Speeches
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
4 February 2021
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you for joining us. I’m joined by the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, and the Secretary of the Department of Health. We'll be making a number of announcements on vaccines and I'll come to that in a moment.
But let me deal with two other important issues. First of all, the bushfires that are threatening lives and property in the Perth Hills. I provided an update to the Parliament yesterday. The further update I have today is the situation is going to continue to be very dangerous. The bushfire has impacted northern and north-east suburbs of Perth. There still remains the potential for gusts of up to 60-70km/h, which may cause embers to carry ahead of the main fire, which we have been seeing, several kilometres ahead, those embers were blowing forward previously and those weather conditions continue not to be assisting. As I said yesterday, confirmed reports of at least 71 properties and two firefighting vehicles have been destroyed. The burn scale now 10,000 hectares. Over 1,300 homes and businesses are without power and there is significant damage to the electricity network, including 800 poles and 100 transformers and there are disruptions to telecommunications due to the loss of power. Residents have been evacuated in some WA communities, but fortunately there are so far no reports of serious injuries. Our concerns remain, of course, for those who are fighting the fires, noting that a number of firefighters have received injuries, minor injuries, which does occur in the course of their dangerous work and they understand that. But we nonetheless are concerned for their safety. There are two large air tankers that will be assisting with fighting the fire in Western Australia, under the National Aerial Firefighting Arrangements. There were meetings yesterday that further addressed those issues, and taking the advice on what was necessary. Those arrangements ensure that those large tankers and other assets, which are either owned by states or shared between states, and they're deployed in accordance with the expert advice of where they need to be, and other issues regarding further reagent and those sorts of things are also addressed through that process. There are some more than 500 career and volunteer firefighters who are out there working together against the fire, and the aerial support has been sent to support the ground crews. So, it remains a concerning situation. We're working closely with the Western Australian Government, amongst all of our officials and myself directly with the Premier, as needed. But they know they will get what they need and I think they're doing a very good job, as well as dealing with the other challenges that they're presently facing in Perth.
On a more positive note, today I had a very warm and engaging call with President Biden. And we appreciated the opportunity to have that conversation in an early phase, amongst the many nations that have been engaged with early on in that process. As he said to me again today, he sees the Australia-US relationship as providing the anchor for peace and security in our region. And that is true. We share that view. In terms of our relations between Australia and the United States, there's nothing to fix there, only things to build on, and we intend to do just that. We talked about the stewardship we share, a stewardship that has been held by prime ministers and presidents over a very long time, and particularly this year. Some 70 years of the ANZUS Alliance that we will celebrate in September of this year. I spoke to former prime minister Howard when we were at Doug Anthony's funeral the other day, and he reminded me that it was 20 years ago in September, when he was in the United States to address the Congress on the 50th anniversary of ANZUS and, of course, while he was there, it was September 11. And so we spoke about that today, remembering that it is 20 years since September 11. And we stood with the United States then, as we always have and always will. We spoke of the fact that Australia looks to the United States, but we never leave it to the United States. We do our share of the heavy lifting in this relationship, and that is absolutely respected by the President and appreciated. And so a very warm call.
So, we affirmed our commitment to the things that absolutely always matter - those relationships, particularly the alliance relationships, but also the Five Eyes relationships and the broadening of that agenda on the Five Eyes. The Quad relationship, a high priority for the Biden Administration as it works with Australia and its partners within the region. And what we refer to now as the G7-Plus dialogue. Australia is not a member of the G7, but that's not the point. We have now been invited on three occasions while I have been Prime Minister, and there have been other occasions in the past. And that G7-Plus dialogue enables a broader discussion of issues amongst like-mindeds, liberal democracies, market-based economies, and this is a very positive move and deals with everything from technology, partnerships, supply chains, the security of those, the economic recovery, COVID issues, and cooperation. So, we will continue to work together on the key global and regional challenges in the Indo-Pacific, and there is an absolute affirmation and understanding that we are in this together, we are absolutely in this together. Whether it's on COVID and whether it's on the economic recovery, global and regional security issues, the multilateral initiatives and reforms that we are partnering in, but also, as we discussed today, achieving a net-zero pathway through technology, and the cooperation that is needed to do that, and the work that has already begun from the discussion between Special Envoy Secretary Kerry and Minister Taylor, we picked that up today and we're very keen on pursuing that relationship and the technology partnership. And I had the opportunity to discuss how the United States, and as Secretary Kerry said the other day and I said it in the Parliament, that it is a game-changing statement to understand that our goal is global emissions, not just emissions in some countries. Global emissions reduction, and that is how you solve the problem. And so appreciated their leadership there.
So, a very warm and engaging conversation. We're looking forward to further engagements over the course of this year. Again, he was invited to join us for the celebration of the 70 years of ANZUS. He told me he needs no special reason to come to Australia, he loves the place. But they would very much like to be in Australia at some point, and we'll see how that progresses. But a very keen enthusiasm to come back to Australia, which he knows so well, with Dr Biden and, of course, the other summits and various things coming up over the first half of this year. So, that was the very warm and engaging call that we had between myself and President Biden.
Now, to the issue of vaccines. Australia has secured an additional 10 million Pfizer doses. We have been able to contract securing those vaccines. That brings to now 150 million doses, what Australia has been able to secure, to not only vaccinate Australia but to ensure that we're doing our bit in this part of the world. Yesterday I joined the Pacific Island Leaders' Forum, and we were able to give the good report of how we're working with them, together with the United States and France across the Pacific, and this as much potentially assists that task as it certainly assists our task in the rollout of our vaccine. These additional vaccines have been secured consistent with our requirements under the Strategy. I want to commend again Minister Hunt and Professor Murphy for the great job they and their teams have done in continuing to fulfil our commitments when it comes to delivering this vaccine in Australia. It is the big agenda item for us, obviously, because it provides the pathway to so many of the other things we wish to achieve this year. They can speak more to the details of that. We are still, though, on track to commence later this month. That puts us in a very good position, particularly with our sovereign vaccine production capability, ahead of many countries, like New Zealand, for example, we understand, won't commence until April, I think it is. We're working with them as well and I had a good discussion with Prime Minister Ardern on that just the other day.
But Greg?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Thanks very much to the Prime Minister and Professor Murphy. We know that the pandemic continues to rage around the world. Fortunately, we have seen some reduction in global numbers in recent weeks in terms of the daily cases, but sadly the number of lives lost continues. In Australia, one community case today on the advice that we have from the National Incident Centre, obviously within Victoria, and no lives lost. No lives lost in January against a global figure of approximately 400,000. And those figures put into perspective the situation in Australia. Safe at home but challenges abroad. And against that background, the vaccine rollout is the next critical step in protecting Australians. As part of that vaccine strategy, we have followed the advice on purchasing from the scientific and technical advisory group, or SCITAG, led by Professor Brendan Murphy. They provide the advice and we implement. As part of that, they advised from the outset that we should build an option, subject to the determination by the TGA, into our contract to purchase additional doses if the TGA were to approve the use of Pfizer, because it's an mRNA vaccine, because the world has never had an mRNA vaccine. We did that, we did that quietly behind the scenes. Once the TGA approved the Pfizer vaccine, we triggered that option, and I am pleased to be able to announce that Australia has purchased an additional 10 million doses of Pfizer. That is the advice that was provided to us by Professor Murphy's Vaccines Committee and it's been implemented in full. That's important for Australia. It provides additional support over and above that which was already in place. As the Prime Minister said, a total of 150 million vaccines. 20 million Pfizer, 53.8 million Oxford-AstraZeneca, where we've seen some very positive results, which Professor Murphy will take you through from around the world. 51 million Novavax. Again, positive results in recent days. The strategy in terms of the choice of vaccines set by the Vaccines Advisory Committee is proving to be very valuable and well-informed. And then, of course, 25.5 million units under the COVAX International facility. All of those things are coming together. Shortly before joining you, I spoke with both AstraZeneca Australia and Pfizer Australia and both have reconfirmed that, at this point in time, the vaccine rollout remains on track, respectively for the last week of February for Pfizer and the first week of March for AstraZeneca, subject to the TGA, in terms of AstraZeneca. Subject to shipping in both cases. But both have reaffirmed their guidance only within the last two hours. So, I think that's very important.
Finally, there are two other elements that I want to highlight. Uptake of the vaccine is very important. And the more Australians we have vaccinated, the better. In particular, we want to work with culturally and linguistically diverse communities and we will accordingly be allocating $1.3 million for additional funding to multicultural peak bodies to assist in information to culturally and linguistically diverse communities to support the vaccine rollout. That will include advertising into 32 languages, a vaccine explainer in 29 languages, the campaign builds on 63 languages on the Department of Health's website. That's very important. But the last element which we considered is that we need to make sure that everybody who's on Australian soil is safe, and everybody who's on Australian soil has access to protection. So, on the advice of the medical experts, the Government has determined that we will offer vaccines to all people living in Australia to achieve the maximum level of coverage. That means the Government will provide COVID-19 vaccinations free to all visa holders in Australia. And this will include refugees, asylum seekers, temporary protection visa holders, and those on bridging visas. People currently residing in detention facilities will also be eligible, including those whose visas have been cancelled. So, that's making sure that there is the maximum possible coverage in Australia. And today is another important step in the vaccine rollout and in building on that work that Australians have done, of keeping each other safe. They've done an amazing job, but the vaccine rollout is what will help us in a world of enormous numbers of global cases, and sadly lives lost daily.
Professor?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thanks, Prime Minister, and Minister. So, this additional purchase gives us additional insurance and additional options. On the advice of the committee that I chair, there was always an option to increase our stake in the mRNA vaccination, should registration and trials be successful. We are now in the wonderful position of having three vaccines rolling out this year - two of them early, the Pfizer and AstraZeneca, depending on the TGA registration, of course, of AstraZeneca, and then Novavax later on. All of these three vaccines have now been shown to be highly effective at preventing clinical COVID disease, and particularly severe COVID disease. That is a position that we wouldn't have dreamt of a year ago, six months ago. It is a very, very nice position to be in. As Minister Hunt alluded to, there is also some early encouraging, yet unpublished information from the UK suggesting that the AstraZeneca vaccine is showing some evidence of preventing transmission. We always expected the vaccines would do that, but we haven't got really good data on that at the moment. So, this additional purchase, as I said, is insurance and options. It won't change the strategy which we've outlined. We're starting initially with Pfizer later this month, and then with AstraZeneca in March, and then our local supplies of AstraZeneca from CSL come online in later March, and we'll have plentiful supplies and we'll be scaling up with the aim to vaccinate the population by October. I am incredibly pleased with the position we're in with vaccines at the moment. Thanks, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Brendan. Yes, Phil?
JOURNALIST: In your conversation with President Biden, two things. Did the current difficulties with our relationship with China come up and did he invite you to his climate summit I think in April and do you intend to go if he has?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, as you would expect, we discussed regional issues in the Indo-Pacific fully. And in relation to the other matter, there are invitations coming, and we'll be addressing those once they're received. We spoke positively about these initiatives and so we look forward to being able to participate.
JOURNALIST: Just further on that, did President Biden ask you or discuss any further, I guess, more ambitious climate targets, and Australia committing to net zero as a target?
PRIME MINISTER: No. We had a very positive discussion about the path we're on, and the commitments that we've made and, more importantly, how we have been able to exceed those commitments. The strong level, particularly of solar in households take-up in Australia, which is the strongest in the world. And also to talk about what we've achieved in terms of our emissions reductions since 2005, which indeed is higher than what has been achieved in the United States and almost double that of the OECD. We're very focused on the technological challenge, and joining together not just Australia and the United States. I mean, they are going to be investing significantly in those technologies and I was pleased to be able to say we were doing exactly the same thing, some $18 billion over the next decade, and that we would achieve even more through partnerships between the United States and Australia. And I was able to talk about the way we are pursuing those same partnerships with the United Kingdom, and with Germany, most recently, in the discussions we've had, where we already have those relationships with places like Japan. So, you know, they're very focused on the big challenge here, which is the technologies which transform our economies, so you maintain and build on jobs, support your industries, so people have that future to look forward to, and address the broader global climate challenge.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, from that conversation, do you think that the Biden Administration will have a different attitude towards China, or will it be a similar view of China? Can you give us some more specifics on that part of your conversation?
PRIME MINISTER: I believe strongly that the position that has been taken by the United States over quite a period of time, obviously there are differences in how that's expressed and the nuances that are there. But I think in the United States, Australia has, and remains to have, a very, very strong and effective partner on these issues of Indo-Pacific security.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on hotel quarantine, we've got another case of a hotel quarantine worker being infected in Victoria today. Is the hotel quarantine system sustainable as it stands? Do you need to consider more bespoke arrangements, like Dan Andrews is suggesting, such as emergency housing?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, let me make a couple of comments on this, and Greg and Brendan may want to add to it. Some 210,000 - to be specific, 211,550 people - have returned to Australia through hotel quarantine arrangements since 31 March last year. 211,500. Now, there have been a number of cases, in a handful of cases that have resulted in those quarantine arrangements not always being 100 percent perfect. But one of the things that have characterised our response to the pandemic is that we have been proportionate. We have understood the context. We have sought to calibrate what is a reasonable risk that we have to manage. To give you an understanding of the difference in the risk situation Australia is facing to overseas, last month 30,000 people died in the UK because of COVID. In Australia, no-one did. And so I think we've got to get a bit of perspective on the challenges that we're facing.
Our hotel quarantine arrangement, which was what was agreed at National Cabinet as the most effective way to ensure that we could continue to receive Australian residents coming home to this country, and enable the public health orders that state governments had put in place regarding quarantine - very sensible public health orders - that was the most effective way of meeting those objectives of public health, but also ensuring that Australia could continue to function. Now, the Commonwealth has put in place, at some significant cost - some $243.7 million - for the provision of COVID quarantine arrangements at the Howard Springs quarantine facility for organised national repatriations of Australians. We did that last October. Now, we’re working on that having a capacity of having 850. And the Commonwealth is open where there are good proposals, very comprehensive proposals, where that supplementary capacity to deal with emergency situations, or indeed the repatriation flights that we ourselves have organised for those other facilities to be used rather than having to draw on the hotel quarantine arrangement. But when we discussed this as a Federal Government, and took the advice also from our agencies, whether it was Home Affairs or Health or others, it remains the case that the most effective way to deliver at the scale that Australia needs to deliver these arrangements, that hotel quarantine remains the most effective way to do that. And that remains the advice I have from my experts and the alternative is not that clear to me.
I mean, we could go and try and rebuild the Labor Party's immigration detention network that they put in place during the border protection crisis under their administration, and we all remember what a debacle that was. And so if that's the option, then I don't find that as persuasive. But when there are specific proposals, and we're working through one in Toowoomba at the moment. We're not working through and we've looked at the Gladstone option and we don't believe that is a sensible thing to do. There wasn't a lot of detail on that, but the broader risks were not ones that we thought were ones that were economically, or particularly from a health point of view, could be appropriately covered off. But the Toowoomba option we're looking at as a supplementary capacity, and writing back to the Queensland Premier today about that. But this idea that you can replace the hotel quarantine system, bring Australians back home, manage your health agenda effectively through some other mechanism, I think we have to keep a sense of realism about this and a sense of proportion. 211,500 people have come back, we've had a handful of cases that haven't been completely contained within that. But I can tell you what, if Europe achieved that, if the UK achieved that, if the United States had achieved that, they wouldn't be looking at the situation they're looking at now, they'd be looking potentially at the sort of situation that we as a nation have achieved.
Greg, did you want to add?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Yeah, I will. Look, very briefly, as I mentioned, in a world of in the last 24 hours, 439,000 cases, there's a pandemic. And yet we have to keep a perspective. One community case. We just went through a period of 12 days with no community cases. The world looks on at Australia and says, "How have you done this?" And that perspective, I think, is very important, because that translates to lives saved. And so long as there's a pandemic, and unless Australia were hermetically sealed, no Australians returning for funerals, for families, for work, no Australians returning for weddings or births, no Australians being able to go overseas with the expectation that they'd come back after meeting up with their own families, no trade, no wool, no wheat, no iron ore going abroad, no critical medicines or fundamental foods that weren't available in Australia coming in. That's the only way to hermetically seal Australia. I'm not sure anybody is actually proposing that. In that situation, we have to be aware as to how we bring people home. And that bringing Australians home is what we have to do, and to do that safely. And to think 211,000 Australians have come home through this system, most days we're getting zero cases. Sometimes there will be challenges and anybody who says there won't be cases in Australia isn't understanding the nature of the pandemic. But if we do that, then what we've done has saved lives and protected lives. But we'll always work on continuous improvement.
PRIME MINISTER: We’ve had a few over that side, I'll come over this way. Katharine?
JOURNALIST: Accepting your very valid points about proportionality, isn't the moving part in the risk assessment, though, that now people returning to Australia are returning with more contagious strains of the virus? And does that influence the risk assessment? And does it make the case for arrangements that you were not prepared to countenance in the past, for the reasons you've articulated?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, look, I've asked Professor Kelly to work with the AHPPC to give me an update on the risk assessment from what was advised a month ago, when we had the Brisbane case. Now, when that occurred, both his advice - and, indeed, Professor Murphy's advice on that occasion - was fairly stern about the risk that presented at that time. But since then we've come through Brisbane - extremely well. Thank you, Brisbane. We've come through Victoria. Thank you, Victoria. We're there with a case there today. We've come through the Northern Beaches. We've come through all of these situations. New Zealand has come through theirs. Without those risks being manifest, and the systems have held up extremely well. And so I've asked for that, sort of, updated assessment of a risk that looked very unknown and very concerning a month ago. But I think the experience of the past month, if anything, has shown that the systems have been able to mitigate that risk. Brendan?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So I think it's important to note that whilst these strains are more transmissible, the management in quarantine is essentially the same. It's containment. And the states and territory health authorities have done a huge amount of work in tightening and improving hotel quarantine. The most particular advances have been daily testing of all the quarantine workers, so you can pick someone who might pick up the virus very quickly, insisting on PPE, good-quality CCTV, moving some people in some states when they are positive to a hotel that doesn't mix them with negative people. So, there's continuous improvement in that space. I would just reiterate what the Prime Minister and Minister said. Given the volume of people returning, a 1% positivity rate in returning travellers now, a very small amount, small amount of cases that have escaped, and all have been brilliantly managed by the state and territory response.
PRIME MINISTER: Clare?
JOURNALIST: When do we get those 10 million extra doses, and when will we find out beyond that first shipment of 80,000 what the rate of delivery is going to be for the Pfizer vaccine?
PRIME MINISTER: Brendan, Greg?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: The 80,000, that's for the early weeks. And we'll receive additional advice from the company. I spoke to them today. They're still looking to provide advice in the middle of the month, globally. So, what they're doing is understandable. They're looking at their global numbers. What we've seen out of Europe in the last week has been a significant improvement both with the flows of Oxford-AstraZeneca and with the flows of Pfizer. So, some of those issues which caused global challenges both with regards to supply and the diplomatic relations between the UK and EU appear to be under way in being resolved. Secondly- so we'll get guidance in the coming weeks. Secondly, we'll receive guidance on the time frames from the company over the coming weeks and months. But the guarantee is that all of those doses will be here during the course of 2021.
JOURNALIST: Can you explain how, to Australians, how it will be decided what specific jab they get, can they go to their doctor and say ‘I would like the Pfizer jab’ or ‘I would like the AstraZeneca jab’? How does it actually work?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So at the moment, as we've said, the Pfizer vaccines will be distributed via dedicated state and territory-run Pfizer hubs. And they will be prioritised to the highest-risk population at the moment. So, in the initial strategy, we will be offering the Pfizer vaccine to border workers, quarantine workers, very exposed front-line healthcare workers, such as ICU, emergency department, and most importantly, the most vulnerable people - people in residential aged care, residential disability care, and those workers. The majority of the population on our plan will have access to the AstraZeneca vaccines, which will be run then in a much larger number of clinics, through GPs, eventually pharmacies, other state-run clinics. So, in the main, there won't be a choice, and I think both vaccines are extremely good, and I would be very happy to have either of them.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, do you know which vaccine candidate you'll be receiving? And will you receive that first dose before the end of this month?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the plan is for that to occur, and that would mean the Pfizer vaccine.
JOURNALIST: It's been reported today that you had a conversation with the global head of Alphabet, Google's parent company. I wonder if you can give us insights into that conversation? And also do you support Microsoft's CEO today saying that it's important that technology companies engage and support the press in sort of being an important part of democracy?
PRIME MINISTER: I do, in relation to your second question. And in relation to the first question, I thought it was a constructive meeting. I have been able to send them the best possible signals that should give them a great encouragement to engage with the process and conclude the arrangements we’d like to see them conclude with the various news media organisations in Australia. And that is the best way to enable that matter to be settled. We discussed some of the specifics of elements of the code. They raised those matters, I think, very respectfully. But I think we have been able to get that into a much more positive space about the ability to continue to provide services here in Australia. But at the end of the day, they understand that Australia sets the rules for how these things operate. And I was very clear about how I saw this playing out.
Hang on, one on- you had one Andrew, to be fair I’ve got to go to...
JOURNALIST: Just on the vaccine, the Minister spoke just before about getting more advice over the coming weeks. You're talking about getting a timetable by the end of February with this vaccine. Where is the first Pfizer vaccine that Australia is going to get? What date is it going to get here? When it comes to distributing it, we know that in particular areas, you’re looking at aged care, as Professor Murphy said moments ago. What about remote aged care facilities? Places like Queensland, if they've only got six facilities set up along the east coast in major cities, how do you propose getting the Pfizer vaccine to vulnerable people in those remote communities?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I would urge those who have those sort of questions, these issues are addressed in the vaccine strategy. They are addressed, I think, in myriad occasions in the questions that we've answered on this matter. Of course, there are some uncertainties that are obviously there regarding supplies, particularly from overseas. And they relate to some issues that sometimes are beyond our control. But at present, our advice is that this is holding, so I can- Greg and Brendan can speak to that. But you raise good questions. And that's why these materials, that's why the information campaign that we are, will be rolling out - and you've already seen elements of that already - that is there to answer the very genuine, real, sensible questions that Australians will be seeking to understand as they make their decisions. And we encourage as much vaccination as possible. But Greg?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Thanks, Jonathan. Two things. Firstly, we said late February. Reaffirmed today by the country head of Pfizer that we're on track for that. The second thing is with regards to remote areas - I think that's a really important part of the strategy. And remote areas can be supported in a number of ways. There are five principal vehicles. Firstly, general practices. Secondly, pharmacies. Thirdly, Aboriginal and community-controlled health organisations, they're really stepping up. And we thank them. Fourthly, what we're able to do up there is to ensure that there are state vaccination clinics. And fifthly, we have a surge workforce. If there was a community which wasn't covered with one of those, then the surge workforce - the contract which Professor Murphy and the department put together, with four providers - assists with outreach. And that, in particular, relates to - whether it's the Pfizer or the AstraZeneca, Pfizer comes in temperature-controlled remote-sensor storage vessels. Or as John Skerritt from the TGA famously said, "dry-ice eskies". And so they can be transported around the country. That system was specifically designed so as we could address rural and remote Australia. So, you can see the layers of planning that have gone into this. Rural and remote Australia was something that the PM said very early on, absolutely equal access. In the same way - and I've mentioned this before - when Brendan and I were with him in February of last year, he said, "No Australian will go without a ventilator." In this phase of the fight against the pandemic, it was equal access. And that's what we're doing.
