Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. In August, Mr Morrison said businesses had a legitimate right to refuse entry to people who refused to be vaccinated, stating:

… the sheer fact of it is, if you're not vaccinated, you represent a greater public health risk to yourself, to your family, to your community and others about you. So, it's only sensible that people will do sensible things to protect their public health.

Last week, Mr Morrison declared unvaccinated people should be able to get a cup of coffee in Brisbane regardless of vaccination status. Why should people in Brisbane be able to get a coffee regardless of vaccination status, but not people in Sydney?

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

I thank the senator for her question and indeed acknowledge the interview that she was referring to. I think it's important that it's understood that, if you go up the page in the transcript of that interview, the Prime Minister was asked whether he had an appetite for mandatory vaccinations and the answer he gave in that interview was: no, he did not have an appetite for mandatory vaccinations.

Now, of course, I qualify that with the statements I've already made in question time: that the government did indeed lead in relation to mandatory vaccinations to protect those most at risk from COVID-19—to protect those in aged-care facilities, to protect those where they are engaging with disability care workers, to protect those in our health systems generally who are at greatest risk and to ensure that we supported mandatory activities in that regard.

In relation to businesses, as I've already touched on in this question time, the government has also been consistent that the legal advice from the pre-existing legal arrangements is that Australian businesses, be they a coffee shop or any other business, have the power and the choice themselves to make rules and decisions about accessing their business, including to determine whether or not vaccinated individuals can be the only ones to access those businesses as customers. They're the laws of the land that we have supported. We've not sought to change them in ways to force businesses to make greater mandates; nor have we sought to remove the choice from businesses in relation to their choice to make those decisions themselves, regardless of which state they are in.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McAllister, a supplementary question?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister confirm whether Mr Morrison has ever required journalists attending his press conferences to be fully vaccinated, and is this a current requirement?

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

Mr Morrison has complied at different times with health requirements put in place or requested by authorities, be they the recommendations of the Chief Medical Officer of Australia, or, when he has been in New South Wales, restrictions in place at particular points in time in New South Wales, or restrictions put in place here, when he's been in the ACT. Oftentimes, those restrictions have had to be particularly targeted to deal with the Prime Minister returning from necessary overseas work and engaging in that necessary overseas work, for him to then meet requirements of quarantining and isolating upon return but also to be available to be able to handle the duties of the office of Prime Minister, be that the way in which he's engaged in cabinet or other deliberations or with the Australian media. Where it has been a condition that health authorities have suggested that vaccination status be a factor in relation to those isolation periods, the Prime Minister's complied with that. (Time expired)

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McAllister, a second supplementary question?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why does Mr Morrison want journalists attending his press conferences to be fully vaccinated but think a barista in Queensland should not have the same protections from COVID-19 that he demands for himself as Prime Minister?

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

Could you imagine what those opposite would have said if the Prime Minister, whilst isolating at the Lodge on return from international business, had been advised by ACT health authorities or the Chief Medical Officer that anyone attending a press conference needed to be vaccinated and if the Prime Minister had said: 'No, they're not going to be,' and had denied that health advice?

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Wong, on a point of order?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is direct relevance. The question doesn't go to a hypothetical about the opposition; it goes to the Prime Minister's hypocrisy and consistent falsehoods.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, I am listening closely to the minister's answer. Minister, you have the call.

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

Mr President, I paint that scenario because those opposite would be the first to condemn if the Prime Minister was not following health advice and health recommendations at the time. What he has done, what our government has done, is listen to and act on the health advice of our Commonwealth health officials at every step of the way, and that has included questions around mandates and vaccinations as they apply. We have been very clear in the sense that we've acted where the health officials have recommended to apply those mandates to those most vulnerable, but the national plan also makes clear that we should go through the stages with these high levels of vaccination to reopen and to reopen thoroughly.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, your time has expired.

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

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.