Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Colbeck. When asked about the pace of the vaccine rollout back in March of this year, the Prime Minister said, 'It's not a race; it's not a competition.' Has the minister asked the Prime Minister why he said that when it wasn't the case?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the Prime Minister subsequently said—the Labor Party are wont to go back to historical statements and forget about what's happened in the intervening period—that it doesn't matter how you start the race; it's about how you finish the race. What is quite clear—and what is quite inconvenient for the Labor Party—is that we now have one of the best vaccination rates in the world because of the hard work that was done by members of this government to ensure that we did have vaccine supplies, that vaccine supplies came to the country. We always said the rate of vaccination would increase as the vaccine supplies came into the country, and that is exactly what has happened.

We said we would like to offer every Australian a vaccine by the end of the year, and we've done that; we've done that in spades. In fact, we've got ample supplies. We are one of the first countries in the world to have a whole-of-population booster program underway, and close to half a million Australians have already taken up the opportunity to get their booster. So, despite the fact that we did have some difficulties with the vaccine rollout at the outset, we now have the equal 10th highest first-dose vaccination rate in the OECD. It's higher than in the UK, higher than in the US, higher than in France, higher than in Germany and higher than in Israel. Thanks to the Australian people, we can say that we have one of the most successful vaccine rollout programs in the world.

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

Senator Ciccone, a supplementary question?

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister repeatedly said, 'It's not a race' after the vaccine had been approved by regulators. But when asked why he said the vaccine rollout was not a race, he claimed that he said that only in relation to the approval of the vaccines. Has the minister asked the Prime Minister why he said that when that also was not the case?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's really sad that the Labor Party continue to live in the past when in fact we have run one of the most successful vaccination programs in the world. Australians understand that. They understand the importance of the vaccination program, and they are turning up in their droves to get vaccinated. In fact, they're turning up to get their booster shots now that those have become available, because we have said to the Australian people—and they've come with us—that we have good vaccines, that we have a range of supplies of vaccines, and they trust the vaccines overwhelmingly and are turning up to get vaccinated. I thank Australians for showing that confidence in our vaccination program and turning up to get vaccinated. (Time expired)

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

Senator Ciccone, a second supplementary?

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

ator CICCONE (—) (): On 6 April the Prime Minister appeared to blame the European Union for a lack of vaccine supplies, which the EU denied. The very next day, the Prime Minister claimed he never blamed the EU. Has the minister asked the Prime Minister about his criticisms of the European Union?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm doing as the Prime Minister is, which is looking to the future. We're not living in the past, as the Labor Party are doing. We're looking to the future. We're looking forward to opening the country up and we're looking forward to the economic recovery that will come along with that. And we're looking forward to Australians having the opportunity to travel and be back together for Christmas and into 2022.

The Labor Party can live in the past. They can look at the future in the rear-view mirror, but we're getting on with the economic recovery.