PRIME MINISTER: James, last one.
JOURNALIST: PM, look, a question, while Australia has a relatively good handle on this pandemic compared to most countries certainly in the region, there's a developing view amongst experts that it's going to be here, the pandemic in a global sense, well beyond 2021. Particularly given the sort of mutating strains we're seeing developing around the world. What work has the Australian Government, the Federal Government, done to enable CSL to be able to manufacture mRNA vaccines going forward? I mean at the moment obviously AstraZeneca is not mRNA, and that's the only one we're making?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I will let Brendan speak to that specifically. But your broader point, about how long is Australia looking at this? The first key thing that's going to determine I think longevity on this will be the success of the vaccines that are currently being produced, and distributed around the world. We had that discussion around Pacific nations yesterday. That will depend on their success in countering transmissibility of the virus. Now, there's been some good data that's come through just in the last 48 hours which is indicating something a lot more encouraging than where we were about a month ago. If the vaccines continue to show that sort of successful path on transmissibility then that obviously has a big change in terms of what the future management of the virus is not just here in Australia but all around the world how people can travel, how they can move about, how they can go to concerts, how they can- life can potentially return to normal. So that is the next big question that will be answered, but beyond that, you make a good point about sovereign capability, when it comes to the production of vaccines. Now not only are we producing the vaccine here in Australia for AstraZeneca but we are also investing with CSL in their products and capabilities not just on virus vaccines but anti- venom vaccines and a whole range of other vaccines so here in Australia we can have a much greater confidence about our vaccine production capabilities but mRNA vaccines are a particular challenge. And I’ll let Professor Murphy speak to that.
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thanks PM. So mRNA vaccines have surprised the world in how successful they have been, so clearly they will have an ongoing role beyond COVID-19, maybe with COVID, we don't know how long the successful vaccines we are getting will last, or whether people will need more doses, and so it is obviously sensible to plan for that and clearly CSL who are our sovereign manufacturing company are looking at that, government has commissioned some research to look at that, to look at what the potential is, so it's an active consideration matter at the moment.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks everyone, thank you very much.
Statement On Indulgence - Australian Parliament House ACT
3 February 2021
Prime Minister: On Indulgence,
As we gather today, hundreds of fire-fighters are responding to fires in Perth’s North-East.
The thoughts of all in this House I know are with the people of Western Australia - and especially with the firefighters who are working around the clock.
Over recent days - and as most recently as just the past hour, the Premier and I have been in regular contact. As have our respective ministers.
I can report that the Australian Government’s Disaster Response Plan has been activated, which means the Commonwealth has all of its resources ready to assist upon request of the Western Australian Government.
The Minister for Emergency Management has also activated the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment and the Disaster Recovery Allowance.
The Disaster Recovery Payment will allow impacted individuals to receive an immediate cash payment of $1,000 for adults and $400 for children. This will be available through Services Australia from 8am tomorrow.
The Disaster Recovery Allowance will provide income support payments to individuals whose income has been affected - it includes employees, small business persons and farmers.
We are also working with the Western Australian Government on activating the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, which will provide further support for impacted families.
A short time ago, I was also briefed by the Director General of Emergency Management Australia, Joe Buffone, along with the Minister for Emergency Management, and the Members for Hasluck and Pearce.
And I’ll just update you briefly on those fires.
I can report that over 70 homes, 71 at last count, and properties have been destroyed in the Wooroloo bushfire.
The fires have burned through over 9,400 hectares.
Thankfully, at this point no lives have been lost, and no one is believed to be unaccounted for - and for that we are deeply grateful.
Hundreds of people spent last night in evacuation centres, and we thank all of those - the Red Cross, volunteers providing support and kindness in those centres.
But there is danger still ahead.
As we speak, an emergency warning remains in place as the bushfire continues to move rapidly.
Adverse weather, including hot temperatures and gusty winds, is forecast to continue.
And as we speak, more than 220 firefighters are currently attending that fire.
Aerial support has also been sent to assist ground crews.
I can report that six firefighters have incurred injuries fighting these blazes - and our gratitude, love and support, and best wishes go out to them and to their families.
To everyone in those affected areas - we simply say, as you know, to please listen to and heed the advice of the official warnings and authorities.
And of course, as always, please look out for each other.
I know that it has been a hugely trying few days in Western Australia - not just with these terrible fires but of course the lockdown as well.
Everyone living in the Perth metropolitan area and the Peel and South West regions have demonstrated great patience and forbearance - playing their part to prevent the spread of COVID.
Our thoughts are with our West Australians as they respond to the challenges before them.
Every Australian is standing with Western Australia.
And as always, we will get through this together.
Address, Parliamentary Last Post Ceremony - Campbell, ACT
1 February 2021
PRIME MINISTER: Australians one, Australians all.
We meet today on the ancient land of the Ngunnawal people, one of the many First Nations people who have cared for this country since time immemorial. I pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
I honour also all the servicemen and women who are here with us today and their veterans and I thank them for their service to our country.
We are gathered in what I like to refer to, our nation's most sacred place.
A monument to all who have served, a shrine to those who were lost, and a solemn landmark for those of us who serve the Australian people in Parliament.
The vista of those who visit Canberra always points to Parliament House, a shining reminder of our liberty and freedom.
But our vista, as parliamentarians, points to this sacred place, an ever present reminder of how our liberties and our freedoms were won and paid for, especially by those whose names line these walls.
Flanking the entrance that we walk through today are those two stone lions. They are proud symbols of Australia's war history and a gift from the Mayor of the people of Ypres in Belgium. For decades, these lions stood at Menin Gate in Ypres.
During the First World War, Australian allied troops in their thousands marched through this gate on their way to the front. For many, it was their point of no return. The final mark of civilisation before the mud and the mayhem of Passchendaele.
One of those who would walk through the Menin Gate was 45 year old Second Lieutenant Bartholomew James Stubbs. He enlisted for service in early 1916 and was described by a Duntroon classmate as a brave, capable and conscientious officer. But he wasn't only serving his country on the battlefield. While he was, while he was fighting on the Western Front, he was also serving as the Labor member for Subiaco in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly.
A soldier legislator, while he was in service, his constituents offered him a unique honour. On the 12th of September 1917, Second Lieutenant Stubbs was re-elected unopposed, appropriately, for the seat of Subiaco.
But just two weeks later, he was shot and killed by a sniper during the battle of Polygon Wood, you will hear more about that battle later. The then Western Australian Premier said of Stubbs, he heard a call that was greater than the call of party.
He certainly did.
He wasn't our only soldier legislator either. Others heard a call greater than the party also, Lieutenant Colonel George Braund, the son of a merchant was from the conservative side of politics, the Liberal Reform member for Armidale in New South Wales Parliament. He was from the bush and he was passionate about cutting taxes, from that same Parliament Sergeant Ted Larkin, the son of a coal miner and the Labor member for Willoughby, also signed up. Larkin was from the city and a proud socialist.
These men came from very different backgrounds and more different - very different political stripes, and they fiercely contended for their beliefs.
Yet somewhere between Sydney Harbour and Albany and Egypt, and then Gallipoli they discovered that what they had in common mattered much more.
Like Second Lieutenant Stubbs they too made the ultimate sacrifice, falling at Gallipoli, two of our original Anzacs.
The note, The Sun newspaper wrote of them, they were elected and stood on the threshold of public careers, the limits or ends of which it was impossible to forsee. There was no place in the public life of Australia that was not open to either of them.
Like all who serve forsaking thresholds without limits for the country they love, it is right that we visit this memorial at the start of our sittings to hear that voice of our country, to be reminded of our duty and our sacrifice, and the threshold's forsaken for us, and to be reminded in the words of a modern soldier turned legislator of our responsibility to uphold the men and women who run to the sound of guns. And who, through their physical and moral courage, protect us all from harm.
Colleagues, and especially veterans, and friends, years after the entrance way at Menin was destroyed a memorial gate was built. That gate bears the names of 50,000 allied soldiers who were killed in the vicinity of Ypres and have no known grave. Amongst them, are 6,178 Australians, including Second Lieutenant Stubbs.
The memorial was inaugurated in July 1927 by Field Marshal Lord Plummer, who comforted the relatives of the missing soldiers with the words: he is not missing. He is here.
As we gather today at the Australian War Memorial we can say the same. They are here.
The 102,000 men and women whose names are on these walls.
They are here with us, their names and their memory. Part of the soul of our nation in this most sacred of places.
Their memory carries on from generation to generation.
So later, as the bugle rings out and we quietly look down Anzac Parade towards our home of democracy. Let us recommit ourselves to let us live up to the example that they have set before us.
Lest we forget.
Address - National Press Club, Barton, ACT
1 February 2021
Prime Minister: Thank you very much, Laura, and to everybody who is here today.
I, of course, begin by acknowledging the Ngunnawal people, their elders past, present and the future.
Can I also acknowledge any veterans who are with us today, serving men and women of our Australian Defence Force and say to them thank you for your service.
Can I also acknowledge today the beautiful Abdallah and Sakr families on this first national i4Give Day, as we remember their four beautiful angels - Antony, Angelique, Sienna and Veronique - who were taken from us this day a year ago.
I also welcome the very many of my colleagues who are here today. Of course, led by the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. It is great to have you all here today and I acknowledge you all and the great job you have been doing and I know you will do over the course of this year.
In 2020, I said we would not let this virus break our Australian spirit.
It hasn’t, and it won’t.
I said we always believed ourselves as Australians to be a strong people but we were about to find out just how strong we really were.
And we did. We found, our generation, the same strength, good humour, resilience and mateship that enabled past generations to rise to the challenges of their time.
Today, Australia stands out across the world in our response to the pandemic.
We continue to report zero or negligible cases in community transmission.
We have mercifully so far avoided a third wave over this summer. We have the third lowest mortality rate from the pandemic among G20 nations.
And our record on saving lives is matched, importantly, by our record in saving livelihoods, where we have outperformed economically the world’s most advanced economies.
With more than 90 percent of the jobs lost already back, our comeback has not just begun, it is gathering pace.
As Chris Richardson from Deloitte Access Economics observed earlier this month, ‘You’d rather be here than almost anywhere else.’
Now, that is my default setting, I’ve got to say, regardless of the circumstances and I’m sure it is for most Australians. It’s very true now.
But there is still so much more to do, though.
The pandemic is still raging. It is not petering out. The virus has not gone anywhere. Indeed, it is morphing into new and more virulent strains.
So we must remain vigilant.
We have all learned a lot over the past twelve months and we have also led the way in so many areas.
We must take these lessons into 2021 and continue to make our own way through this crisis.
Our Australian way.
That respects our liberal democratic values, our expert institutions, our business-led market economy and the responsibilities and accountabilities of our federal system.
An Australian way where our decisions to protect public health are guided by our respect for science and expert medical advice. And I acknowledge Brendan Murphy who is here amongst us today.
An economic response driven, as the Treasurer and I outlined, by clear principles to navigate uncertainty.
A response that is proportionate, timely, scalable and targeted.
That is aligned with other arms of policy, in particular, monetary policy.
That uses existing delivery mechanisms wherever possible to avoid mistakes and delays of the past.
And a response where emergency measures are temporary and accompanied by a clear fiscal exit strategy.
You can’t run the Australian economy on taxpayers money forever.
And finally, a response that lifts productivity to enable the Australian economy to sustain an even stronger growth trajectory on the other side.
But you know, above all, our Australian way depends most on the character and resilience of Australians.
Each of us understanding we have a contribution to make. And for that, I say thank you to the Australian people.
Australians have made the difference.
So to our focus in the year ahead.
There are five priority areas that I want to speak about today in relation to 2021.
Suppress the virus and deliver the vaccine;
Cement our economic recovery to create jobs and more jobs;
To continue to guarantee the essential services that Australians rely on;
Protect and secure Australians’ interests in a challenging world; and
Care for our Country
So let’s talk about the virus and the vaccine.
We enter 2021 in a relatively strong position and I acknowledge the great leadership of our Health Minister, Greg Hunt, in taking us through this difficult period.
Our 2020 achievements have bought valuable time on vaccines, to ensure they are safe and can be effectively rolled out across our population.
But even with the roll out of the vaccine, there can be no let-up in the three vital suppression measures that have served Australia so well in 2020 and must be the focus of continuous improvement throughout 2021.
Our international border restrictions and robust quarantine system.
Our high rates of testing, our contact tracing systems and our management of outbreaks in localised hotspots.
And physical distancing and sound hygiene practices.
In 2021, these suppression measures which must be exercised, I stress, in a balanced way to also protect jobs and livelihoods, will be complemented by the COVID-19 vaccines.
This will be one of the largest logistics exercises ever seen in Australia. We will be vaccinating more than 25 million people, having secured over 140 million doses, enough to cover the Australian population several times over.
The TGA recently approved the Pfizer vaccine for people aged over 16 years here in Australia. Unlike other jurisdictions around the world, this was a formal approval, not an emergency one.
We are one of only a handful of countries to have gone through such a comprehensive and thorough level of oversight to ensure the vaccines are safe.
And we have wisely planned for the unexpected.
That is why we took the decision to take out the insurance of securing our own sovereign supply of vaccines, by investing in COVID-19 vaccine production here in Australia.
Australia is one of a small handful of countries, once again, to have sovereign vaccine manufacturing capacity. Subject to TGA approval, we expect to be able to supply COVID-19 vaccines to the entire Australian population through CSL’s manufacturing plant in Melbourne.
Today, we are releasing further details of the Government’s COVID-19 Vaccine and Treatment Strategy, setting out how vaccines will be rolled out to the Australian people.
Our aim is to offer all Australians the opportunity to be vaccinated by October of this year, commencing in just a few weeks’ time.
Our guidance, I stress, is that first vaccinations remain on track to be in Australia, ready for shipping and distribution to priority groups, from late February.
However, the final commencement date will ultimately depend on some of these developments we’re seeing overseas, which we will continue to monitor closely and update the Australian people accordingly.
Now, the Strategy is backed by an initial allocation of around $1.9 billion in new support for the vaccine roll out. This is on top of more than $4.4 billion allocated for vaccines purchases, medical research and support for our partner countries. It is a big job. This brings the Australian Government’s total support for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments to $6.3 billion.
While working closely with our partners in the states and territories, we are also working with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian Medical Association, the big logistics companies including DHL and Linfox, and general practices and community pharmacies from around Australia to administer the vaccine.
We'll have thousands of points of presence across Australia - Hospitals, GPs, Pharmacies, Respiratory Clinics, Aboriginal Health Services and a specialist surge workforce. This will ensure we get the vaccine to all Australians, including people in rural, remote and very remote areas and others who are hard to reach.
Initially, we will need to prioritise the most vulnerable and those likely to experience a serious disease, as well as frontline health and care workers and other essential service workers.
We will then extend vaccination to the balance of the population as quickly as possible, building towards protecting the entire community by the end of this year.
We want as many Australians vaccinated as quickly as possible and as safely as possible. The COVID-19 vaccines will be made free to all Australians and we strongly encourage all Australians to get vaccinated.
We are working with states and territories and will be providing guidance for employees, employers, customers and industries on the vaccine shortly.
And, as Maris Payne knows and Zed Seselja knows also, we have not forgotten our overseas partners, our family here in our region. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for International Development and the Pacific are already working with their counterparts on a dedicated vaccines program designed around the needs and health systems of our Pacific family and Southeast Asian neighbours.
On the economy and jobs, the comeback in Australia’s economy is already underway and betters the experience of most advanced economy nations in the world today.
Now, Australians are now voting with their feet to join the economic recovery that is occurring here in Australia.
The unemployment rate has fallen from 7.5 percent in July last year down to 6.6 percent in December.
And importantly, the effective rate of unemployment, that takes into account hours reduced to zero and people leaving the workforce, has also fallen to now be in line with the headline rate at 6.6 percent, after hitting almost 15 percent at the height of the crisis.
Almost 800,000 jobs were created in the past seven months and it is very pleasing to see women taking up the majority of those jobs.
90 percent of the jobs lost to COVID-19, as I said before, had returned by the year’s end.
Our participation rate has recovered and reached a record high of 66.2 percent.
While consumer and business confidence has recovered as restrictions have come off and this will be further supported by the vaccine rollout.
Our task now is to continue our economic recovery by sticking to our Economic Recovery Plan and, importantly, exercising the fiscal discipline necessary to ensure that we do not overburden future generations and continue to spend taxpayers’ money wisely.
We are not running a blank cheque budget.
While our medium-term strategy remains to stabilise and reduce debt, low interest rates are alleviating debt servicing pressures as lower rates not only apply to new issuances but our pre-existing debt as it rolls over.
Because our debt is getting cheaper to service at a faster rate than it is getting larger, that means our net interest bill will decline as a share of the economy. We’ve got this.
As this chart shows, our $251 billion in direct economic support, unprecedented in this country, while largely delivered in 2020, has a long tail in providing ongoing support. It’s put gas in the tank.
Treasury analysis has shown that our direct economic support measures are expected to result in economic activity being 5 percent higher in 2020-21 and 4.5 percent higher in 2021-22 compared to if no support was provided at all.
Now, we know that our temporary JobKeeper payments and our many other supports have helped to boost families and businesses balance their balance sheets by more than $200 billion. This has been a game changer like no other we have seen in this country, JobKeeper, for millions of Australians.
It saved not just livelihoods, it saved lives.
There is now a large sum of money available to be spent across the economy and that is what is going to help to create jobs and maintain the momentum of our economic recovery and that is where it needs to be right now, those funds - in Australians’ pockets.
Indeed, in 2021, the Government will continue putting more money back into Australians’ pockets, protecting more of what they’ve earned, to support their families and businesses.
The legislated Low and Middle Income Tax Offset, the tax cut from 26 to 25 percent for small and medium businesses. Full expensing for new business investments, creating jobs, and our loss carry-back, providing a much needed cash flow boost for those businesses who continue to do it tough.
And from today, the first round of JobMaker hiring credit claims can be lodged.
It is important to remember, employment of those aged 15-34, as you see in this chart, remains 3.3 percent below pre-COVID levels, while those aged over 35 are back at their pre-COVID levels.
Working through the National Cabinet in 2021, this will be a year of generational change in our skills and vocational education sector.
This is a big piece.
It includes:
$4 billion to help employers retain and take on new apprentices and trainees through wage subsidies, with support for up to 100,000 new apprentices.
Our national $1 billion JobTrainer Fund is providing over 300,000 training places to help reskill workers for the COVID recovery.
A new skills agreement to provide more transparency and better link funding to actual skills needs will be done this year.
Minister Cash is going to be very, very busy.
We are also providing for up to 30,000 more university places and 50,000 more short courses this year.
In the Parliament, we will be seeking that support for the changes we believe are necessary to help businesses to put more people back into work in the post-COVID recovery for the changes we need to make in industrial relations.
Nearly $29 billion in infrastructure investment will hit the deck this financial year and next. That includes bring forwards as part of our pandemic recovery plan, which will especially assist rural and regional communities, including our new road safety initiative, which I know the Deputy Prime Minister is especially passionate about. Investments made through the national water grid will add further to this effort.
Our economic recovery plan, I should stress, is underpinned by something incredibly important, and that is delivering affordable and reliable energy in a way that positions Australia to be successful in the lower and ultimately net zero emissions global economy of the future.
Our goal is to reach net zero emissions as soon as possible, and preferably by 2050.
But when we get there, when we get there, whether in Australia or anywhere else, that will depend on the advances made in science and technology needed to commercially transform not just advanced economies and countries, but the developing world as well.
Science and technology will, as it always has in these areas, set the pace and in the developing world this is important because it is in those countries that dominate the emissions horizon.
In Australia, we will do this by investing and partnering in the technology breakthroughs needed to reduce and offset emissions in a way that enables our heavy industry in particular, industry more broadly, jobs and living standards, especially in regional Australia, to continue and to keep energy costs down.
In Australia, my Government will not tax our way to net zero emissions. I will not put that cost on Australians and I will particularly not ask regional Australians to carry that burden.
Getting to net zero, whether here or anywhere else, should be about technology not taxes and high prices.
In Australia, we’re not waiting on this, we’re getting on with it.
Emissions fell by 3 percent in the year to June 2020, to their lowest levels since 1998, meaning we are now nearly 17 percent below 2005 levels. These are the facts. Now, this compares to reductions of approximately 9 percent on average across the OECD, 1 percent in New Zealand and less than 1 percent in Canada. So we’re not waiting.
This year our $18 billion technology investment roadmap gets going, and I commend Minister Taylor for the great job he has done in pulling this together. With a $1.9 billion commitment to develop clean energy technologies such as hydrogen, green and steel and CCS.
And we are taking the roadmap global, pursuing ambitious partnerships with countries like Japan, the US, the UK, Korea and Singapore.
We are implementing our multi-billion dollar energy and emissions reduction agreement with NSW and other states are following.
Agreements are in place to accelerate major transmission projects in NSW and Tasmania, with Victoria and South Australia to follow this year.
We are building Snowy 2.0.
We are rolling out our $200 million program to build new diesel storage facilities.
The Beetaloo strategic basin plan has been released, with four more coming The pipeline market will be further improved as will the liquidity of the Wolumbilla gas hub. All important changes.
Affordable and reliable energy is also the cornerstone of Minister Andrew’s $1.5 billion manufacturing strategy.
