] I note Senator Pratt there claiming that there's no contractor. If she'd bothered to read her home-town newspaper, the West Australian, today, she would see that we announced the contractor for construction on the Bullsbrook site yesterday. I thank Multiplex for the work they're doing on that site, as they are elsewhere around the country. They're in a position where they're going to get the designs and approvals finalised and construction underway the month after next.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pratt, a final supplementary question?

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Morrison has called Western Australians cave dwellers and has now delayed construction of a new quarantine facility, all after siding with Clive Palmer against Western Australian's border restrictions. Why does Mr Morrison continually show such contempt for Western Australia?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

(—) (): [by video link] That's strike 3 from Senator Pratt—three questions, three failures and three statements that are completely false, incorrect or failing facts. As I made clear yesterday when Senator Pratt tried this on, the Prime Minister said no such thing. We're grateful for the fact that Western Australians, like all Australians, are turning out in record numbers to get vaccinated. We're confident that Western Australians want us to stick to a plan that gives them back the opportunity to engage with the rest of Australia and with the rest of the world. That's what our national plan is all about: driving the vaccination numbers for Australians to points where we can all get back those freedoms and liberties. Whether you live in Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, or the territories, we want every single Australian to have the chance to get back those freedoms. Listening to those opposite, despite their saying they back the plan, it's clear they speak with forked tongue. It's perfectly clear they don't. (Time expired)