Now, this plan focuses as you know, because I spoke to it here, on the priority areas of resources technology and critical minerals processing, food and beverage, medical products, recycling and clean energy, defence and space.
Our priorities are clear. We’re investing, we’re encouraging others to do the same.
This will be backed up by the implementation of our $5.3 billion Digital Business Plan that will accelerate 5G application development, build the digital skills of our SMEs, strengthen our cyber security and expand the Digital Identity Program.
And, of course, we will continue to work across government to cut red and green tape, and that includes the single touch approvals for environmental assessments with state governments that are before the Parliament.
Guaranteeing the essential services Australians rely on has always been a passion of mine, and you will recall it, from when I spoke about it as Treasurer. The economy is for something and it provides the services Australians rely on.
In 2020 our health, disability, aged care, social services and education systems successfully adapted to a new COVID operating environment, and I thank all of those Australians who made that possible, from the front line to those in the management offices.
Everybody had to change a lot and they had to move fast and they did an extraordinary job and they were aided by significant federal funding to help them get that job done and I know it was appreciated. We were doing our bit and they were doing their bit.
Now, this will continue as we manage the ongoing impacts of COVID-19.
But this will not, through the pandemic, interrupt our pre-pandemic agenda of the investments to guarantee the many essential services that Australians rely on.
The additional funding for public hospitals and schools, that’s continuing. Guaranteeing Medicare and the listing of affordable medicines that save lives through the PBS. Record investments, that continues.
And the continuing to roll out the NDIS which, by the way, now has approximately 412,000 participants – an increase of around 100,000 participants over the past 12 months. That’s what getting on with the job looks like in a pandemic and I commend Minister Robert for leading that process.
In 2021 our Government will deliver step-change reforms in important services areas. Aged care, mental health, while continuing the work of Closing the Gap for Indigenous Australians.
In this year’s Budget, we will deliver the Government’s response to the Aged Care Royal Commission’s Final Report, a Royal Commission I initiated.
This response will add to the significant steps already taken, including an additional 59,105 Home Care Packages I have announced and out in place since I announced the Royal Commission. That’s a 47 percent increase in in-home care places since we announced the Royal Commission. It's around tripled since we first came to Government.
A key focus of our response to the final report will be growing and upskilling the aged care workforce. Workforce challenges are some of the biggest challenges Australians face economically and it is essential to both our economic agenda and services delivery agenda to meet demand.
COVID has only strengthened my commitment also to mental health and suicide prevention ‘towards zero’ goal.
This year, there will be a new National Agreement on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. And I am greatly encouraged by the strong support I am receiving from premiers and chief ministers on this as well. We’re looking forward to moving on with those issues as soon as we’re able to come to agreement on those matters.
It will provide the foundation for a comprehensive, coordinated, consumer-focussed and compassionate mental health and suicide prevention system as we learn the lessons of COVID.
And after bringing together a landmark new National Agreement on Closing the Gap with peak indigenous groups - that was a big change - later this we will release those fully funded, further implementation plans that put that Closing the Gap agenda into place.
To protect and secure Australians interest has always been a core, if not the most important, objective and responsibility of the Federal Government. It is made even more difficult in the challenging world in which we live.
The challenges of COVID-19 are not only testing us at home.
Australia must use its agency to shape the world in our interests .
This starts in our own region.
This week I will join our Pacific family Leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum, where we can speak to another strong year of delivery in our Pacific Step Up program, led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for the Pacific.
The same is true for our engagement with ASEAN, which sits at the heart of our vision for the Indo-Pacific.
With Indonesia, we will continue to implement our new IA-CEPA economic partnership agreement and provide support with their vaccine programme.
We have also recently upgraded our relationships with Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand just last week and have a new digital commerce agreement with Singapore.
For the third year in a row, I have been invited as a guest to the G7 Summit, which will be held in June in the United Kingdom.
This is an important recognition that Australia’s contribution is valued.
Co-operation between like-minded liberal democracies, market economy nations has never been more important than it is today.
That is why I asked Mathias Cormann to be Australia’s candidate for the role of Secretary-General of the OECD. And we’re doing pretty well.
As the world grapples with the recovery from COVID-19, this grouping, the OECD, of 37 market-based economies has a fundamental role to play in keeping markets open, bolstering the rules-based system and modernising rules for the digital economy.
The geopolitical environment will remain very challenging.
I am confident that our alliance relationship with the United States, which will turn 70 this year, will grow even stronger in partnership with the Biden Administration.
The defence relationship will remain the bedrock of that partnership, as we know, and our commitment to playing our part is reflected in our pledge to invest $270 billion on defence capability over the next decade.
Our work in the Quad, which embraces the US, Japan and India, has been deepened and broadened, as evidenced by mine and Minister Payne’s recent visit to Japan.
Our cooperation with Five Eyes nations has also grown, extending into new areas of common interest, particularly with the Treasurer’s involvement, areas in the economy and technology.
We need to work with close partners to develop and protect sensitive critical technologies, including quantum computing and artificial intelligence.
We will also need secure critical minerals supply chains for the new clean energy technologies of the future.
The evolution of the United States relationship with China will shape the geopolitical environment in the foreseeable future, as it indeed has in the past.
For our part, we remain committed to engaging with China.
Our peoples have benefited greatly, both ways, from the depth of our economic ties.
But it’s not surprising that there will be differences between two nations with such different economic and political systems.
Our task is to ensure that such differences do not deny Australia and China from realising the mutual benefits of that partnership, consistent with our own respective national sovereign interests.
China’s outlook and the nature of China’s external engagement, both in our region and globally, has changed since our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was formed and going further back than that, certainly in the decades that have led up till now.
We cannot pretend that things are as they were. The world has changed.
An enduring partnership requires both of us to adapt to these new realities and talk with each other.
That begins with dialogue at both Ministerial and Leader level.
A dialogue focussed not on concessions but on areas of mutual benefit, committed to finding a way for our nations and peoples to beneficially engage in the future.
Now we, of course, Australia is open to such a process.
We will continue to create new opportunities for our exporters and I know Minister Tehan is chomping at the bit, already out there, via a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom and their potential involvement in an expanded Trans Pacific Partnership. And I thank Minister Birmingham for the great job he has done in setting up all of the opportunities for Dan to now go and complete.
It is also about accelerating our negotiations on an ambitious and comprehensive agreement with the European Union, especially targeting barriers for agricultural goods.
And, as always we will keep Australians safe.
Countering the threat of terrorism and extremism with stronger laws and record investments in our key agencies.
Countering the threat of foreign interference and espionage in defence of our national sovereignty.
Keeping our borders secure and taking down organised criminal gangs.
And protecting families, businesses and national infrastructure safe from malicious cyber activity with our record $1.7 billion investment in cyber security. It is a big agenda.
Finally, caring for our country. For millennia, Indigenous Australians have lived the principles of caring for country.
I believe those principles must underpin how our Government exercises our environmental stewardship.
In addition to carrying on the work on:
emissions reduction;
climate resilience;
implementing our export ban on waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres and;
rolling out $600 million in funding for new and upgraded recycling facilities around the country to build a world-class waste management sector.
This year we will turn the spotlight on agriculture and the environment - soils, water and oceans.
Australia’s soils are estimated to store some 3.5 percent of the total global stocks of soil organic carbon against our 5.2 percent of global land area.
Native vegetation clearance and poor soil management have, and continue to result in, the loss of soil organic carbon. That’s what makes the National Soils Strategy so important.
The Strategy will be delivered as part of the 2021-22 Budget the Treasurer will hand down later this year. It will include practical actions and focus on the development of a national monitoring program to assess the condition of Australian soils, research and development, and to assist with implementation, capacity building and extension.
It will be a fitting legacy to the great work and advocacy of our former Governor-General, and national soils advocate, the late Major General Michael Jeffery.
The National Soils Strategy is one pillar of our Ag2030 plan that’s backing the sector’s ambition to be a $100 billion industry.
The importance of investing in the health of our soil, water and landscapes was borne out by the recent independent review of our national environmental legislation, and by the findings of the Bushfires Royal Commission.
While we have always contended with extreme weather, our new normal is increasing and more severe droughts, floods, fires and storms. We will continue to harness the natural resourcefulness and innovation of Australians to ensure we adapt and build resilience to these challenges.
This will be a project that both Minister Littleproud and Minister Ley will work on together.
In 2021, we will also continue the roll out of the $1 billion ‘Phase Two’ of the National Landcare Program that supports regional communities through controlling weeds, improving soil health, fencing off sensitive waterways and remnant vegetation, and re-planting species. Practical stuff that makes a big difference.
2021 will also see the first phase of our healthy oceans plan, giving effect to our commitment to sustainably manage 100 percent of the ocean within our national waters.
The ocean supports almost 400,000 jobs in Australia.
Our unprecedented $1.9 billion commitment to reduce runoff and pollution flowing into the reef, control the Crown of Thorns starfish, and deploy cutting-edge science to secure the reef’s resilience to marine heatwaves is more than just a drop in the ocean.
100 percent of fisheries managed by the Australian Government have a sustainable management plan in place. And we are supporting our Indo-Pacific neighbours to manage waste, protect coral reefs and mangroves, and crack down on illegal fishing.
Ladies and Gentlemen, you have been very patient. Despite one of the toughest years in our nation’s history, Australia stands strong at the start of 2021.
There is still much to do, but we know our comeback is underway.
The actions we take this year will continue to recover what has been lost and enable us to build again for the future.
In 2021, I am supremely confident and optimistic that we will continue as a people to make our own Australian way through the challenges ahead and that Australians will once again emerge stronger, safer and together on the other side.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Speech I4Give Day Launch Sydney
1 February 2021
Prime Minister: Thank you, Michael, and thank you for the Welcome to Country.
Thank you, Sayedna, for leading us in our prayers this morning.
To the Abdallah and Sakr families, to Danny, Leila, Bob, Bridget, Craig, to all of the children.
It is a great privilege for Jenny and me and my family to join you here today.
Forgive us our trespasses, we have just prayed, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
We've said these words a thousand times, probably more. We know them by heart. We think we knew what they meant.
But when you have to face it, when you have to confront pain and suffering in the extreme, then you realise how truly difficult that is.
And to see someone not only say these words, but live them, even in the midst of continued pain and grief leaves, me in awe.
When Antony and Angelina and Sienna and Veronique were taken one year ago tomorrow, our whole country was shocked. We were devastated. We couldn't believe it. And we, with you, we grieved.
They were great kids, beautiful kids, blessings, as all children are.
On a footpath going out for a summer ice cream. An ice cream. What could be more innocent than that on a hot Australian summer’s day?
And then the horror came out of such ordinariness. It was incomprehensible.
And then in the days that followed, to hear from Danny and Leila the words of faith and forgiveness, well, that was breathtaking.
We live in an age of anger and outrage.
When so often people hold onto bitterness, but worse still, take pride in their resentments, we saw this beautiful family, these families, choose to take a different path and show us the way.
You chose not to hate, but to love.
You chose to be a light in darkness.
You chose grace.
You trusted justice, not vengeance.
And because of that, we might be tempted to think that there is something more than human about you.
But you would be the first to tell us that that is not the case because you are humble, honest people.
Jenny and I have had the privilege of getting to know you, especially Jenny, and becoming friends we know you hurt, we know you suffer and we know you doubt more than we can ever know and in a way that I cannot completely comprehend.
You have grasped the depths of the words Father, forgive them.
Now you share that message of forgiveness with our country.
As Danny says, we grieve alone, but we heal together.
With i4Give Day, you inspire us all to take the path of grace, to choose light, to keep the memory of your precious children as gifts to you, alive in countless acts of love.
I may finish with a prayer, Sayedna. The Prayer of Saint Francis.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, Faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I might not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in the giving that we receive and it is in the pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in the dying that we are born to eternal life.
God bless you, Danny and Leila, Liana, Alex, Michael, Bob, Bridget and Michael and all your families.
Thank you for inviting Jenny and me to be here with you today, along with the other leaders who are here.
We are honoured and we love you.
Australia Day National Flag Raising and Citizenship Ceremony
26 January 2021
Prime Minister: Well thank you very much Your Excellency the Governor General and Mrs Hurley. To the Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese who joins us here today, good to see you. To Danielle Roche the Chair of the National Australia Day Council, Karlie Brand the CEO. My Ministerial colleagues, Minister Colbeck and Assistant Minister Morton. To our Australians of the year, to Grace, to Isobel, to of course Rosemary and Miriam-Rose, you express Australia like none I can imagine and I am so proud of you being here with us today.
But to Australians all, one and free. I start today by acknowledging the Ngunnawal people and I thank you for the welcome to country today.
I pay my respects and of all Australians to elders past present and emerging for the future.
And I acknowledge all those who have served and are serving today, our nation, in our defence forces and to say to you thank you for you service.
As Australians, our fates have always been bound together.
During this past year, we have been reminded once again of our shared fortunes. How much we indeed depend on each other.
In a year where much of the world has struggled under the strain of the global pandemic, Australians, together, have prevailed, in our own Australian way.
Australians patiently doing the right thing.
Health workers collecting samples and tracing the virus; nurses, aged and disability care workers tending to our elderly and to our vulnerable; the medical teams, our defence forces, the police running our quarantine facilities; the farmers, and the truck drivers, the wholesale and the retail workers keeping our supermarket shelves stocked and all those even now working to produce our vaccine.
And, of course, the many business owners of Australia, small and large, struggling with the uncertainty of a pandemic, keeping their show together and Australians in work.
On this Australia Day, we say thank you to the many who have once again pulled Australia through.
But you know, this is not a new experience for our country.
From whatever our beginnings or our circumstances, Australians have always demonstrated our ability to overcome. To rise above. To better our history. To create our future.
Today, on Australia Day we reflect on that journey, the price that has been paid for our freedom, the lessons of our history and the privilege of being able to call ourselves Australians.
We do it on this day when the course of this land changed forever.
There is no escaping or cancelling this fact. For better and worse, it was the moment where the journey to our modern Australia began.
And it is this continuing Australian journey that we recognise today.
Our stories since that day have been of sorrow and of joy. Of loss and redemption. Of failure and success.
We are now a nation of more than 25 million stories, all important, all unique and all to be respected.
Whether it is the story of our first nation peoples’ strong, ancient and proud culture and their survival in the face of dispossession and colonisation.
Or the forsaken souls who came as convicts, not to start a new world, but because they had been banished from the old one. Condemned and outcast by empire, they too overcame.
The settlers and waves of immigrants who have followed seeking a better life for themselves and their families, creating a nation in the process, including the 12,000 people from over 130 nations who become citizens today.
These stories do not compete with each other, they simply coexist. They weave together to create Australia.
Today we reflect on how far we have come, but importantly we humbly acknowledge the work still ahead of us.
We have risen above our brutal beginnings.
We have overcome, survived and thrived.
We have learned but yet we are still learning.
And as the many peoples of the world joined our journey, we have become even stronger,
The most successful and cohesive immigration and multicultural nation on earth.
The home of the world’s oldest living human culture.
A modern, prosperous and generous nation. Fair minded, hard working.
A standard bearer for liberal democracy, in a world where authoritarianism is once again seeking to push itself forward.
An honest nation that continues to confront the truth of our past and to reconcile this with our future.
Much to appreciate and to be thankful for.
And this year we will face many more challenges.
But it is Australian to be optimistic and look forward.
It is a choice we make to believe in hope.
Our optimism has always enabled us to push past the adversities we have faced and overcome.
We have been made extraordinary gains, these extraordinary gains by the extraordinary contributions of ordinary Australians.
In 2021 we will be relying once again on all Australians to be at their best.
To once again exercise their responsibility and make their own unique contributions to our success.
In our families, in our communities, in our places of work, and education and of worship and in our environment, caring for country.
The exercise of these responsibilities and contributions are the ones that will continue to make for a successful and resilient Australia.
We do this, because in Australia we believe in the unique value of each Australian as individuals, rather than seeing or indeed allowing ourselves to be defined solely through the identity prism of our age, or our race, or our gender, our ethnicity or our religion.
As Australians we are more than any and all of these things, and together we share and steward our Australian inheritance.
As Australians we write our own story. We create our own future. And we will do so again this year, together.
Happy Australia Day.
Australian of the Year Awards
25 January 2021
Thank you very much for that very warm welcome.
We gather in Ngunnawal country at our National Arboretum, whose elders past and present and future we acknowledge and respect.
A place where we can wonder at the breadth and the diversity of our land - amongst the 44,000 trees are hundreds of plant species from across our nation.
Our Arboretum looks out across much of our capital - our parliament and its freedoms, our War Memorial and the price paid for those freedoms.
We can see far from here.
And this year, the view is different from last.
The bushfire scarred landscape is recovering. The greyness of the Australian drought is giving way to a new green tinge.
If our land teaches us anything - it is that if we persevere - we can withstand, we do recover and we do renew.
And this land - the home of the world’s only continent nation - has a seamlessness about it that accommodates so much difference.
Nature reminds us there is a place for everyone and everything in our land.
We know from our first Australians that our country teaches us much.
It is a country that requires us to listen to it, and most often, to contend with it.
This past year, we faced adversity again - nature confronting us in a different form - beckoning us again to persevere.
And we have – and we continue to do so even now.
The story of Australia is of a people who persevere and overcome - who know that reward and effort, enterprise and fairness, justice and hope, accompany each other.
Our stories now number more than 25 million Australians, they are all important, they are all respected, woven together to make us strong.
We are a people who contend and prevail.
And we prevail, always by looking ahead - through debate, effort and striving - drawing out the very best in each other.
These awards are an annual reminder of just what Australians can do and achieve.
Of what we can build together - as a country one and free.
The nominees here tonight, like the land they are drawn from, are diverse and different - men and women who strive, and study, they argue, they give, and they engage, they love, they care.
Who share a yearning to make a good Australia an even better Australia.
Like the eucalypts, wattles, the cassias, the wildflowers and grasses that surround us, and the capital that is below us, the nominees here tonight are diverse.
All playing a part. Doing their bit.
Nominees, who when brought together, give us a glimpse of who we are, and even more importantly, who we can all aspire to be.
It is a great pleasure to be with you tonight - to honour you, and the tens of thousands of people who you embody - and to thank you for everything you have done and will continue to do for all Australians.
Happy Australia Day.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
25 January 2021
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, everyone. I am joined today by Health Minister Greg Hunt and the ACT Australian of the Year, Secretary for Health, Brendon Murphy, Professor Brendan Murphy. We will be bringing you an update today on vaccines.
But before I do that, I have spoken to Premier Marshall this morning regarding the bushfire on the outskirts of Adelaide, adjacent to the Adelaide Hills, as those waking up in Adelaide this morning will be very aware of that. The smoke haze is very visible and very real. He indicates to me that they were able to move quickly last night but there is still work to be done to get this under control. We have offered Federal assistance. None is required at this stage and so we just look forward to a day in Adelaide where they are able to get on top of that and everybody can remain safe. But it was a very positive report from the Premier and we wish them all the best today and we thank all of those volunteer firefighters. It is quite difficult terrain where this fire is and so there has been difficulties accessing the area. But no doubt they will overcome, as they always do, and I thank them for their very selfless service today.
It is a year today since the first case of COVID-19 in Australia. What an extraordinary year it has been over these past 12 months. A year on from that fateful day Australia, we know, has done better and managed this together, working together better than almost any other country in the world today. As we look at the terrible situation being experienced in many parts of the world, some quite close to here actually, some further afield, our thoughts and support is with all the nations of the world, as we seek to get on top of what has been a calamitous event for the world over these last 12 months and indeed longer than that in some cases. So far, over the course of this summer, despite some very serious threats, working together we have so far been able to avoid and prevent a third wave of COVID-19 here in Australia. Now, we can take nothing for granted as I said after the National Cabinet meeting on Friday but that effort, whether it was in Brisbane with the strain, the new strain that had been able to get outside the quarantine facilities in Brisbane and being able to move quickly and having been in Brisbane late last week and there as the restrictions started to ease, or having returned to Sydney on the weekend for the first time in about six weeks and to see how people continue to manage with the easing restrictions there and how they have been able to get on top of the outbreak and, of course, the outbreak that also occurred in Victoria. Once again, systems tested, once again Australians tested, once again Australia and our systems have passed that test. So I have a simple message to Australia - thank you, thank you Australia. Thank you that you have put us in a situation that is the envy of most countries in the world today. We intend to keep it that way. We intend to remain vigilant. We intend to continue to set the pace and set the standards by which we can ensure that we keep Australians safe and we save lives and we save livelihoods which have always been our twin goals.
Now, a couple of weeks ago when I stood here with the Health Minister and the Secretary, we gave you an update on where the vaccines were at, at that stage and we undertook to keep people updated on that and it is important that we be as transparent as we possibly can. This is a global challenge like none we have seen in a very, very long time. There will be challenges along the way and we are addressing them. Just earlier today, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Professor Skerritt, announced they had approved the Pfizer vaccine for people aged over 16 years here in Australia. I note this is not an emergency approval, as has been done in some other jurisdictions around the world. This is a formal approval under the ordinary processes of the TGA and we are one of the first countries in the handful of countries to have gone through that comprehensive and thorough process here in Australia to ensure the approval of that vaccine. Now, their work will continue as it has been in parallel regarding the AZ vaccine as well and we look forward to their thorough work but also their timely work as they have demonstrated in getting us to where we are today on Pfizer.
Now, we remain on track to have those vaccines in Australia and ready to go from very small beginnings, I should stress, very small beginnings, starting small. We scale up as we outlined in the plan that we advised to you some weeks ago. We are more looking at late February now than mid-February because of the challenges that we have seen in the production and delivery for both AZ and Pfizer around the world. You will be very aware of the situation and pressures that we are seeing globally. This day last week I was holding a further video conference meeting with quite a number of the national leaders throughout Europe and also in Israel and they are under considerable strain and stress there, in countries that are experiencing large numbers of fatalities every day and their vaccination programs under extreme stress. Australia has taken the time, we have been watching and learning from the experience overseas and so we remain within the guard rails of the timeframe that we set a few weeks ago but, obviously that is going to continue to come under challenge for events and circumstances that exist well beyond our shores.
It was for that reason around August of last year that we took the decision that we didn't want to be in a situation where we were completely reliant on the production of vaccines overseas. So we took the decision, we put the arrangements in place with CSL and AZ to ensure that we would be able to produce our own vaccine here in Australia and that is happening now. It is underway now. Yes, we paid a premium for it. Yes, we had to put the capability in place with CSL to achieve that and, yes, we're involved more broadly in the development of their production facilities in Melbourne. But that was the right decision for Australia because, as much as you can you want to be able to control as many things as you can in this country when dealing with COVID-19. That has been our form. That will continue to be our form and with that I will ask the Health Minister and the Secretary to give you some further detail.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Thanks very much, Prime Minister and to Brendan. Today's another very important step forward in protecting Australians, in saving lives and protecting lives. As the Prime Minister said, it's a year to the day since the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in Australia and it is worth reflecting on that journey briefly. We know that the world is likely to reach 100 million formally diagnosed cases within the next 48 hours. We know that the world has already lost formally 2.1 million lives and no doubt the real figure will be higher because of undiagnosed or unrecognised cases. In Australia there have been seven consecutive days of zero cases of community transmission. Nine out of the last 10 days have had zero community transmission. There have been no lives lost in that time and we are back to zero Australians on ventilation and zero Australians in ICU because of COVID-19. At the same time in the last 24 hours for which there are full figures there were 570,000 cases globally and 14,000 lives lost and 6 million cases over that last 10 days and over 125,000 lives lost. That comparison is almost unbelievable, the difference between where we are in Australia and overseas. What it shows though, is that with those numbers with a pandemic raging across the world we have to be prepared for and we have to presume that there will be new outbreaks. We hope there won't be but we have seen South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland all face outbreaks in the last two months, all be tested and all pass that test. That's a testimony to the work of all Australians, all Governments and all health officials involved in all of the chains of the containment and capacity process that we set out in February. That structure remains the guiding light.
As part of that, one of the things which we saw yesterday was that our 5-year-old vaccination rate for the first time, past the 95 percent mark, 95.1 percent for the December quarter. So through the pandemic vaccination rates have actually gone up which if you had asked me at the outset I would have thought with all of the challenges would have been almost impossible and yet Australia remains a great vaccination nation. A critical part of our COVID-19 strategy is a focus on safety and the delivery of vaccines. That is why I am delighted and we're delighted that the TGA, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which I believe is arguably the best medical regulator in the world has approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine in Australia. It has approved it now for Australians 16 years of age and older. I think when last we spoke we were anticipating it might be 18 years and older. That is a broader range of population than anticipated. That changes our vaccination strategy, so as those 16 and above will now be included in phase 2b. So this is an example of the evolution of that strategy as the approvals and facts and science are developed.
We have on the advice of the committee led by Professor Brendon Murphy and ATAGI, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, which is led by Professor Allen Cheng and a very distinguished team secured 140 million vaccines one of the highest dosing rates per head of population in the world. The commencement remains on track for February, as the Prime Minister has said. The completion remains on track for October. This approval by the TGA is one of the earliest in the world for a full approval. We know that the European Medicines Agency and the Swiss have already made such an approval but Australia is amongst the earliest. I spoke last night with the regional and Australian heads of Pfizer and they indicated, as the Prime Minister has said, that we are likely to have on their shipping advice which they have now been able to confirm, first vaccines in Australia ready for distribution in late February. So within the guidance that we previously provided. That is likely to start with approximately 80,000 doses per week, if not more. But let's be more conservative on that. Further guidance for March and beyond will be provided across the globe by Pfizer in mid-February. So they are making global decisions on those allocations but continuous supply was their goal, objective and their anticipation and guidance as of last night.
With regards to AstraZeneca, the international AstraZeneca supplies in Australia are likely to commence slightly earlier than had previously been anticipated, early in March, and if there is more guidance on that we will obviously provide it. That is subject both to TGA approval and to shipping. I think that's important and the domestic AstraZeneca production via CSL is likely to see supplies of approximately one million doses per week commencing in late March. So that's an incredibly important part of it. Both companies have experienced global supply challenges but we are in a fortunate position as a country because of the decisions that have been taken and our ability to focus on safety. In particular if you asked me for the two most important decisions of the whole pandemic, one, the 1st of February last year, the advice that Professor Murphy gave to both the Prime Minister and myself and the National Security Committee that we should close the border with China. But secondly, the decision to pay a premium for an onshore, secure, sovereign vaccine manufacturing capacity via CSL. That puts Australia in a vastly more secure position than almost any other country in the world. I think that's probably, of all the decisions, the one which I reflect upon and that was a difficult, challenging decision at the time and we had to work very hard to have that onshore vaccine manufacturing capability. But CSL and AstraZeneca have stepped up.
Now we move to the next steps now and we continue this. I do want to thank the TGA, the Department of Health, the states and the territories, people who have worked right through Christmas, New Year, summer, right through weekends. In many cases right through, right through the night with documents being completed at 1.30am and forwarded. So we focus on the continuous assessment, the continuous procurement, the shipping, the distribution, working with the general practices, with the RACGP, the AMA, the states and territories on that rollout. But we’re in a very strong position. I want to thank as the Prime Minister did, all those Australians who have helped keep us safe and all our extraordinary researchers, medical professionals, contact tracers, pathologists that have prevented, so far a third wave. But precisely because of the global risk, that’s why we have to proceed with a safe, secure vaccine program but Australians can have confidence. If the best regulator in the world, it approves the vaccine, it is safe and effective.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you Greg. Brendan?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thanks, Prime Minister and Minister, I will be very brief. I think this is a very special day for Australia. We are in this wonderful position of still having no community transmission and yet we have approved, through our normal, proper processes the first vaccine. We can now get that vaccine shipped to Australia, do the batch testing and start our vaccination program, according to our schedule. As Minister Hunt and the PM have said we also have one of the few countries in the world that have this luxury of having onshore production. We know that the whole world will be competing and there will be supply chain difficulties for vaccines manufactured offshore for every country in the world. We are already seeing that around the world. So once we start to get our, once fully registered our AstraZeneca vaccine and as I have said many times, it is a very good vaccine. It is a very good vaccine to prevent, both the vaccines are excellent and both prevent COVID disease effectively and prevent severe disease. So once we get the local onshore production going, we will start to have a totally reliable supply chain. I should emphasise that the next few weeks, while we're waiting to get the final doses and get approval, is being spent 24-hours a day in preparation. The preparation that is going on for this vaccination journey is huge. We intend to get it right. We have got major logistics issues vaccinating 26 million people. We are working very closely with our partners in the states and territories, we are doing very careful planning about starting up those clinics, gentle clinics so that we can get going first with the border workers, the quarantine workers, the health care workers at risk of COVID and the elderly and disability people in care and their staff. We are ready to go. We are planning, very exciting and very exciting that we have not had to do this in an emergency way because we have a crisis to deal with. We can do this in our normal safe Australian way. Thank you.
JOURNALIST: PM on the timing, I was under the impression that mid-February might have been possible but we are talking late February. There have been issues in Europe with Pfizer. I had the impression we were getting the Pfizer vaccine out of the US manufacturing rather than European manufacturing. Have we been affected by any of the Pfizer manufacturing capacity issues or is the delay something else? And is there still a possibility that we could get more than 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine or is that not possible or not necessary?
PRIME MINISTER: I will let Greg cover that. First of all, I should say, no Australian vaccines i.e. vaccines destined for Australia, have been diverted anywhere else let me be clear about that. But there are challenges for all these big producers around the world for the reasons that I said before but I will let Greg take that.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Sure. On timing, our guidance was always mid to late February and that would depend on the shipping dates. We had the shipping dates provided last night. I note that, I think it is actually valuable to bring everybody into the confidence of the discussions with Pfizer. They have had to pause some of their supply to major nations and that has had an impact on some of their programs. For us, we are commencing in exactly the window. Though we had not put a specific date I think on multiple occasions to questions to many of you here, we have indicated that the date that we would have would be dependent on approval and then on shipping times and those shipping times were provided last night, which means we are in a position to commence in late February and our guidance has always been for a window. I would say that has undoubtedly been influenced by Pfizer's global capacity and the fact that we are within our window is indicative of a very, very strong contract and a very, very strong position. So they reaffirmed to us that they are on track to complete all of their contractual contracts, time frames and obligations. Second thing is on the selection and purchase of vaccines, we are guided by the medical expert panel. This is one where you would absolutely want the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, led by Professor Cheng, and the Scientific and Industry Technical Advisory Group, led by Professor Murphy, to be the ones making the selection of vaccines. It is an entirely medical choice and we have followed their guidance and if they recommend more of any particular vaccine, then we will secure it and we are in a position to be able to do that.
JOURNALIST: Have we secured enough vaccines to vaccinate our population three times over, has the Government confirmed what percentage would potentially be going to our Pacific or Indonesian friends?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, the Foreign Minister and the Minister for the Pacific and International Development have been, they have commenced the process of working with our Pacific Island neighbours and the first step of that is to prepare them to be able to administer the vaccine and so there is a fair bit of work going in aid support to ensure that they are in a capacity to actually deliver the vaccine. We are going through the rollout timetables and programs with them now. Obviously, they don't start the same time as we do here. But the first thing we need to do is ensure that they are equipped to be able to administer the vaccine across their population. That is the first step and I have had some fantastic messages back from our Pacific family leaders over the course of the last week. Those calls have been very well received. The Pacific leaders are appreciative of the proactive role that Australia has taken to ensure that they will be in a position to administer that vaccine.
JOURNALIST: Following what happened in Norway, will we be giving Pfizer to elderly Australians or terminally ill Australians?
PRIME MINISTER: I will let Brendan talk about that.
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So the TGA advice, and we have obviously been concerned about this, for the very elderly and frail, that will need a very careful clinical decision. That is something that would need to be, where the risks versus the benefits of vaccination need to be carefully considered. So the vaccine is registered for all ages over 16 but there will be specific advice that ATAGI will be producing around particularly people who are very frail and close to end of life, which is that group that had the issues in Norway.
JOURNALIST: Minister Hunt, just on the distribution being ready by late February. Does that mean in terms of people getting the injection, that is likely to be early March? And just secondly, you said approximately 80,000 doses per week is the plan at the moment but let's be more conservative on that, so is the figure revised down?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: No. Sorry, firstly we are expecting that, at this stage the first vaccinations will be delivered in February and the 80,000 is the conservative figure. It could actually be higher but we will presume 80,000 doses per week is the initial distribution and then as I have said, Pfizer is around the world and I think this is quite understandable, looking at all of their available production and then they will provide guidance in mid-February for March and beyond on a weekly basis.
JOURNALIST: So how many doses will be coming out in that first shipment, for example?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: We are looking at 80,000 plus per week at the initial outset and that is why we are presuming 80,000 would be available. Then, as we have indicated, later on we will have AstraZeneca international from early March is the current guidance and then AstraZeneca domestic at the volume of approximately a million a week on the latest advice that we had over the weekend.
PRIME MINISTER: I want to stress though, what we are telling you here today is what we know today. This is a very challenging global situation and if there are any other things that occur between now and then, we will stand here and explain what is happening and I think that is the appropriate way to engage in this vaccination program. We are going to be very up-front with Australians about the vaccine, about its timing, about its rollout. We will be communicating very clearly about what the vaccine is and what families will want to know about the vaccine and to make their own choices in an informed way about that. It is a topic that we discussed somewhat last Friday at National Cabinet and we are all working together to ensure it can get out there on the ground. It is a very significant logistical challenge, one that is even more challenging in a country like Australia. In speaking to Prime Minister Netanyahu, they have also had some challenges there and they have been quite innovative in the way they have been dealing with its distribution. So we're learning from everybody and they are learning from us.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the Government's had a goal of four million doses by the end of March. Assuming that we get the late February start at 80,000 a week, you are going to have to very quickly increase that rate to get to four million by the end of March. Are you confident that that goal is still realistic and if we can we get some detail about what kinds of weekly figures you would be expecting by effectively the second or so week of March?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, look, I think it is difficult to predict these things and the events of recent weeks I think will mean that four million position will be something that is going to be achieved in early April as opposed to late March. That is the reality of dealing with international arrangements. These are things that are beyond our control with these initial shipments. So that is understandable and it is a combination of the issues of AZ and Pfizer. That is why we are updating you today. Greg, did you want to add anything to that?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Sure. I think we are on track for the February commencement, the October completion, slightly earlier start for the AstraZeneca international than we would imagine, slightly earlier start for the CSL production domestically than we had imagined. The one variable here is AstraZeneca globally advised us yesterday that as we have seen, they have had a significant supply shock and so that means we won't have as much of that AstraZeneca international in March as they had previously promised, which is precisely why I maintain that the two most important decisions are the 1st of February, China decision and the AstraZeneca onshore. That means, as the Prime Minister said, that April will be the period where we complete the four million. But the start, the commencement, are all on track. Slightly earlier commencement for AstraZeneca international and slightly earlier commencement for AstraZeneca CSL domestic.
PRIME MINISTER: There will be swings and roundabouts on this process. You can expect that and what you can also expect for us to explain those as they occur.
JOURNALIST: Does that mean that the fact that it will be extended to people as young as 16 won't affect the delivery timetable at all?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: No, that doesn't because those under 18 were included in the last of the five stages already but they will be able to come forward to the general population stage, which is stage 2(b).
JOURNALIST: Minister Hunt and Professor Murphy, where are negotiations up to on securing the Moderna vaccine and what have been the struggles that have made it currently not possible to secure that deal?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: People have different views and I will turn on the science of it to Professor Murphy. But from a policy perspective, what we have done is taken the views of the medical expert panel. I understand there are many people with different views. I would have to say that our medical expert advice has arguably been the best in the world. I have got here the Australian Academy of Science release of last week, ‘The Academy supports the current Australian Government vaccination strategy, informed by the best available expertise in science.’ and it was headed Academy Statement on the pandemic Vaccines and Misinformation. It was concerned that there were many who were going or some who were going outside of the expert advice to give widely available, freely available opinions. The opinions that we listen to are those of the medical expert panels, ATAGI and SCITAG. One led by Professor Cheng and one led by Professor Murphy and if they recommend a different vaccine, if they recommend additional doses of the vaccine, then we will pursue their advice and we have followed their advice so far.
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group is meeting regularly and we are continuing to re-evaluate at every step a vaccine profile. Remember, we have got the Novavax vaccine, we’ve still got whole population coverage of Novavax. We haven't seen phase 3 trial date for Novavax yet. We don’t know that may well be as good as the other vaccines that we have got. We are also looking at our mix of the MRNA vaccines, the Moderna vaccine is very similar to the Pfizer vaccine. There is not much difference between the two. But we are looking at the MRNA vaccine profile, our protein vaccine profile, our adenovirus profile all the time and this panel, which is comprised people with deep expertise from the pharmaceutical industry and the medical and scientific industry, feels that our profile at the moment is the right one for us, but we will re-evaluate and make advice to Government and every piece of advice that that expert panel has given to Government has been accepted.
PRIME MINISTER: I’m giving everyone a go, I’m just going to keep moving across in the normal way.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just in lieu of the other questions asked and the follow-up on Moderna, have you tried to sign a contract with Moderna and is the Government struggling? And once we ramp up production, will you be looking at or why aren't we looking at doing a 24-hour vaccination program like other countries if we have the surplus stock? Why don't we try and get through the vaccination program faster?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ll let Brendan and Greg,
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: We are not in a crisis mode where we have to. We will obviously be looking at vaccination clinics that may well function after hours but we are not in a situation of having to do 24-hour vaccinations. When you set up a scale like that, there are risks associated and we want to make sure this is very, very risk-free. We want to make sure our supply chain works. We want to make sure our cold chain works, we want to make sure we have the right numbers of appropriately qualified vaccination workforce. So we are standing up a rapidly expanding vaccination workforce. When it is up at full speed, matching the supply of the onshore production of vaccines, it will be vaccinating a lot of people.
JOURNALIST: On the Moderna contract, have we tried to sign one with them?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: We are continuing to evaluate and in discussions with all of the major companies. Those discussions are commercial in confidence. We are continuing discussions with all major vaccine companies.
JOURNALIST: One of the groups that has expressed concern about the lack of data from trials for the Pfizer vaccine and a lot of vaccines is pregnant women. Are they approved for this vaccine?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So we will be getting specific advice from ATAGI on that. There is really no data on, theoretically, the risk of this vaccine, Pfizer or AstraZeneca on pregnancy is probably very low. I note that the US and UK have different recommendations about pregnancy. We will be getting advice from ATAGI and it is advice that is really just going to be based on the best guess of what the risks are at the moment and that is coming very shortly, before the vaccine is administered.
JOURNALIST: For the Health Minister and Professor Murphy, has Pfizer have advised they can ramp up beyond 80,000 doses to Australia? We have seen in the UK they are stretching out the period between those doses. Has Pfizer said they can move faster, can they ramp up over time?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Yes, they have. They will provide the advice mid-February. It was a very valuable discussion. They operate on what they call pandemic supply the at moment. Normally they like to build inventory, make sure they have reserves, for example when we have the flu vaccine, the manufacturers ensure they have reserves, that we have reserves, we're able to roll it out continuously. Around the world they are producing and then distributing. I think the question before was our source, our source is Europe and they are producing, they are distributing, usually it is within 24-48 hours of manufacturing and so in mid-February, they will provide guidance on volumes for subsequent months but, as of last night, the discussion was about continuous supply and then progressively ramping up.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: The advice from the regulator is 21 days, approximately, and Brendan can give you more advice on the windows on either side. But our regulators recommended 21 days and that is what we are planning to do in Australia.
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Because we have got the luxury of doing this properly, we plan to make sure that we have enough vaccine to give everyone the second dose at the recommended time. We are not planning to manipulate the revaccination times. We are doing our planning on the basis that we can give people the recommended doses at the recommended intervals.
JOURNALIST: In relation to the AstraZeneca vaccine, they were originally looking about having 1.9 million doses in January and 1.9 in February. Is that being delayed? Is that part of the supply shock you refer to? And Prime Minister, just in relation to Anthony Albanese's proposal to get former Prime Ministers Rudd and Howard involved in resetting the China relationship, do you have any perspective on that?
PRIME MINISTER: I might come back to that. Let’s deal with the health questions first and I’m happy to come back to other questions.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: On the international supply, that is the one variable that has changed because their entire global supply has changed. So at this stage, we are expecting about 1.2 million doses of AstraZeneca international. But knowing that, these figures can increase in any one day or decrease if there has been a supply change, so that was the advice as of yesterday. I spoke with the country head for Australia and they were apologetic about that but it is not anything to do with Australia, that is their global challenge which I think was widely reported on the weekend. So that is the variable in Australia. But at the same time, being able to deliver the international doses slightly earlier than anticipated and the domestic doses slightly earlier than anticipated and at major scale.
JOURNALIST: Can we talk about what the vaccine can do and can't do? Because for people watching today and will think I can stop wearing a mask, I can go to Bali, I don't have to quarantine and that space, can you just explain to people is this a sterilising vaccine that stops people from getting infected or is it a vaccine that stops people dying and getting sick and what are the implications of this? Can you transmit the COVID-19 virus even if you have been vaccinated and you are showing no signs of the illness?
PRIME MINISTER: They are very good questions and I will ask Professor Murphy to deal with them. Before he does that, I think the answer to these questions are important because it is important we understand the expectations of what the vaccine does. Let me be very clear, this year 2021, will require us to continue to be vigilant, it will continue to require us to be engaging with all sorts of COVID-19 arrangements that can further mitigate the risk of transmission and keeping Australians safe, keeping livelihoods, keeping Australia as open as possible. There are limitations to these vaccines. There is far more to learn about these vaccines. In many cases, as I have been advised, there are positions where there is not enough evidence to say it definitively does X but that doesn't mean it won't. It just means the evidence at this point is not in a position and that has been a discussion we have been having with international leaders now for some time. So it is important to understand that once the vaccines start, that doesn't mean you can jump on a plane to Bali the next day. It doesn't mean that the masks disappear if that is what the public health arrangements are in a particular state or territory or the quarantine arrangements for return into Australia will end or anything like this. This will build, it will start at small scale, it will build up and it will happen over a period of time as we have outlined over the course of this year. Of itself, it is not a silver bullet because there are still limitations to what these vaccines can do and the best person to explain what they are is Professor Murphy.
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thanks Prime Minister, these are really important questions and the population really want to know them. What we do know is that the two vaccines that we are rolling out now are both very good at preventing clinical COVID disease and particularly severe disease. That is great, that is going to stop people getting clinically sick and hopefully people getting sick and needing treatment and unfortunately dying. We don't yet know how effective they are at preventing the transmission of the virus. Those original studies that were published, the phase 3 trials, are based around prevention of clinical disease. We will be progressively getting data over the coming months about the impact on transmission of the virus. It stands to reason that these vaccines will also prevent, to some degree, transmission of the virus but we don't know how effective they are at doing that. Our strategy at the moment is to protect the population, to protect people from getting sick from COVID. Then we will re-evaluate what the impact is on transmission. See how widely vaccinated our population is at a particular time and look at that in terms of the vaccination in other countries. I have said to the Prime Minister, I think about a year ago, I wouldn't want to predict more than three months ahead with this pandemic and that still stands. I think at the moment, the strategy is that we are going to be pretty much in our current situation for the next three months, while we ramp up vaccination. We will progressively re-evaluate the situation at the time. So we think they will be effective. The other thing we don't know is how long the immunity of these vaccines will last. So it may be that people will need additional doses of vaccines, possibly even annually. These things are completely unknown at the moment.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] doesn't that mean hotel quarantine will have to stay in place for possibly at least another year or, I mean, essentially even if people are vaccinated and they come to Australia, they could still be carrying the virus, transmitting the virus?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: We don't know that yet. That is the data we have to get from the experience of the world's vaccinations over the next what we call the phase 4 data, the real time experience and we will know that probably within three months, we will have pretty good data on how effective the vaccines are at preventing transmission and that will give us the potential to re-evaluate things like international travel and hotel quarantine. So it is a progressive, real time re-evaluation of the public health situation.
PRIME MINISTER: That is the approach we have taken the whole way through. We prepare for what we know and we deal with what is in front of us and we constantly re-evaluate, we talk to each other, we listen to the expert medical advice and then we take the actions that are necessary. So in terms of the question you ask, Sam, that may or may not be true. It is just not in a position to be able to say that. I don't think we should leap to any conclusion about what things look like six months from now, nine months from now, just like this time last year, people were making predictions this time last year and in the months that followed, well they proved to be horribly wrong.
JOURNALIST: Special arrangements were made last year for the Indigenous communities and they were very successful. I just wonder where are they being placed in the queue for the vaccine and are there going to be special programs rolled out to protect them as fast as possible?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: The answer is, yes, they have been specifically contemplated. The Indigenous Australians over 55 years of age will be in Phase 1b, again on medical advice, and Indigenous Australians under 55 years of age but over 16 will be in what is known as Phase 2a. In addition to the general population distribution mechanisms, being the hospitals, the state vaccination clinics, the Commonwealth vaccination clinics, the role fundamentally with the AstraZeneca vaccine for general practices and we thank them from Phase 2 for the pharmacies. The Aboriginal community controlled health organisations or the Indigenous medical centres will be providing support to Indigenous communities around the country.
PRIME MINISTER: Nothing on health? Ok, we will go general on other topics.
JOURNALIST: On vaccines, a follow up to Michelle, what about people in rural Australia, people in big country towns? If you are in Ballarat, or if you are in Bathurst, the Pfizer vaccine is so hard to ship, you may not have it at your local hospital. Will people in country Australia have to drive to the big smoke to get that vaccine? Or should they just wait for AstraZeneca?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: I think we'll find that there is likely to be a very short difference in time between the rollout for the two vaccines. So they will be approximate within a matter of weeks, if not days. So our whole approach has been to make sure that regional Australia is treated in the same way as urban Australia. That was something that the Prime Minister was absolutely insistent on from day one. I remember this time last year, Brendan, he was focused on making sure that no Australian missed out on ventilation. I remember that conversation. It was a very firm conversation. Equally, he's been absolutely focused on making sure that equitable access is a fundamental tenant of this, which is why we'll have over 1,000 points of presence. We went out to a tender to general practices around Australia to invite all general practices to do that, and we'll be going out in the coming weeks, if not days, to pharmacies, to invite all pharmacies to participate, each subject to meeting the technical and training requirements. So there will be multiple points of presence, state vaccination clinics, Commonwealth vaccination clinics, general practices, pharmacies and Indigenous medical centres.
JOURNALIST: With that phase is 1a how, do you actually choose which aged care residents and which quarantine workers get the vaccine first?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Obviously, there will be a process of ensuring that we work outwards. But at this point in time, the Department of Health is working on making sure that we have a rapid distribution to as many as possible. By definition, somebody has to be first. And we will celebrate every vaccination, and we want as many people to be vaccinated as possible. So, every vaccination will be a cause for celebration. Let me say this, we know that as you vaccinate a country, it will take time and some people will want to be earlier. We've seen some examples of that. But the medical advisors who have protected us over the course of this last year, exactly this last year, are the ones who are continuing to provide the advice on the vaccine rollout.
PRIME MINISTER: OK, we'll go to other issues and I'll pick up the question that you asked before. The Australia-China relationship is important to Australia. The China-Australia relationship is important to China. And we will, of course, remain absolutely open and available to meet, to discuss, any of the issues that have been identified. But those discussions, as I've made clear won't take place on the base of any sort of pre-emptive concessions on Australia's part on those matters. I don't think any Australian would want their Prime Minister to be conceding the points that they've set out. Our position on that is very clear, it's very honest, it's very transparent. But, of course, we value the trading and more broader comprehensive relationship, and we will be taking up whatever opportunities we believe is going to best position Australia to be in a position to advance that relationship. Now, this is a matter that the former Prime Minister Howard and I have discussed on many occasions. As you know, I speak to him pretty regularly about these and many other things. It's a topic that some time ago, and even more recently I was connecting with Prime Minister Rudd about these matters. So I'm always open to those who are very experienced in these areas and both of those former Prime Ministers are very experienced in those areas. But how this is done, well, we will continue to pursue that through the ways we are doing that. It's an important relationship, but it is a relationship that will be pursued on the basis of Australia's national interests, and without in any way compromising Australia's sovereignty.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, one of the world's biggest drug dealers has been arrested in the Netherlands, Tse Chi Lop, his organisation Sam Gor network is considered, perhaps putting 70 precent of methamphetamine on Australia's streets, on to the marketplace. How important is it that he be tried in Australia? Is there anything that you can tell us about his extradition?
PRIME MINISTER: I can't add much to that other than to say congratulations to all those Australian officers who did a fantastic job in pursuing this case. And it's a good example, Chris, of the areas in which Australia and China cooperate. Whether it's on issues of organised criminal gangs, counter-terrorism, biosecurity issues, these types of things. Australia has had a very good working relationship with China on those very important global matters. And we would look forward to having increasing good relations with them on issues of environmental management as well, not just around matters of climate, but particularly around energy technology. But I'd also say in terms of the health of our oceans and plastics and these matters as well. So there are many areas where we work together and cooperate. This is another one. But you're right. This individual has been responsible for shattering the lives and destroying the lives of an untold number of people, including here in Australia and he should be brought to justice, as he is, and he should pay for his crimes. OK, time for a couple more, but because we have our Australians of the Year gathering and I think you'll be up there for that and there's one amongst us.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, a survey has found that most Australians don't want the Australia Day date changed. Can I get your reaction to that? Are you surprised?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I'm not surprised. No, I'm not surprised.
JOURNALIST: Going back to the vaccine, sorry, just briefly. The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses and with the volatility in the global supply, are you making any contingencies to ensure that whoever gets the first 80,000 in the first week can get their follow-up in the state of time? And what is that recommended time that Australia will be pursuing between the two?
PRIME MINISTER: Greg answered that before in terms of the time-frame and that is why we've been so careful, because you've seen in other places where these things have become...
JOURNALIST: But does that mean the whole [inaudible].
PRIME MINISTER: See, we had this discussion last Friday as well and Brendan was in that discussion with the Premiers. You don't start what you can't finish, and finishing the job involves two doses. And so it's not only just that you can get two doses, but it's also the process of where you get those two doses. The digital system that is being used to ensure we know where they get them and so it's good for people to go to exactly the same place, the same GP or the same clinic. So that is the best way of ensuring the continuity of that system. So that is what has gone into our vaccination plan, and as the 21 days, Greg, as I understand is the time, and that's what we've planned for.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: So 21 days and we're planning exactly that.
JOURNALIST: Sorry Minister Hunt, Prime Minister, could we see vaccination passports for international students later this year? Or do you agree with Daniel Andrews and Minister Tudge that it is very much a 2022 proposition?
PRIME MINISTER: It's just too early to say. I don't want to create any false expectations there or false hopes. The whole issue around vaccination passports is one that the EU is very focused on at the moment and the way that you can accredit a particular vaccine and how that may potentially apply to broader movement of peoples over the course of the year as the Health Secretary said. At this point, there is no clear evidence about transmissibility, so that, of itself means that the question at this stage is somewhat premature. Our priorities in terms of entry into Australia I think are very clear. We're doing everything we can to get as many people back to Australia as we can, safely, without compromising the pressures that can be placed on our own quarantine systems. I had a good meeting with Premier Palaszczuk on Friday, in terms of what I would describe as a bit of a supplementary capacity that potentially could be done. But that only relates to an overflow capacity around charter flights. It's not an alternative. We looked at the issue of broader expansion of facilities like Howard Springs earlier in the year. I mean, if you want to get at least 5,000 people into Australia a week, which is what we had been achieving, then the idea that you can build some sort of national set of camps that can accommodate that, well, that's not a practical way to achieve it. The advice was, and I think it was right, and it was agreed to by the states and territories, that the best and most effective and safest way to do that is to take advantage of the accommodation capacity that sits through the hotel quarantine system that has been used. And that was the advice and the other options were considered. I mean, if people are suggesting that we rebuild all the detention facilities that were built under the previous Government in relation to the border crisis, well, we all know how much that cost, and we all know how that worked. So this has been a very effective way and successful way of doing it. I mean, over almost 80,000 Australians have come home since mid-September and that's been done very effectively by the states and territories. Of course, there have been some instances where quarantine hasn't been perfect but to expect perfection on that, I think in a global pandemic is unrealistic. What matters is then, is the supplementary supports that go around through tracing and other measures, which have proved to be very effective, particularly over this summer. Again, I thank Australians. Over this summer, we could have gone into a third wave. We could have been facing, right now, as Australia sort of kicks in again after Australia Day, people going back to work, we could have been going in and in the midst of a very serious third wave. Australians, to date have beaten that third wave. But the fight goes on. Last one.
JOURNALIST: On George Brandis coming home to holiday on the Sunshine Coast, while so many Australians can't come home from the UK, what's your opinion on that?
PRIME MINISTER: First of all, I'll simply give you the facts. He came back for meetings here in Australia, like many other heads of mission. He did not take the place of any other Australian. He got on the same planes that anyone else would. He spent two weeks here quarantining before he engaged in those meetings. He actually had a meeting with me when he was back, which is the case for most of the Heads of Missions of our senior posts around the country, as well as with the officials and DFAT and other ministers. He's an Australian and he spent some time with his family in his home state while he was here. They're the facts. That's what happened. OK, thank you very much.
Remarks, Australian of the Year Finalists Morning Tea
25 January 2021
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’m sorry to interrupt the conversations you are having with Jenny. It’s a great thrill for Jenny and I to be here with all of you today.
Can I acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, their elders, past, present, and particularly the future that give us so much hope.
Can I acknowledge also any veterans or serving men and women of our defence forces who are here with us today or may be watching this from elsewhere and just say thank you, as we do thank all of those who serve our community each and every day even now and I’m mindful of those serving us down in those, near those Adelaide Hills with the fires that are there and those all around our country, thank you for you service.
To the Honourable Ken Wyatt, Minister for Indigenous Australians, a great Australian. To Richard Colbeck, Senator Colbeck, the Minister for Aged Care services, Senior Australians and Minister for Youth- sorry and Sport. To Ben Morton, my Assistant Minister.
To Dani Roche and all of the members of the National Australia Day Council, Dani thank you for the tremendous job you do year in year out. You bring together this amazing family of people and you shepherd them around and you connect them up and they love it, can I tell you, and I know you love it even more. There is always a smile on Dani’s face on this time of year, and I know the joy that she extracts from that is seeing the recognition of you but also the opportunity for you each to share your stories with one another and to encourage, and to encourage each other in the tremendous work you do.
Today we are honouring you for the choices you have made in your life.
Your choices to serve, your choice to speak up.
Your choice to study, learn, and work hard, to make a difference.
Each year, I meet the nominees together with Jenny, and inevitably, as you have again today, you always tell me ‘oh but there are others who have made bigger contributions’. Or, ‘why have they focused on me this is all terribly humbling’.
Your humility is one of your great virtues. But I am going to ask you to set aside that a bit today, I’m going to ask you to allow us to penetrate that humility, and honour you.
Because you deserve it.
And you should reflect on that.
And you should feel good about that.
I know that you will feel uncomfortable about that, but allow us to praise you and to put our honour upon you as a country.
You are each and every one of you remarkable.
Australia is more than 25 million stories, all important, all to be respected, all to be sought to be understood because they weave together to make this amazing nation that we call home.
But your stories are of course remarkable.
And I want to share them with you, I’ll start with someone who I’m used to standing next to, and that’s Brendan Murphy. He has been at my side for many many months now, including this morning. He is calm, measured in approach, and his voice of expertise has helped us achieve what few countries have in the course of this past year.
He got used to being in Australians’ lives and living rooms and he’s brought them I think great assurance and comfort – so much so, that one little girl asked him how he managed to get out of the TV.
He has been a public face of reassurance to Australians at one of our most difficult hours.
Like Kirby, in Bendigo. When the disposable gowns ran out three weeks in, you invented a new kind of washable gown – and you got them to 750 GP clinics in regional Victoria.
Donna, also from Victoria, helped the homeless as they endured the lockdown. And Tara, has worked with the homeless here in the ACT.
From South Australia, Richard advocates for Australians with an intellectual disability - and he worked to ensure they had a voice as we responded to COVID.
For so many others of you, the pandemic was another layer of the complexity and the challenging work that you already do.
So many of you work with Indigenous Australians and the communities, making a real difference.
Helen, our first Indigenous doctor - doing tremendous work with young people facing trauma.
Miriam-Rose, the first Indigenous teacher in the Northern Territory. Not only leading a school, but helping other schools infuse art and culture into every child’s learning.
Stuart, also from the Top End, is about to become the first Yolngu registered nurse. I hope I got that right. What a terrific milestone. Something to truly celebrate.
Tanya, the first Indigenous executive on the AFL transforming the AFL from the inside, and from the very top.
Isabel, the oldest living survivor of the Stolen Generations, overcoming, overcoming unimaginable suffering to raise awareness and stop it from ever happening again. Thank you Isabel.
McRose up in the Torres Strait Islands, nurturing families and communities, and educating people about climate change.
To Richard, he has done incredible work bringing Indigenous culture and traditions into the centre of our national life.
And Wendy a globally respected expert in Aboriginal health, working for decades in East Arnhem Land to make communities healthier and more resilient.
And there’s Pat, influencing policy and research over decades.
All of you have devoted your time to making life better for Indigenous Australians, our first nations people, to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
We are also seeing tremendous work to make our own country a better place for Australian women.
My friend Tayla, a great sportswoman. In decades to come her image will be in the museums of Australian history - that kick, that kick. And she’s been nominated for her work stamping out online bullying.
Like Tayla, Russell is a legendary figure in Aussie Rules in South Australia - and he has been nominated for his efforts against domestic violence - and supporting people with a disability.
Erica, a police officer from the Northern Territory - involved in her community keeping women and children safe.
Rosemary is doing the same thing with migrant and refugee communities. Keeping women safe.
Bich for over 35 years has been working with Vietnamese women and children. Helping them across so many areas of their lives and to realise what they hoped Australia would be for them.
To Isobel, she’s just 18 and she is breaking down the stigma about women’s hygiene. And is a real leader for the future.
There are the two Graces:
Grace Tame from Tasmania - what an inspiration she is. A woman of immense moral courage and strength - leading the #letherspeak campaign, and we were just speaking earlier - giving voice to survivors of sexual assault.
Grace’s work is a reminder, as is the work of so many of you - that Australia is not perfect. And the way to make it better is to work for it into the future as all of you are.
And then there’s Grace Forrest - championing an anti-slavery message in countries all around the world.
To Dinesh and Nathan, undaunted, are making our country a more level, welcoming place for Australians with disabilities. Overcoming.
And Daniel and William supporting endangered orangutans.
Tim and Rebecca are working on a cause close to my heart – we were just speaking about it then, dealing with plastics and landfill.
There’s Toby - from Tasmania, championing a more sustainable future.
And of course Shane from my home state, following in your father’s steps fighting the fires not just of this Black Summer but of many summers and many times, a great national hero.
To Natasha and her Drought Angels bringing relief to thousands of farming families many of whom I only saw in this past week up in Queensland, going through heart-breaking drought.
And Edna - a volunteer for 40 years. Most Christmasses she’s organising hampers for families who need them.
And Brian, 50 years- 50 years with the Scouts serving young people in this country.
This is an incredible lineup. And I thank you for your patience as I read through all of those contributions.
Amazing stories that can only make you humble and proud to be an Australian.
You all do different things, but what all of you have in common is that you saw a need and you went to meet it.
Perhaps you didn’t even know you could. Or you even had those capabilities.
You just saw the need.
And whatever you had to acquire or whatever capabilities you had to build within yourself, they built on the most important platform and that was the care and compassion you had for the need that you saw and that you sought to meet.
You decided to give it a go and as a result you have made our country better, you have made our country stronger.
And we are indeed thankful for your tremendous service.
I’m grateful, and the country’s grateful that your nominations are before us.
They are all richly deserved.
A few of you tonight will be especially recognised but that in no way diminishes anyone’s achievements tonight.
I’m sure even those, and I see our former Australian of the Year here with us today, know that you largely serve as an ambassador for the many stories who are represented here amongst all of those tremendous efforts that have been made right across our country.
So all the best tonight, I noticed that Minister Hunt is with us today as well I particularly want to acknowledge you Greg for the great work that you’ve done as well.
But, I hope you enjoy tonight.
Allow us the opportunity to honour you and thank you and be comfortable in that moment.
And as you return to where you’ve come from all across this great land, I’ll look forward to the many contributions that you’ll continue to make.
So thank you, and God bless.
Press Conference - Brisbane, QLD
22 January 2021
Prime Minister: This meeting was convened two weeks ago when we were facing a very serious set of circumstances, particularly here in Queensland. And particularly in greater Brisbane. And we agreed that we would meet again in a fortnight's time and hopefully not be in a position where we were dealing with an escalation of the crisis that we saw two weeks ago and hopefully seeing a set of circumstances that we are now seeing today. This followed a month of combatting outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria and successfully so. Australians have responded in these last few weeks and indeed over the last month and a half in response to the outbreaks that we've seen, in a way that we are very grateful for as Premiers and Chief Ministers and indeed as the Prime Minister. Queenslanders responded, greater Brisbane responded, in New South Wales they responded, in Victoria they responded. And as a result, right here, right now, so far, we have been successful in avoiding a third wave of the virus in Australia.
Now, there are no guarantees as Professor Kidd can tell you. But as I met earlier this week with European leaders and the Prime Minister of Israel, and we've seen the terrible situation that they're facing in so many other countries. The response of the Australian people, the response of Australian governments, the outstanding work done by our contact tracers, the Australians that are coming forward for testing and observing what were quite genuine restrictions on their mobility and other things that they could do, but those actions has once again put Australia in a very strong position. And I want to thank all Australians once again, for the response. We're not out of it yet. Virus still hasn't gone anywhere and we need to maintain that vigilance.
I was particularly pleased here in greater Brisbane where there had not been cases for some time, but the quickness of the response and the cooperativeness of the response in relation to that latest lockdown that we've had here in greater Brisbane, in Sydney and Melbourne in particular, where- much bigger cities in terms of inflow of people coming in, as we've seen, that has obviously put those cities under great stress and strain. And so there has been a greater sense of awareness of course in those cities. But here in Brisbane, it shows that even though that hadn't been the case, people did respond very quickly, just as they had in Sydney, just as they had in Victoria. So we are very grateful for that. So now five days of no community transmission, across Australia and I haven’t got the updated figures for today. Professor Kidd was just checking on those before we came out. But I'm sure the states will be confirming those over the course of the day.
And so two weeks on from where we were after the last meeting of National Cabinet, then once again, I think we can show that the systems have been tested. Australians literally have been tested in large numbers, but we have passed that test over these several weeks and indeed over the last month. But it wasn't the only thing that came through over this period. Yesterday, we learnt of the jobs figures in December, which showed 50,000 more Australians in jobs in December. What that says is the way that Australia together, the Commonwealth together with the states and territories have been fighting this virus continues, to save lives and it continues to save livelihoods.
Today's meeting of the National Cabinet really as a result, provided an update and an opportunity to discuss progress across a range of fronts. We have reviewed the status of the situation in preparation for that vaccine, and we reviewed the arrangements as they relate to passenger caps coming to airports, we’ve made no changes there, but those arrangements go back to their earlier settings on the 15th of February. But there is the opportunity for me to engage with individual states and territories on a bilateral basis if we believe we can create additional capacity. But that is not an indication that that will occur. But we are seeking to have a flexible arrangement with states and territories between now and the 15th of February to meet those demands.
Pleased to see that those Emirates flights have come back only after a week or so of saying they’d go, we’ve got the other 20 flights moving. And we've been able to be quite successful in continuing to get many Australians home despite those challenges. Just to note that specifically there have been 78,876 Australians that we’ve been able to get home since the 18th of September of last year, which is when the National Cabinet set that as an urgent priority. I note also that just under $20 million dollars has already been paid out of that fund of the special overseas hardship to support Australians both in getting home as well as supporting them in place where they may be and unable to be getting on a flight and coming back to Australia. So those arrangements, those additional 20 flights, they will continue as we work through these issues over the next month.
The only other point I'd make as a result of our discussions this morning, I mentioned when we were in Canberra two weeks ago that we tasked the AHPPC to look at the potential national position on mandatory requirements for particular occupations and people working with vulnerable people - in particular, specifically in aged care. The AHPPC has not recommended to require that at this point, obviously the vaccine programme hasn’t started yet, but that is an item they'll keep under review. That doesn't mean to say that a later point they may reconsider that. But at this stage, the rollout of the vaccine and the programme there is deemed to be sufficient to ensure that the issues that would be present there would be accommodated.
With that I’ll ask Professor Kidd to make some comments.
Professor Michael Kidd, Deputy Chief Medical Officer: Thank you, Prime Minister. So as the Prime Minister has said, good news across the country and we've had 28,750 cases of COVID-19 reported in Australia to date. But as of 12 o'clock yesterday, that was our fifth day with no reports of community transmission. This, of course, in a world where the most recent figures show we've had over 96-million people reported as being diagnosed with COVID-19. And very sadly, over the last week passed that milestone of over 2 million people being reported to have lost their lives from COVID-19 right around the world. So good news in Australia, but we, of course, still need to be on our guard and we still need to have all the precautions in place, which we've had operate so successfully and demonstrated to operate so successfully over the last few weeks.
We had 92 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Australia over the last 7 days. 91 per cent of those cases were overseas acquired, those people all in quarantine arrangements across the country. The number of active cases of COVID-19 has also fallen to 186, down from 296 this time last week. So, again, a reflection of the reduction in the number of cases that we're seeing. We still are seeing at least 1 per cent of all international arrivals coming into Australia being diagnosed with COVID-19, which reinforces the importance of our quarantine arrangements.
One of the areas which is causing the AHPPC concern is the new variants appearing around the world, the B-117 variant initially identified in the United Kingdom has now been identified in 48 countries around the world. And we've had 48 cases of that variant in people arriving in Australia since that was first identified. The B-1351 variant, which was first identified in South Africa, now has been identified in 13 countries. And again, we've had 12 cases of that variant in people who have come into Australia in hotel quarantine. There's a third variant which is causing concern globally, the B-11281 variant, first identified in Brazil has already been identified in Brazil and Japan to date. One of the concerns with these variants as you’d be aware is the concern about whether they lead to increased transmissibility of COVID-19. Fortunately, they don't seem to be causing more severe disease, but more at risk of being transmitted from person to person. And as a consequence, the AHPPC has increased the isolation requirement for people who are diagnosed with these new variants from 10 days to 14 days before they are considered for potential release from isolation. Prime Minister, I might stop there.
Prime Minister: Happy to take questions on the National Cabinet, then I’m sure there may be other issues you wish to raise.
Journalist: Mr. Prime Minister, in regards to the Premier’s, Queensland Premier’s plan for quarantining people in regional Australia, did she present a case to you in National Cabinet today or give you any further update or indication about what the plans for that?
Prime Minister: It was briefly referred to, but as a matter for us to discuss later today when we meet.
Journalist: What do you personally think of the idea? You’ve made some comments about some concerns raised up in Gladstone? What do you think of the idea?
Prime Minister: Well I haven’t seen a proposal. So it's very hard for me to respond to a proposal I haven’t seen. And so I look forward to getting further details of that today. I mean, I keep an open mind. Obviously, as the government keeps open mind on things, all I’ve simply done is reflect the views of those I spoke with when I was up in Gladstone, and they were views that were candidly expressed to me and there are a lot of questions that have been raised in particular by the Labor mayor up there in Gladstone and they're issues that obviously would have to be addressed in any proposal. This is a proposal which I anticipate getting more detail on today. It's been brought by the Queensland government. So it's a matter for the Queensland government to work through those issues in their proposals, I think, with those local communities, as other Chief Ministers and Premiers have done on these types of issues.
Journalist: So it will be discussed when you meet with Ms Palaszczuk later today?
Prime Minister: Yes. I look forward to getting the proposal.
Journalist: [Inaudible] has indicated,
Prime Minister: Sorry I missed the start of that?
Journalist: Countries overseas have indicated there are issues, supply issues with the Pfizer vaccine. Will that affect Australia's rollout?
Prime Minister: Well the Health Minister and others will make further comment on this. I mean, there's no doubt in the discussions I held with the European Prime Ministers and others earlier in the week, that there are some difficulties that they're encountering. And so we're watching that very closely. We were able to provide as much as possible today to the Premiers and Chief Ministers. So they know what we know. And there are some things that are within our control and some things that are not. One of the reasons that we saw- and paid a premium for ensuring that we could produce the AstraZeneca vaccine here in Australia, was to ensure that particularly over the course of the year, we would not be as exposed to the vulnerabilities of those supply chains and producers in other countries. And so that is a very significant capability that we've invested in, which will prove up our situation particularly over the course of the year. But in the early phases of this, we're obviously reliant on the delivery of the vaccines from those producing countries, in that early stage. But I think we've been very careful to, I think, be clear about expectations here. And we know that we'd be starting at a small scale before moving to a much greater scale. And we’ve set out indicative timeframes where we would hope to commence in mid to late February. But that will obviously change and be subject to any impacts on production schedules, overseas. I know that Pfizer is retooling, upgrading their capacity in Europe to produce and increase the output of what they're doing there. There are huge demands across Europe from other clients. So we'll just continue to work through that and we'll update the Australian people as we have information available to us, but Michael do you want to add to that?
Professor Kidd: I think that's very fair and reasonable. Obviously, the priority groups which have been identified for all of the, for the vaccine are moving ahead. And it's important that we get the vaccine out to those priority groups, the residents in aged care, the people who are working in quarantine and on the borders. And, of course, our front line healthcare workers.
Prime Minister: It was always our plan to start small and build up. And when that can ultimately start is going to be conditional upon those delivery arrangements and the capabilities of those producers.
Journalist: Do you have assurances from Pfizer that you'll get it on time?
Prime Minister: Well, these are part of our contractual arrangements with them and we are in a similar situation to many other countries.
Journalist: Prime Minister, just on- you referred to Emirates before,
Prime Minister: We have contractual arrangements with Pfizer for the supply of vaccines, let me be very clear about that.
Journalist: You referred to Emirates resuming their flights earlier, but given that they had pulled out, have their spots that they've been allocated been allocated to other airlines? Can they just snap back?
Prime Minister: They'll be able to resume their flights. They have those air rights and can resume those flights. In the meantime, what we were seeing, passengers on their flights being able to move on to capacity on other services that were coming through and of course, the additional charter services that we were putting in place. So we've been able to maintain the capacity. And so, but Emirates coming back in is welcomes. It's great because remember, it's not just those who are coming on these flights. I mean, these flights also carry important supplies, there’s freight that are involved in these air services. And they're going into our major capital cities. And that is important for supply chains on a whole range of different goods and services.
Journalist: And just on the 20 repatriation flights from the U.K. the first two sold out within minutes. Are there any plans for additional flights at this stage?
Prime Minister: We’ve facilitated so far 70, and now we put on an additional 20. As I said we've provided some almost $20 million dollars in hardship support to people overseas. Our first priority as premiers and chief ministers and I reaffirmed today, is the health and safety within Australia and then to seek to bring and support as many Australians seeking to come home as possible, and we've been able to maintain that, as I said, we've had some almost 79,000 people that have been able to do that since the middle of September. And at that time, at that time, there were only around about 26,000 odd who had registered to come home at that point. So we've significantly exceeded the amount of people we thought we'd be able to get home over that period. But of course, there are more given the deterioration of the situation around the world since that time that are seeking to do that. And that's why we are supporting them through the hardship fund, the additional charter flights and seeking to maintain as much capacity as we can. But ultimately, that's also going to be conditional on the quarantine requirements, we have to put the public health and safety within our borders first.
Journalist: If there's no mandatory requirement for aged care workers to receive the vaccine, does that leave aged care residents at risk if they may be being treated or dealt with by people who don't have that additional level of protection?
Prime Minister: Well, I'll ask Professor Kidd to comment on this, but let me be clear about what Professor Kidd and the AHPPC have said, at this point, they are not recommending that be the case. But that doesn't mean that that mightn’t be a position in the future. And so we will take this step by step. And I have no doubt if there were concerns about the well-being of vulnerable Australians, particularly elderly Australians, that they would make such a recommendation. Michael?
Professor Kidd: So let me be very, very clear. We are actively encouraging the residents of aged care and people who are working in aged care, both the staff of the facilities, but also the people coming into the facilities around the country to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it starts to roll out into their areas. And we are anticipating a very high uptake amongst both residents and staff in order to protect the residents from COVID-19. At this point, we're not looking at a recommendation of mandatory vaccination. And the rationale behind this is because firstly, we haven't yet rolled the vaccine out across the country. So we don't want to be excluding people from aged care because they haven't been vaccinated, because they don't fall into one of the priority groups that has been, we want our residents in aged care to be able to see their loved ones regularly, of course. And we also are still learning a lot about the vaccines and about how effective the vaccines are at preventing the transmission of COVID-19. We know the vaccines from the clinical trials are very effective at preventing severe disease and preventing death amongst people who may be at risk from COVID-19. We're still learning about transmissibility and we're still learning about the duration of the immunity which is provided by the vaccines.
Journalist: Prime Minister, there seems to be some speculation this morning about whether the Tokyo Olympics are going ahead. Have you heard anything about that? And are you confident they are still going ahead?
Prime Minister: Well, there has been some rumours floating around today, and I've seen no official confirmation of those, and the situation in Japan right now in terms of the spread that’s occurred there more recently, is quite different to even when I was there in November. And so I can understand that that's putting some real pressure and Prime Minister Suga, like I here or any Prime Minister anywhere has to put, I think, the health and safety of their populations first and what could be managed. So we'll watch that. I think it would be very disappointing for the Japanese people and of course, Prime Minister Suga and former Prime Minister Abe if that were the case. But if that were the case, then I could understand those circumstances. And only feel for them. I imagine that would be quite, quite disappointing for them. And I would certainly be in touch with the Prime Minister to extend that, our thoughts to them at that time.
Journalist: Prime Minister, Google has this morning threatened to disable its search engine in Australia if the media bargaining becomes law. Is this an acceptable threat against Australians?
Prime Minister: Let me be clear. Australia makes our rules for things you can do in Australia. That's done in our Parliament. It's done by our government and that's how things work here in Australia and people who want to work with that in Australia, you're very welcome. But we don't respond to threats.
Journalist: Prime Minister, Margaret Court, former tennis player has been recognised in the Australia Day honours. It’s apparently been leaked earlier than Tuesday. What do you think of her being recognised?
Prime Minister: Well, I can't comment on an award that is done through an independent process that hasn't been announced, or I have no official knowledge of those things. This is a completely independent separate process and those announcements will be made on the appropriate day. And it's a system that recognises Australians from right across the full spectrum of achievement in this country. And it's, so I can't really offer comment on something that is speculative.
Journalist: Prime Minister mental health initiative to assist our emergency services, is it needed and should there be more?
Prime Minister: Mental health has been one, I think, of the signature elements of the Australian response, not just to the pandemic, but as you know, over the course of these past few days, I've been out in regional Queensland, outback Queensland, and the lessons that we learned from the floods in north Queensland, as I shared with the communities there, were what we applied during the COVID pandemic. And with the terrible losses in those floods, one of the things that didn't occur to the best of our knowledge is it didn’t result in death by suicide specifically, relating to those issues, and I think in part that is been because of the enormous resilience of those communities supporting each other, but the actions that we took together with the state governments to provide those mental health services and reaching out to those states, and to those properties and to those communities. Now the same has been true in our response to the outbreaks that we've seen of COVID over the course of the last year in response to the drought. So mental health, particularly on COVID, has been a signature part of the Australian response and recognised so when I was attending the G20 summit, and the East Asia Summit recently, as each country talked about the response we had, I was able to make reference to how mental health is a key part of our response. And it was actually the Sultan of Brunei who was the other leader who was particularly focussed on that issue and I commend him for doing so. Our emergency service workers, our police officers, the paramedics, they see things and deal with things, that thankfully the rest of us don't. I’m the son of a police officer and my brother's a paramedic. My brother-in-law was a firey. So I've got some understanding of what they go through each and every day. And things have changed a lot when it comes to mental health support for our emergency service workers since when my dad was a beat police officer working at Kings Cross in Sydney. And so I think that's a good thing. But, you know, for people who put themselves in harm's way for us, it really is an issue of just making sure we do what we possibly can.
Journalist: With the issues being faced by the Pfizer vaccine, are you confident we can still see January approval, end of January approval and mid-February roll out?
Prime Minister: Well, I'm not going to speculate on that today, when we're in a position to make decisions and announcements about these things, then we will. I think it's very important that we don't speculate on those matters. There are some uncertainties which we've already discussed today. But what I can tell you is this, that the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Professor Skerritt and the whole team they will be making sure it's safe, in terms of that- those vaccines. And when they say it's safe, when they give it the tick, then I'll take the jab. And I think all Australians can, too. And, but our process is world leading. It's world class. It's a process that I believe Australians can have a lot of confidence in. We're not rushing this, nor are we delaying it. We are getting it right. That's what matters. We're getting it right. And by getting it right I think Australians can have a lot of confidence. We're learning a lot from what's happening overseas. And you've got to get all your ducks in a row on this because remember, there's two, there's two shots in the vaccine. You don’t go and give the first one, if you haven’t got the confidence about the second one, and that can put a lot of pressure on your system. So the refrigerated storage, the logistics, the transportation, the training of the workers, the clinics where they'll be, all of that is being worked through in precise detail. But the first step in all of that, of course, is for the TGA to give it the tick. And they are dotting every ‘i’ and they are crossing every ‘t’.
Journalist: Those logistics that you speak of, so you think that they're more challenging for a place like Queensland where our population is spread over such a vast area?
Prime Minister: Well, I think WA would probably claim some special challenges with the remoteness of populations, too, as with the Northern Territory and in all states and territories. I mean, Australia has a different challenge to a very small country like Israel for example, and many of the European nations. So we have a different set of challenges to others, and especially I would say, whether it's here in Queensland or elsewhere, remote indigenous populations, which has always been a very keen focus for us on COVID-19. And that's why the planning is so important, to get it all right. It's tough, but we're good at this. Australians are very good at this. And I think in the way that we've managed COVID up to date, I think that will only be demonstrated further in how we manage the next stage of the process. But you're right, it's not without challenges. Of course it is. It's going to be a very big logistical challenge. And that's why we're spending the time to get it right. Professor?
Professor Kidd: Oh just saying, as you know initially the vaccine will be rolling out through the hubs, for the Pfizer vaccine but then there'll be up to a thousand sites, including general practises right across the country, which will be involved in distributing the vaccine to people right across Australia.
Prime Minister: I think we have time for one or two more?
Journalist: Just on the remote work camps again Prime Minister, acknowledging that you said you haven't seen a proposal yet, but what additional solutions is the Commonwealth working on to take the pressure off hotel quarantine and to get more Australians home?
Prime Minister: Well I just talked about the 20 flights bringing Australians home and we’ve expanded the capacity of Howard Springs to do that as well. And we are looking at what provides additional capacity and the additional capacity could come through raising the caps again, when that's safe to do so. And that's what we'll discuss specifically with Premiers and Chief Ministers over the next, over the next week or so. The hotel quarantine system and the volume, I mean, you look at in New South Wales in particular, that has taken three times, three times what has happened here in Brisbane and the way they've been able to successfully manage, I think, that flow over a long period of time. And so the hotel quarantine system remains incredibly important to getting Australians home and but where there are other facilities we've been able to put in place, particularly in the Northern Territory, that's proved to be quite effective. We will work with states and territories on their quarantine arrangements. We'll look at this proposal. But I just note the issues that have been raised up in Gladstone by the mayor, the legitimate issues that need to be considered as I said yesterday, and one of those factors is that there is an enormous amount of maintenance work done on all the industrial plants up in Gladstone over the course of this year. One of the reasons Australia has done well economically over the course of COVID is we've been able to keep our heavy industry going. And the prospect of that being impacted by something in a community like that needs to be carefully considered. So, you know, the Commonwealth is not- keeps an open mind on all of these proposals, but equally where proposals have been put forward they need to be rigorous they need to address the concerns of local communities. I think that’s only fair.
Journalist: You caused a bit of a stir yesterday when you said that the convicts arriving on the First Fleet didn't have a particularly flash day either, some people suggesting it was creating a false equivalence with what Australia's indigenous population endured during European settlement. Do you have any regrets about the way you phrased that or what you said?
Prime Minister: I think it was false to take that implication. I was drawing no equivalence between any of these things. I was simply saying this: you know, Australia is more than 25 million stories, more than 25 million. And each of us here can trace our own stories back into our experience in Australia, Indigenous Australians, First Nations people also, all the stories are important. All the stories should be respected. And on Australia Day, that's an opportunity to do that, understanding the loss, the gains, the successes, the failures, the hardships that were encountered. I mean, Australian stories are unique in this country. And, but the thing that I celebrate most about Australians, despite the hardship whether that be that of dispossession, and the terrible disease and destruction that was faced by First Nations peoples, or whether it's the convicts who came or the settlers that followed, the immigrant waves that come over the course of our nation's history, all of those stories are important. They're not competing with each other. They're just part of who we are. Thanks very much.
Press Conference - Yarwun, QLD
21 January 2021
Ken O’Dowd MP: Well, good morning, everybody. It's a pleasure to have with me today the Prime Minister who spent quite a bit of time in the last few days in northern and central Queensland. Welcome you to Gladstone today, with him is Keith Pitt, the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia. Also the Managing Director of Northern Oil, Mr Tim Rose. It’s a pleasure to be out on this site. You know, this site is the most modern plant in the world, in the world for recycling of waste oil. In this plant, they recycle waste oil. Take all the impurities out of the oil and return it back to base stock. So this is a great success story and it has a great future in Australia, the number one recycling plant in the world. There are other overseas countries who are looking at this plant to duplicate it in the other countries where they want to go into the recycling of oil. But with that, I'd like to hand over no to, two exciting announcements we’re going to make today, the Prime Minister so I’d like to hand back over to them over the him for the announcement thanks to. Thanks.
Prime Minister: Thanks Ken, it’s great to be here again with Keith Pitt, always good to be here with Keith Pitt and Ken and Shirly and it’s been great catching up with a lot of people last night here in Gladstone and Tim, can I congratulate you, too, on the amazing, the amazing development of this world class, world leading facility here for oil recycling here in Gladstone. You know, this is probably some of the most important industrial real estate anywhere in this country. It's a long way from where many Australians live. But I can tell you what happens here, impacts on all Australians. And it's very important to understand the value of that to Australia and its critical importance to Australia going forward.
But before I make a few other comments, I just wanted to start off by congratulating President Biden and Vice President Harris on their inauguration in the early hours of Australia this morning and to wish them all the very best. Australia and the United States are the best of mates and the best of allies. We have been through everything together over a very long time. And this is a relationship between Australia and the United States that has been stewarded by Prime Ministers and Presidents of all political persuasions for a very long time and to the great benefit and the great success of both countries. And this relationship is even more important today than ever before, certainly at any time since the end of the Second World War. And I appreciate the sort of very warm sentiment that we're already getting back from the Biden Administration and the many challenges that we have to work together on, both within our Alliance, both more broadly in multilateral fora with like minded countries, whether in the Quad, the G20, G7 plus, the OECD. There's a lot of work for us together, whether it's on climate, on energy, on international security, and importantly, regional security here in the Indo-Pacific and the great partnerships we have with the South Pacific nations, with the South East Asian nations, in ASEAN. These are all the big issues that President Biden and I will continue to address together as Prime Ministers and Presidents always have. But I particularly warmly congratulate Vice President Harris on her inauguration. That is an historic moment and one that I think as a father of daughters, you can only celebrate. And I wish her all the best in her very important duties as well.
Turning to today, though, here in Australia gas is key to the COVID-19 recovery. It's the key to jobs, it's the key to a manufacturing industry here in Australia and heavy industry here in Australia that will underwrite our economic fortunes for generations to come. We are now well into the transition of energy future, not just here in Australia, but all around the world. And as all countries recognise, including in the United States, where they've demonstrated most significantly, gas is a key, if not the key transition fuel to ensure that we can make a transition to a net zero economy into the future. And we can do it while at the same time maintaining the heavy industries and the jobs that are so important, both here in Australia, especially in regional communities, as well as right across the country. Got to get the gas, has been my message. And getting that gas, it's important to partner with our big LNG exporters. Australia leads the world together with only a very small handful of countries in exporting of LNG, and that market is becoming even more competitive. And no one does it better than Australia, but it's also important that Australia gets the gas as well and that Australia pays a price for gas that is commensurate with what is happening around the world. And that's why the agreement that we extend now with the three big LNG exporters will ensure that uncontracted gas gets offered to Australians at comparable netback price opportunities to ensure that Australians can benefit from the significant gas reserves of this country.
Now, this arrangement is only one of many parts about getting the gas strategy and one that is part of our broader JobMaker plan. And that's involving the support of the transmission and pipeline networks, the Wallumbilla hub producing those gas hubs, which can provide greater certainty and stability in pricing and supply of gas around the country. But it's also about this agreement and it's also about getting the gas up from underneath our feet to ensure the prosperity and jobs of Australians. And to that end, I continue to welcome the recent decision by the New South Wales government, supported by the federal government, of getting the gas there in western New South Wales. That gas is critical to our manufacturing plan, which I announced last year. These arrangements are critical to getting the price of gas down. Our manufacturing plan is based on ensuring that we get more competitive and better priced access to gas as feedstock, particularly for our industrial producers around the country here, Tim tells me it's around about 80 per cent of his final energy demand here, 80 per cent. That's a big part of your overhead. And as we saw in the United States, through their gas revolution, they see- they saw a manufacturing renaissance in the United States off the back of their gas revolution. And we want to see the same thing happen here in Australia. And that is part of the path to net zero carbon economy here in Australia. We want to achieve that. And we're working hard to work out when that can be achieved by- not through taxes, but by technology and the smart innovation of companies and researchers and scientists here in Australia as part of our technology roadmap. And one of those is Tim’s business here. We're standing in an oil recycling business, best in class, in fact, leading the world. And this brings together two of our great ambitions and strategies of the government; both to ensure that we are keeping heavy industry going in this country, but we're operating in a circular economy and what they've been able to achieve here and where they're moving in biofuels. This is a Sub-Zero emissions plant and business we're talking about here. You can get it done and you can get it done through smart investment and technology, not by lumbering on taxes, on jobs and the Australian people.
So they’re our plans, later today, Ken and I will be turning the sod on the School of Manufacturing up here in Gladstone, and that goes with the School of Mining down in Rockhampton. And getting the skills is an important part of our manufacturing strategy, and that means getting the skills into industries like the one we're standing here right now. So congratulations, Tim. I'm very excited about Australia's future this year. And getting the gas is a huge part of it.
And I’ll hand you on to Keith Pitt.
The Hon Keith Pitt MP, Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia: Thanks PM. Well, it's great to be back in the heart of industry here in Gladstone, Ken O’Dowd country, better known as the bulldog in the parliament. His bark is as bad as his bite, I've got to say. But once again, we're here at a local industry delivering local jobs off the back of Australia's resources, and in particular, that key consumable, which is gas. You know, the Commonwealth has a plan to deliver more gas into the market at a competitive price. We want all of our businesses to be internationally competitive. And the gas price is a key part of that, as is the electricity price. So another tool in the toolbox, the signing of the heads of agreement between the Commonwealth and the three Big East Coast gas exporters. What that deal does is ensures that all uncontracted gas is first made available to Australian domestic consumers before it is exported at a competitive international price. More gas means lower prices. And as I've said, this is just one part, one key, one tool in the toolbox, along with the ADGSM, the domestic gas safety mechanism, which I as minister can activate if there is a shortfall. Now, that hasn't been necessary in the past. I don't expect it to be necessary in the future. But it is a tool which is there and available. We add that with the five key strategic basin plans we are developing, the first one being the Beetaloo in the Northern Territory, which is now well advanced. And in fact, we were in the Territory just last week committing another $170 million dollars to road infrastructure that goes along with $50 million dollars to support exploration in the Beetaloo, to firm up that resource and business will do the rest. Quite simply, confidence is what drives these types of projects and processes. We know the world is watching Australia very closely. And I want to ensure, as the PM does, as Ken O'Dowd does, that we continue to deliver Australia's gas and resources for Australian users and maintain our reputation internationally as a reliable supplier of energy and resources right around the world. So we are focussed on ensuring we can bring manufacturing jobs back. We can maintain manufacturing jobs in places like Gladstone and the fundamentals of business remain the same, consumables and your input prices being competitive, skilled and available workforce- technology that's leading the world. All of those things are available not only in Gladstone, but right around Australia and in particularly here at Northern Oil. And it's been great to come and see it again first hand. And I thank Tim Rose, we might ask you to make a brief comment as the local CEO, Australians producing some of the best technology that's recognised, that’s sought, that’s looked for to be delivered to overseas markets, to some of our competitors, but once again, in the interests of the environment and keeping that balance right. And that is exactly what we are striving to achieve when it comes to gas in this country, a balance between producers and manufacturers and making sure we get that balance right. And we have.
Tim Rose, Managing Director Northern Oil Refinery: Thank you. Look, we draw waste oil from anywhere between Darwin and Adelaide, everywhere east of there, there are 48,000 pick up points all around the country that we've got to collect that oil from and bring it back to here. It's quite a massive logistical challenge. And but we do it, we do it every day, 400,000 litres without stop 24/7. And to do that, you need plants like this. And when you've got plants like this, you also need gas. So I fully endorse all the comments that have been made up to now because it's just critical to this sort of infrastructure.
Prime Minister: Congratulations, $100 million dollars of capital right here, the last 6 years it’s very impressive. Greg?
Journalist: Prime Minister, manufacturers and the AWU say you’ve squibbed it on price controls, putting price controls in this agreement, why are there not specific price controls?
Prime Minister: Because we're a market economy. And what we want to see is the market operate well here. And we don't want to put a floor on the price. We want that price to be able to go where it needs to go, which will be driven not just by what's happening here in Australia, but the price pressures, which is putting pressure down on prices. I mean, we don't want manufacturers in Australia to be quarantined from lower prices and the market forces that are happening in the international gas industry will mean that that's where the pressure is coming. And the whole point of this is I want manufacturers to get lower gas prices. And that's what this, that's what this mechanism that's what this set of arrangements have already been supporting. And when you combine it with the strategic basins policies, when you combine it with the transmission and the pipelines policies, when you combine it with what we're doing here to ensure that the first offer on uncontracted gas gets to Australians on the netback price arrangements, then that is the way to drive a sustainable market into the future. You know, governments don't have to get involved in everything. You know, we can't have an economy that's run by the government. You need to have an economy that's run by people who are investing their own money and making decisions about where they can get that return. That's what Tim’s done here, done it all here in Australia, $100 million dollars is standing behind us right here. And he's made that a reality.
Journalist: Is a $4 gigajoule price, is that doable? That’s what’s been called for my Andrew Liveris, producers say it’s completely un-doable, what’s your view?
Prime Minister: Well, look, it's a great aspiration to have and Andrew said that to me in the many conversations I've had with him. And when I sat down with Andrew as we were going through the co-ordination commission's work, the COVID commission's work that fed in so heavily into our manufacturing strategy, he said, if you can't get gas prices down, then you know, everything else you try and do in the manufacturing sector is going to be held back. And so that's why the gas plan is such an important part of our manufacturing strategy. So, sure it’d be great to get there where, where, where it gets to ultimately, the market will determine. But I think, you know, if we're all working to strive to get those prices down, then the sort of mechanisms we're putting in place here. I think, you know, if that is doable, then this is how you do it.
Journalist: If not $4 then I guess what are you anticipate a price will be?
Prime Minister: Well, I'm not going to speculate on it, all I know is the things that we're doing is putting downward pressure on the prices. That's what we can do. What happens next is how that plays out in the marketplace. But what we're doing is putting pressure downward on prices. And that's what the purpose of the government policy is.
Journalist: A similar agreement 2017 saw about a $5 figure drop per gigajoule, I mean that’s a pretty big cut to the price, do you-
Prime Minister: Well and we welcome that. And there are many factors that are driving gas prices, I mean, right around the world, see I've been puzzled at the pushback we've had politically and otherwise on our acknowledging the critical role that gas plays as a transition fuel in our economy. I mean, what's their alternative? To sit on our hands for a decade or two? That's not how you get there-
Journalist: [Inaudible]
Prime Minister: Well, that technology isn’t going to deliver what gas can deliver in the next 10 years.
Journalist: So it’s not ready?
Prime Minister: So, you know, that all has to be developed. That's what our technology roadmap is about. But you don't sit on your hands while you're waiting for something else to turn up. We don't just tell everyone here to shut up the shop and go home and come back when some other technology is ready. You've got to keep the show on the road. And we're going to live as a generation in a transition energy economy to a net zero economy into the future. And we want Australia to be prosperous through that transition, not for Australia to go out of business during that transition, for the jobs to go. And the whole world gets this, because they are all looking for gas and they are all looking to plug into the gas, whether it's us, whether it’s in Russia, in China, the United States, all around the world, they get it, we get it. And I’d call on others to get with it to.
Journalist: Tourism and transport forum has a report out today suggesting that the domestic border closures cost the tourist market $7 billion dollars and if JobKeeper isn’t extended for that industry would lose 318,000 jobs including about 100,000 in Queensland. Doesn’t that show that they domestic tourist market can’t keep going and we do need some sort of JobKeeper or new replacement programme after March?
Prime Minister: Well, I think it's too early to make those calls. And that's why when we've made calls on these things. We've always done it based on the best information at the right time. And I'd also say that when it comes to the impact of the domestic market here in Australia and the impact of border closures domestically, of course it's had that cost. I mean, I've pointed that out for months and months, and that's why it's always had to be the judgement of the Premiers to to make the judgement call, to get the balance between the appropriate protection of the public's health and the necessary functioning of their domestic state economies.
I mean, to raise the issue of the impact of the cost is fair and it's right. But equally, you know if there'd been a repeat over these last months, over this last month of what occurred in Victoria with the second wave, then I'll tell you what, the impact would have been far worse. So, you know, there's two sides to that coin, and that's what managing COVID is all about. It's about managing risk. And there are costs involved with all of these decisions. And as Premiers and I as Prime Minister, as we have regularly sought to do, you've just got to try and make the best calls on the best information that you have. But, you know, equally, businesses have got to make calls themselves about what they're going to do. I mean, the next year, I believe it's going to be better than last year, but it's still going to be a challenging year. And individual businesses are going to have to make decisions about how they're approaching that. And what we've sought to do is create as much certainty as possible about what the support arrangements are. We've set them out right now and we're making those transitions. I think Australians would agree that taxpayers money can't be used endlessly to run the Australian economy. That is not a sustainable way forward. That just piles up debt. And we've got a lot of it now that was necessary to do. But I, my approach on these things is every dollar you need to, but not a dollar you don’t have to. You know, you've got to get that balance right for the taxpayers. And I think that's been the right balance we've struck.
Journalist: As you said the businesses need that certainty, they need to start planning ahead. Don’t they need to know whether there will be supports in place after March [inaudible]?
Prime Minister: Well, at this stage the settings are as I've set them out and people should work on the basis of those settings unless they're reviewed.
Journalist: And that's that JobKeeper will end in March, they won’t get JobKeeper after March? They should work on that basis?
Prime Minister: Well the settings we’ve set out for a long time, Greg, and we haven't made any changes to those.
Journalist: [inaudible]?
Prime Minister: Sorry?
Journalist: Will there be a review to that? Potentially extended it, if businesses are saying-
Prime Minister: Well, the assumption that is being made is there are not other things being done in the economy to drive the growth that supports businesses coming out the other side. And as I've stressed at many press conferences now, for months, the same dire predictions were made when we cut JobKeeper back and cut JobSeeker back. We were going to go off the edge of a cliff. It was going to be the end of Australia's recovery, 450,000 businesses stepped off JobKeeper, and more than 2 million Australians got off taxpayer support.
More jobs were created. The JobMaker hiring credit is putting more Australians, particularly younger Australians, back into work and onto apprenticeships. There's work that is continuing to come out and build in Australia, particularly in regional areas, particularly in regional areas. There are skills that are needed in places like Gladstone. Kenny was telling me, we're going into a big maintenance year up here in Gladstone over this next 12 months. And that means, you know, those mining camps are going to be full of people coming in to do the services work here in Gladstone. And they're going to need a lot of those skills. So there's going to be more work in Australia in 2021. And we need our economy to get back on its own feet. And everything we're doing from infrastructure to lower energy costs to the skills reforms we're putting in place, the changes to industrial relations that we need to get in place when parliament returns. All of that is going to get Australians back into work. That's what we're for.
Journalist: On, international travel would you foresee a situation where it's a gradual reopening, more bubbles for example, [inaudible] bubbles in the Pacific [inaudible] could there be bubbles with other nations in Asia with low COVID cases, is that the likely way forward?
Prime Minister: Well, we've been working to a Pacific bubble for many months now, and the premiers all know that because they've been briefed on it at National Cabinet by the chief medical officer, and the chief medical officer and the health team have been assessing the COVID risk in Pacific countries now for many, many months and have reported back to the premiers about those issues. And the news is pretty good across the Pacific. And it's largely COVID free pretty much, except in countries like Papua New Guinea. The challenge is, though, is that the health systems in those countries are obviously different to what it is in Australia, and the testing regimes are not what they are in Australia. That's to be expected. So that does create a bit of uncertainty that we have to be mindful of. But it has been our policy, just as it was, you know, we were the first as a federal government to be talking about opening up travel to New Zealand. We were able to convince states that that was a good way to go. I think that shows our track record that where you can do it, we'll do it. And I think particularly with the Pacific, I would love to see that because the remittance income that goes back to those Pacific countries is very important to them for their economies and for the seasonal labour that we need here in Australia it's also very important. So, you know, there's no new idea about a Pacific bubble. That was something the Commonwealth government has been working on for months. And the states know that very well.
Journalist: And more broadly outside of the Pacific, countries like Singapore with low cases, is that something [inaudible]?
Prime Minister: I think that's a bit tougher, Greg, at the moment. But look, you know, you just deal with, what you don't do in a crisis is speculate. What you do is you just act and you make decisions on the information when you think it's in the best form it’s in to make those decisions, I’ll leave the hypotheticals to the journos. And I'll just focus on the facts and the decisions I have to make.
Journalist: Speaking of, quarantine camps here in Gladstone, there’s been a bit of a hotly, a hot discussion at the moment. A lot of federal members are saying that they don’t support it whereas the Deputy PM came out and said that he did support Calliope for example, if that was to happen I mean would the federal government commit to bolstering the health services?
Prime Minister: Well, look, this is a proposal from the Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, that I haven't seen the proposal yet. I'm not aware that it has even come forward to the federal government. I spoke to the Labor mayor here last night. He didn't, he hasn't seen a proposal yet either. I mean, Kenny and I've been talking about it and Keith, and I spoke to a lot of people overnight as well. And I think there are clear concerns here in Gladstone for a lot of, you know, quite sensible reasons. I mean, many of those were things we had to work through in the Northern Territory. But the way Michael Gunner dealt with that is he went and sorted that on the ground with the local communities, provided the assurances, brought forward a proposal that we were able to support ultimately. But he did the groundwork. And I tell you, I mean, for something like that to be even considered, I think the Premier would have to get the local Labor mayor on board for a start. And I don't think that's happening at this point. I think they've got some quite genuine issues that they're raising.
Most significantly, I think, is the point that Ken has rightly raised, which is the point around so many people coming into Gladstone over this next 12 months, coming to do the big maintenance works. Now, we can't afford, there's not a great risk tolerance there, because that work needs to happen and if you imagine that went through in such a critical year for this region, I think there are also concerns that people up here don't want to see Brisbane's issues dumped on those in the north. I think you hear that a bit about a few issues up here. And they want to see that, they have issues around what it means for local health. These are all very legitimate questions. And I think any proposal the Premier would want to bring forward, I think they would have to square those off with whether it's, you know, the local members here in Ken, and I know is very happy to engage on those issues. But I'm sure the local Labor mayor too I mean, he's not on board yet. So I think that's a bit of a way to go.
Journalist: What was your conversation like with him about issues regarding Calliope camp, what did he say to you?
Prime Minister: I just told you, I mean, that's, they’re pretty much the same issues. I mean, he didn't raise the issues around the maintenance works, I mean Ken was more across that but- I had, there would have to be some sort of net positive for Gladstone I would have thought. We were talking about seasonal workers. And if there was, I mean, I was talking to one of the producers around here last night. Who does one of the biggest on farm quarantine operations. And, you know, if there was additional seasonal workers that were perhaps coming through something like that, which had a direct benefit to this region, rather than just transferring a problem from one part of Queensland to another, well, maybe that might be something that the locals could see some value in. But look, it's not really for me to get in the middle of this. It's a proposal that the Queensland Premier, I understand, is going to put forward. But having been up here and done a bit of listening. There's a few questions that I think are going to have to get squared away before that can go too much further.
Journalist: And just on US politics, will the new US president, Joe Biden, be easier and more reliable to work with than his, than the previous President?
Prime Minister: Well, regardless of who is in the White House or whoever's in the Lodge, it's always been a good relationship. And because it's just, it goes beyond the politics of any one country. And I can tell you, you know, as a Prime Minister and I know this would be keenly felt by Presidents, you understand that responsibility and that stewardship responsibility to work together for both countries interests. You know, we look to the United States, but we don't leave it to the United States. And that's why I think we're so respected as a partner by the United States, is we do our own heavy lifting in the relationship, whether it's been in defence or intelligence or security or indeed the important humanitarian work we do around the world. I mean, President Biden and I share a lot of views when it comes to issues of energy technology, carbon capture and storage, the role of gas in our economies. I mean, we're talking off the same song sheet there. So I think already there's a fair bit for us to get together on. And later this year, certainly at the G7 plus where I'll be with him, but we'll see the interactions we hopefully will have well before then. There's a lot for us to get on and do, as I said at the outset in my remarks. So I'm looking forward to that. But the relationship is very strong. And as always, with this relationship, it's best days are still ahead of us.
Journalist: When do you plan on speaking to him?
Prime Minister: Well, as soon as that becomes possible in the normal scheme of events.
Journalist: On civics and citizenship testing, sorry for year 10’s, the results is just 38 per cent passed. Are you a bit concerned that students really don’t know enough about Australian, obviously I guess, history as well?
Prime Minister: Well, look, you know, as we've just seen in the United States, you can't take democracy for granted. It's something you've always got to work hard to value and uphold. And that's certainly what we do in this country. And Australia Day is an important day to celebrate that. You know, on Australia Day, it's all about acknowledging how far we've come. You know, when those 12 ships turned up in Sydney all those years ago, it wasn't a particularly flash day for the people on those vessels either. And I think what that day to this, demonstrates is how far we've come as a country. And I think that's why it's important that we mark it in that way. It's not about that day so much. It's about how far we've come together since that day. You know, you can't just airbrush things that have happened in the past. I think one of the great things about Australia- and I think we're respected for this is we're pretty upfront and honest about our past. The national apologies that have been put in place shows that we're prepared to deal with our past. But more importantly, we don't allow it to get in the way of our future. And we've got to always remain focused on that. We are such a blessed country. We are such a country that is enabled to achieve things, that is the envy of the rest of the world. And we want to keep doing that.
Journalist: Unemployment dropped to 6.6 per cent, what’s your thoughts on that? What does that show about the economic [inaudible]?
Prime Minister: That's happened is we've been standing here, so I'll get the opportunity to have a closer look at the numbers. But jobs, jobs and jobs, that's what we're about. That's why we're standing here. That's why we've done this arrangement on gas. That's why we've supported the recovery in northern Queensland after the floods. That's why we've stood by farmers through the drought and the livestock industry to ensure that they can rebuild their herds right across Queensland. That's why we've stood by Australians all throughout this pandemic and backed them in, in their decisions and their resilience and jobs is our focus.
Journalist: Speaking of Australia Day, Cricket Australia has said that they’re calling a big bash game on Australia Day, ‘January 26’ not ‘Australia Day’. What's your reaction to their dropping ‘Australia Day’ from the game?
Prime Minister: Well, it's not cricket, that would be my reaction. Look I think Australian cricket fans would like to see Cricket Australia focus a lot more cricket and a lot less on politics.
Journalist: Pfizer recently announced it's boosting the number of vaccines it produces this year, has Australia managed to secure any additional doses?
Prime Minister: Look I’m going to leave commentary on Pfizer to the health minister. He’s been involved in direct discussions with Pfizer, including over the course of this last week. And there are a few issues that we're dealing with there at the moment. So I don't want to pre-empt anything that the health minister might say, at this point. But, yeah, I think I'll leave it at that.
Journalist: Prime Minister, you’ve had great success in this part of the country at the last election. Got some popular members stepping aside, Ken O’Dowd one of them, Warren Entsch as well, do you think that this is going to be a more competitive election in central and north Queensland?
Prime Minister: Well you know Greg, I’m going to leave all that to you and you never know I might be able to twist Kenny’s arm over here, I was talking to Shirley last night mate that maybe I’ll have to recruit Shirley.
O'Dowd: She’d be pretty good.
Prime Minister: But look, this year, let me be really clear about this. We've got a very, very full deck here in 2021. We've got a lot to do in 2021, the economic recovery, the health recovery, the very significant challenges that we have in our region, we’ve got a new President in the White House, the relationships that we're continuing to build up with our Quad partners in the G7 plus, the work of the global recovery, the work we're doing on everything from recycling to manufacturing to energy, all of this. It's a very big year. That's what I'm focused on. I'll let the journalists and others focus on politics. The election’s due in 2022. Jobs are due in 2021. And that's what I'm focused on. Thanks a lot Greg.
Annual Leaders Talks with Vietnam
21 January 2021
I was delighted to hold the first Annual Leaders’ talks today with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc under our Strategic Partnership. We strengthened our close strategic, economic and people-to-people ties, even as travel restrictions prevented us from meeting face-to-face, and discussed our shared vision for a prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
Australia and Vietnam enjoy a Strategic Partnership based on mutual trust, understanding and respect. We have both successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic, and now look to address the challenges ahead as the region rebuilds and recovers. To this end, and as part of Australia’s regional vaccine initiative, we will support Vietnam’s access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.
Prime Minister Phuc and I agreed that Australia and Vietnam would continue to support a region that is open, inclusive and transparent, including through ASEAN and the East Asia Summit, which Vietnam hosted in 2020, as well as through Australia’s new Mekong-Australia Partnership.
We also agreed to increase efforts to become top ten trading partners and to double bilateral investment. Given the importance of our trade, investment, tourism, education and community links, we looked forward to the resumption of two-way air travel, once it is safe to do so.
We both welcomed the acceleration of progress on the Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy, including extensive consultation with business. The Strategy will be finalised in 2021 and forms a key part of Australia’s efforts to build diverse and resilient supply chains and trading links throughout our region.
Under the Strategy, we agreed to promote deeper business cooperation and noted Australia’s support for Vietnam to build deeper capital markets to attract foreign investment. We confirmed support for a joint pilot program, where Australian and Vietnamese universities would deliver online higher education courses in Vietnam. Our governments also provisionally agreed market access conditions for Australian peaches and nectarines to be exported to Vietnam. Vietnam has further agreed to receive agricultural product from an additional irradiation facility in Melbourne, which will lower costs for many of our farmers.
I look forward to our next meeting and to further strengthening our close relationship into the future.
Press Conference - McKinlay, QLD
20 January 2021
Jason Economidis, Chief Operating Officer, South32: I’d like to thank Prime Minister Morrison, Minister Pitt, Minister Littleproud, Assistant Minister Buchholz and Senator MacDonald for coming and joining us at Cannington today, it's been a significant visit for us, it has been fantastic for the team to be able to share their achievements, their innovations and our contributions to the community. Cannington’s been in operation for over 20 years. We're one of the biggest silver and zinc producers in the world. The South32 footprint, we employ about 7,000 people across Australia. Our focus for the last 12 months has been keeping our people safe and well, our communities safe and well. And we'll continue to do that into the future. And we'd like to thank the Prime Minister, Ministers, Assistant Minister and the Senator for taking the time to spend with us here today. Thank you.
Prime Minister: Thanks, Susan?
Senator Susan McDonald, Senator for Queensland: Susan McDonald, Senator for Queensland. I'm just so proud that we've got Prime Minister Scott Morrison and this crowd of ministers here to look at the terrific job that both the resources sector and the agricultural sector has done, carrying on, keeping people safe and continuing to earn royalties and keep the country going through this COVID period. It's another indication of how the Morrison government regards regional and rural Australia that he has spent this time coming through regional Queensland. But to be here, at Cannington at South32, south of Cloncurry. It's been terrific to get to see around the mine site and very proud to have the Prime Minister and all these ministers here in our region.
Prime Minister: Thank you Susan. Well Jason and Susan and colleagues it is great to be here. This week, we've been looking at the beating heart of regional economies here in western Queensland. We've seen how the agricultural sector is coming back, both from drought and, of course, the devastating floods up here in north western Queensland. And the mining sector has been such an important part of that process as well. When the floods hit here up in the north, it was the mining sector that turned up and supported their agricultural cousins in the way they helped them get through what was one of the worst experiences this part of the country has seen in generations. That is the partnership that I think exists here across Australians in regional parts of our country. They muck in, they support each other.
And the mining sector has equally played a critical role in the Australian economy, particularly over the last year. It's been their professionalism, as we've seen on display with their COVIDSafe practises and the incredible plans they've put in place with their workforce to make sure the show stayed on the road and the production continued, and the export earnings continue to come into Australia at a time when the global economy was under considerable strain. And so I want to say thank you to the mining workers of Australia, the mining companies of Australia, for the way that they doubled down during this very difficult period. They kept safe. They maintained the outstanding professionalism for which they are well known. Noone does mining better than Australia. No one does mining better than Australia. And mining is very important to Australia. And I'm here today to reaffirm that because it is an important part of our future. It has been an important part of our past. And the technology that is applied in our mines across this country is world class. And they’re things, it's things they're learning, it's our science, it's our engineering. It's the way we do it here, which I think really stands out around the world. And that's going to remain important here as it will all around the world.
And to support this North West Minerals Province, we're going further on the $5 million that we've already invested to prove up the CopperString project. I mean, one of the things that need to be done to ensure more mines are able to be viable and developed here in the North West Minerals Province is electricity costs have to be lower, and the CopperString project has the potential to lower those electricity costs by 40 per cent. And so we're putting a further $11 million dollars into that project to get it to final investment decision stage. Now, this is a, this is a ribbon that will run across this region that will connect from Townsville all the way through to Mount Isa. It's great for Townsville and to Phil Thompson and all the team there who have been working hard on supporting this project, well done. We're absolutely with you and backing you in on this all the way out along this string out to Mount Isa, connecting up with the resources that will come from northern Australia in the Northern Territory and really create another opportunity for these regions to develop further.
These are the practical things you have to do for Australia to realise its future. And we're very practical about these things. And this project is one of the most practical I've seen. So we look forward to getting to that next stage. It's bringing in investment, private investment to realise it. And it'll connect Townsville up and the rest of the East Coast to what will be an incredible opportunity we think, in the North West Minerals Province, 750 jobs directly, 3,500 jobs that will come beyond that as a result of this project. This is all about jobs. The come back from COVID-19 is about jobs, jobs, and jobs. And here in regional Australia, one of the biggest contributors to that is the minerals and mining sector but, of course, making sure we can connect that sector up to the opportunities they have with projects like CopperString.
Now, I'm going to ask Keith Pitt to say a few words about the project which he’s also had involvement with and, of course, the great work the mining sector has done over the past year. Keith?
The Hon Keith Pitt, Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia: Well great to be at Cannington, one of the world's largest silver and lead mines. In fact, some 6 per cent of silver and 7 per cent of lead in terms of the world total is produced right here in Queensland and distributed right around the world. So I'm really pleased to be here with the hardworking men and women of the resources sector. And as the Prime Minister has said, we're here to say thank you. Thank you for what you've done during the COVID period, the work that you've done, the sacrifices that you've made in terms of being away from your families, and in particular the fact that you've just got on with business and helped continue to drive Australia's economy.
The $11 million dollars that we are committing today to the CopperString programme project will get hopefully that project to a final investment decision. That final investment decision will then allow this project to move forward. It's a project which is currently being assessed by the NAIF, that independent body which we put forward. It's got a remaining $2.6 billion available to contribute to jobs and economic growth right across the north. And as Senator Susan MacDonald says to me every single day, this is about a corridor of growth, a corridor of growth from Townsville to Mount Isa. We've invested some $225 million dollars in exploring for the future, for Australia's resources, for minerals reserves and others, including water. And if we want to absolutely maximise the benefit of what we've found, and it's over a trillion dollars worth of resources already, we must have a competitive gas price. We must have a competitive electricity price. And they both have to be reliable sources of supply. This is an incredibly important decision for the North in terms of driving jobs, driving communities, driving our local economy.
I'm really pleased to be here, to be part of it. And thanks again to the guys at Cannington. You’ve put on a great show for us today and PM we've worked out exactly what happens with moving parts. We have some challenges every now and again with things that may or may not stop, not exactly where they should be, but that is just the experience of working in engineering, working in mining, working in agriculture. We are a practical people. We find solutions. That's what we do as a government. That's what you do in your workforce and your working day. Just really pleased to be part of it and very thankful we continue to contribute to regional economies driving regional jobs and regional communities.
Prime Minister: Happy to take some questions, of course, Mr Littleproud is here [inaudible].
Journalist: Prime Minister you heard from the CEO earlier today that university students going into mining are being heckled on sight because of their choice of course. What's your reaction to hearing that? Is there something more that can be done by the federal government to encourage people to take up jobs in mining and resources?
Prime Minister: Yeah, well, we'll continue to support the mining sector and the skills they need and the high end skills in particular that is needed through our support of those places in universities, because no one does mining better than Australians. And we want more Australians to understand the opportunities. And it's great to see the diversity of the senior workforce here in particular. And you know I've seen that around the country. And a lot of them were heavier industries. I'm seeing more and more women going to these industries. And I think it's time to sort of, to get over the stereotypes that are thrown about and the misinformation. I mean, you know, the mining sector understands its responsibilities and they work hard at it. And that's important. And that's why you need people who know what they're doing. That's why we want Australians here caring for our country when they're involved in the mining sector. And it's a great industry to be in, it's got great prospects. It's it requires incredible skills and talent and intellect and cracking some of the most difficult problems there are to crack in the commercial sector. And it's not just then what happens in our mining sector and the smart people we need to work in it if we can get more of them going through those courses, it's what they learn in there and how they apply it potentially in other sectors. I mean, one of the reasons we got involved in the in the Moon to Mars mission and why we were invited to do that by NASA is because no one does mining better than Australia. And the science and the engineering experience of our people in that area is world class. And so we're getting invited into these types of projects because of the recognition of that skill set here in Australia. And we've got to keep building on that. And so, you know, we've got to deal with that misinformation and be very honest with our young people. This is a great industry that makes a huge contribution to Australia, massive contribution to Australia and will continue. So I'm very grateful for it. I frankly, I think most Australians are.
Journalist: What's your reaction though to the heckling, is that unacceptable or?
Prime Minister: Well, I just don't think it's based in fact, I mean, universities are supposed to be about facts, they're supposed to be about science. They're not supposed to be about sledging and misinformed heckling.
Journalist: Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese has not been to a coal mine since he’s been Labor leader, you’ve not been to one since you’ve been Prime Minister, why have you not visited a coal mine, is it because you’re worried about the political implications in Sydney and Melbourne?
Prime Minister: No. It just hasn't been on my schedule.
Journalist: Would you go to a coal mine?
Prime Minister: Sure, why wouldn’t I? Why wouldn’t I? And if the opportunity presents I'd happily take it. Look I'm happy to meet any Australians where they are working, you know, and doing a great job. Whether that down in Appin - where I was particularly interested to hear about the Appin mines today and met coal and what's happening there. And I bumped into a bloke just last week down at the Shoalhaven Hotel who works at one of the local mines there and we had a really good chat about what was happening up in his mine and the life of that mine. And you know these mines have got, you know, 10, 20, 30 years to run. And that's a lot of opportunity for those communities. And look I think people who work in these sectors know that things change over time. And they understand that. They understand that. But what's important is that we continue to extract and get the value from the opportunity and wealth that's there that really benefits the rest of this country.
Journalist: So do you think it's the case that while there be an expansion of mining potentially in Australia, when it comes to thermal coal mining are we talking about supporting existing mines or would you support the creation of new thermal coal mines?
Prime Minister: Well, we're not subsidising any mines. So, I mean, the government- that's not what the government does. I mean, people are involved in mining they are viable, profitable, commercially important businesses for Australia. And so long as they comply with all the environmental standards and all the environmental requirements, well, they should get on with their business.
Journalist: Before the last election the Coalition-
Prime Minister: See we're meeting our emissions reduction targets, we're meeting them and we're beating them, and there are few countries who can say that, and I think Australia can be very proud of that. And we do that while we continue to keep our economy running. And, you know, in a year when the global economy has come under enormous pressure, Australia is in a handful of countries that's been successful in managing and suppressing the COVID virus. But equally, we've been one of the few countries that have been successful in pushing through economically this year of economic crisis. One of the key reasons we've done that, of course, has been the contribution of the mining sector.
Journalist: Before the last election the Coalition committed to the feasibility study of the Collinsville coal mine- sorry coal fired power station, will you commit to seeing that project go ahead? Or will we know a decision as to whether that project will be going ahead before the next election or not?
Prime Minister: Now, I might- Keith might want to comment on that, but look, we committed to support that feasibility study and have, promise kept. Keith?
Minister Pitt: Yeah sure. Thanks. This is pretty straightforward. You don't know if a project is feasible until you complete the feasibility study. This is why we put $3.5 million dollars on the table. We think it's an important project. And we just announced another $11 million towards CopperString. If you want to deliver power into the North West Province, well, you'll need power generation, batteries are not power generation, batteries are buckets. So we need generators as other generators come offline when they reach the end of their natural life. That's what we're looking to do, whether it's through gas or other mechanisms. We'll continue to use technology to ensure we meet our commitments around emissions. But in terms of Collinsville, we have money on the table and we are looking to get that feasibility study put together through the proponent. And the feasibility study will determine whether that project is feasible or not. And then we can work our way through any follow up process.
Journalist: It’s been more than a year so far, how long do you expect it to come through? Can we see the results of that study before the next election?
Minister Pitt: Well, that's up to the proponents and how quickly they move. That agreement is being done through Minister Taylor’s section of the portfolio. I'd expect that we'll see that come to fruition at a time based on what they come up with themselves. I mean, they are the proponents. They are the ones who are putting together the engineering. They are the ones who are putting together the feasibility study. I look forward to seeing the outcome, as an electrical engineer I'm genuinely interested.
Journalist: Prime Minister do you think it’s possible for Australia to hit our Paris targets, while building a coal fired power station? Is that [inaudible]?
Prime Minister: We're going to meet and beat them.
Journalist: Could a new coal fired power station be part of those plans? Or would that be-
Prime Minister: We're going to beat them. We’re going to meet and beat them. And we're going to keep running the country and we're going to keep running mines. These things are I mean, the project you're talking about in the grand scale of energy production, it's not a very big project. And so, no I don't think that will have any impact because we're going to meet and beat our targets. We have targets, by the way, the government has a target for 2030, the opposition doesn't but we do. And we're going to meet it and we're going to beat it just like we did 2020.
Journalist: Just on that, you say that, the government predicts that you will hit 29 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 but the official government estimates are 22 per cent, where does that difference come in?
Prime Minister: We’ll meet our Paris targets in 2030.
Journalist: But what's the evidence you’ve got for that?
Prime Minister: The modelling that has been done.
Journalist: And can you release that modelling?
Prime Minister: You've already got it.
Journalist: The official modelling, of the government says 22 per cent.
Prime Minister: No, I think you might be looking at the wrong set of numbers.
Journalist: Anthony Albanese today has been critical of you for being too close to Donald Trump. And saying that’ll hurt your chances with the next administration, what’s your reaction to that? And what are your hopes for the relationship with Joe Biden?
Prime Minister: Well, personal attacks are not foreign policies, and if the leader of the opposition thinks sledging me is some sort of foreign policy well, he just doesn't get it. And it is the job of every Prime Minister of whatever political persuasion you are and every President of the United States, whatever political persuasion they are to continue to steward this very important relationship. And that's what I've been doing with the current President. That's what I'll do with the incoming President. We’ve already had a very warm conversation, following the election with President elect Biden. And looking forward to a very positive relationship with with President Biden once he's sworn in and his administration, we had very good dealings and very good relationships with the current administration. The relationship is bigger than the sort of petty politics and point scoring that I think we're seeing played out today. And look, I just think that's disappointing. The US alliance with Australia is incredibly strategically important. It's not a political plaything. And if you think it is, you don't get it.
Journalist: But obviously Albanese’s trying to link you as much as he can to Trump, don’t you- haven’t you opened yourself up that political attack by failing to directly condemn President Trump?
Prime Minister: No, and I don't pay much attention to Anthony Albanese's political sledges. If the media want to, well if that entertains you that's fine. But it's ill informed.
Journalist: What do you think Donald Trump's legacy, main legacy as President will be?
Prime Minister: Well, look, we worked with the administration, I think, to establish, I think, strong stability as best as possible in what is a very dynamic region in the Indo-Pacific. I mean, the work we've done together with India, with Japan, this has been very important I mean for three years running now we've been invited to participate in the G7. Sadly, the G7 didn’t go ahead last year and that was an invitation from President Trump, the previous year it was President Macron. This year it's Prime Minister Johnson. And, you know, we have been very much part of this like minded process, working with countries which we share outlooks with, and the US has played an important role in that. Of course, our defence ties, our intelligence ties, all of these sorts of things have been maintained and gone to new levels over the last 4 years. And I expect that to continue. So I don't think the US Australia relationship is conditional on the politics. It's not. It's bigger than that. And it's disappointing that the leader of the opposition would want to drag something so important into petty political sledging.
Journalist: You’ve talked about negative globalism, under the Trump Presidency obviously, the world will change under a Biden Presidency, he’s likely to use multilateral institutions a bit more, will you- will that force you to change your tack, will you be more engaged with multilateral institutions?
Prime Minister: Well, no one's been more engaged in that than us. I mean, we're in the middle of actually seeking the Secretary Generalship of the OECD. I mean there’s negative globalism, there’s positive globalism. I mean, I think it's important that we don't see things in just, you know, a one sided way and we've engaged proactively, we're looking to reform the World Trade Organisation, the World Health Organisation. We've been heavily engaged with the ASEAN forums. We've been heavily engaged in many multilateral fora. But what I've simply said is that in all of these forums, we have to respect that it's nation states that are the members and they're the ones who set the agendas by working together and that things that at a global level don't just sort of get handed off to some sort of internationalist, faceless bureaucracy. You know, Australian decisions will be made in Australia, not in Geneva, not in New York. They'll be made here in Australia about Australia's national interests. And that's what we will always do. We have been enthusiastic and constructive participants and contributors to multilateral fora for decades and decades and decades and have been under my Prime Ministership and will continue to be.
Journalist: A major customer of Australian resources is China, obviously the relationship is troubled, was it a mistake in retrospect, for your government to call for a- to go ahead of the pack and call for a probe into the origins of the coronavirus, shouldn’t this have been done with, in unison with other nations?
Prime Minister: Well we did do it with the European Union, that was the motion that went forward to the World Health Assembly, and we-
Journalist: But Australia announced it first?
Prime Minister: We did it on the basis of a European motion. So no I don't accept that. See Australia is honest in our dealings and we honestly want to know how this started. That's all it's about. I think Australians want to know. And so you would expect a forthright Australian government that is just interested in understanding the truth of what has occurred to be open about that. I mean, why would you, why would you not want to know? And why would you be embarrassed about asking?
Journalist: As a matter of strategy though, wouldn’t it be,
Prime Minister: That’s tactics though, if you want to talk about tactics you can talk to the opposition. I'm just interested in government.
Journalist: In regard to ag workers, we're still struggling to get enough workers on to farms to get the fruit off the vines or before it rots, do we need to be bringing in and taking more proactive roles to bring in foreign workers given that Australians aren’t particularly known to take up those [inaudible]?
Prime Minister: Well, we already are through the Pacific Labour Scheme and the seasonal workers programme, and we've upgraded that in recent times and we've been doing a lot of work with the states to get more of those workers in. But they won't replace the you know, what is the bulk workforce at this time, which is the backpacker's and the backpacker's are obviously constrained because of COVID, and how many people can come in. And that is what has exacerbated what is always a problem. I mean, it's not a new problem trying to get Australians in the cities to go out and work in the horticulture industry in particular. It's not a new problem, but it has been massively exacerbated because of the COVID crisis. And that's why we've upped our effort with the seasonal workers, and that's why we've been working closely with states and encouraging them to get the arrangements in place that would enable them to come in and do that important work. As I've said many times here in Queensland, their on farm quarantine programme, I think is a very good one. And so we do need innovative ways so we can get those workers in to do that important work while at the same time not preventing the return of Australians who want to come home. But I might let David speak on that because he's done a lot of work on that.
The Hon David Littleproud MP, Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management: Yeah, thanks, PM. And look, there has been a lot of work. This isn't a new problem, even with respect to COVID. We made sure that all the states understood that we were coming to a nexus, particularly as we got into the warmer months around having the supply of labour. We previously relied on a number of working holiday maker, the old backpacker, there’s around 150,000 of those, and now we're down to around 50,000 of those, and we had 8,000 seasonal and Pacific workers in the country. And what we did in March seeing that this problem was going to come about this time this year was extend them the opportunity if they worked in agriculture, to stay a further 12 months. Then in March, we also tried to get the states to all sign up to an ag workers code. So it's great to have these workers here, but we needed to have the movement of them from one agricultural precinct in one state to another. Unfortunately, not all the states signed up and we respect that. That was their sovereignty. We then in August were able to open up the Pacific and Seasonal Worker programme. And I got to say, Marise Payne and Alex Hawke did an exceptional job in pre-vetting 25,000 men and women right across 10 Pacific nations to bring them in, and then through National Cabinet it was agreed and the Premiers in in- and as their right, all agreed that they wanted to own the quarantine protocols in which those workers would come in. And we obviously respected that, and are there to support them and industry was too. And I got to say, the industry themselves have been very mature about this. They were proactive in engaging with Aspen Medical, an internationally recognised medical organisation, not only by the WHO, but by Queensland, they are actually auditing the on farm programme here in Queensland. And they're also doing some work for the Victorian government to run a on farm programme or even create a tent city, a closed loop whereby they could have thousands of workers at a showgrounds in a rural community and have them taken out to properties and do the picking while they're in isolation, in the COVIDSafe way so that those industries have come forward with Aspen Medical. And we are waiting on state governments to take up that opportunity. But we respect the right of the states as they put out in National Cabinet just before Christmas, the Premiers themselves all stood up and said they wanted to own this. The Premiers led it by creating the forum in which for them to take ownership and leadership of this, we'll continue to support them. Aspen Medical is there to support them. Greg Hunt himself has in fact, been in contact with the Victorian Health Minister to give him his personal assurance that there is nothing in that Aspen Medical proposal that would stop us from stamping the visas of those 25,000 men and women that could come in and alleviate this problem. But the problem we've got is we're hitting a precipice now whereby not only in Victoria but in Queensland here, we are going to be short of workers, despite the efforts of us trying to incentivise Australians with up to $6,000 dollars in travel costs, an accelerated pathway for young people to Austudy and Abstudy when they get back to uni. We can't get them excited about these jobs. But farmers don't have the luxury to sit around and wait for someone to turn up when their product is ripe they need to get it from their paddock to your plate. And so we are pulling out all stops. The Prime Minister's done that through a National Cabinet mechanism. The Premiers have responded through National Cabinet and said they'll take ownership of the quarantine. They now need to make the decisions. And we as a federal government will continue to support them.
Journalist: Do we need to be setting more punitive measures to encourage Australians out of work to take up those farming jobs?
Minister Littleproud: Well, let's let's be honest. The Australian taxpayer has a limit of resources in which they can provide. And you've got to understand that some of the people that find themselves on JobSeeker at the moment are some thousands of kilometres away from where these jobs are. And despite some of the incentives, they aren't inclined to take these roles. And particularly as our economy continues to evolve, some of those that found themselves out of work are looking as we're starting to see the green shoots of the recovery of this COVID recession, that they're obviously looking to the future and they have aspirations. But as I say, we've got to understand, we've got to look at this and treat the problem with what's ahead of us. And what we've done is made sure we've taken practical steps to keep those foreign workers that are here, incentivise Australians, give them first crack at this, but we will also be looking and I've already been working with Marise Payne for long term solutions and understanding how we're going to do this into the future. So we've learnt a lot and we just need now some cooperation from the states to take that final leap of trust and to work with organisations like Aspen Medical and the horticultural industry to take that leap of faith forward and work with them to get this solution. Otherwise, it won't be just the farmers that'll hurt. I can tell you you'll feel it at the checkout every time you go there in the future.
Journalist: Do you think it’s a cultural problem that some Australians aren’t willing to move, to relocate and do jobs that they might not want to do, but it’s a job anyway- is that a cultural problem?
Minister Littleproud: Well, I think there's this thing called aspiration and as a society, we've moved past it. When I grew up in outback Queensland, I wasn't allowed in school holidays to go and sit on the couch. Mum sent me out to pick rock melons and potatoes, and I graduated to being a cotton chipper. Now young people graduate to being baristas and working in cafes. And I get that, our society’s changed and we're trying to evolve with it and we're trying to put the solutions in front of the agricultural sector and making sure that there's opportunities for young people, not only in agriculture, but right across the economy. And there are opportunities broader in agriculture. I think that's important not to stigmatise agriculture as just low skilled jobs. There are a lot of high skilled jobs using much of the technology that we're seeing here today that men and women from around the country have, in fact, themselves devised. We're leading the world in cutting edge technology because we've got the brightest minds in regional and rural Australia devising it. So I'm confident about the future. We've got a challenge at the moment. We're getting on with the job and we're going to work with the states if they put their hand up and work with us. Thanks.
Prime Minister: Just as we break up, I was really, really encouraged by the tremendous response of the Australian people to the HomeBuilder programme. I mean, this is jobs plus initiative. The initiative had plenty of critics, I remember when we announced it and we had to get the journos off the grass out there in Googong on the day. You’ll recall and there were plenty of critics and we said it would bring jobs, it would kick particularly young people into their first homes. And we're seeing that happen. There's been a lot of heartache and a lot of loss in the last 12 months. But another shard of light here has been that getting those young people into their first homes, building those first homes. This is around $18 billion dollars that's going straight into the residential construction industry in many states, supported by programmes that they've done to back this programme in. And it has been an absolute game changer. And it's going to benefit not just now, but for several years to come as Denita Wawn outlined I think earlier today, they were facing a cliff and now they're seeing work into the future. And that's just one of the many practical things we have done during COVID-19 to keep the Australian show on the road. It's a great show. The come back has absolutely begun and we will continue to move forward in 2021. Thanks, everyone.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
8 January 2021
PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon, everyone. The National Cabinet has met, we will meet on a fortnightly basis now, at least, if there are requirements to meet more regularly then we will certainly be doing so. It was a very productive meeting. I want to thank all the Premiers and Chief Ministers for coming together, but I particularly want to thank the work done by the medical expert panel. The AHPPC who has been meeting every day now for many weeks and has been following very closely the developments of this new strain that has emerged firstly out of the UK, but has now moved to many countries around the world. Indeed, 80 per cent of Australians registered overseas are now in countries where the, where that new strain is evident. And there are other strains as well as the Chief Medical Officer will set out, which means that this this virus continues to write its own rules. And that means that we must continue to be adaptable in how we continue to fight it. And that's what we have done today as we've come together.
Today's meeting was an opportunity to accept the recommendations of the expert medical panel, the AHPPC, and in responding to, to my request to have a set of improved measures to tighten the end to end process of international arrivals in Australia both from the time of embarkation and entry into the airport all the way through to their acquittal from the formal quarantine period. It was also an opportunity to provide an update to states and territories on what we briefed you on here yesterday on the rollout of the National Vaccine Program. And that was very well received and I thank all states and territories for their engagement in that process and we substantively dealt with that issue yesterday.
It was also, straight off the bat, important to review the situation in Queensland, as well as get updates on New South Wales and in Victoria. The situation in Brisbane is a serious situation. Yes, we know there is only one case, but what we do know is that this new strain is some 70 per cent more transmissible than the previous strains of the virus. This strain is likely to become in the very near future, the dominant strain, as it largely already is, Paul, in the UK, but we anticipate that this will become the more dominant strain of the virus globally. And so the idea that it somehow can be contained just out of the United Kingdom is a false hope. As I said, 80 per cent of the Australians looking to come back are in countries that have had exposure to that strain of the virus. And so it is a very wise decision by the Queensland Government, by Premier Palaszczuk, to put in place the precautions she has over the next few days. It moves so quickly, far more quickly than previous strains of the virus and that means we need to give our contact tracers that head start to ensure that they can track down and run down all of the contacts from this individual and ensure that they can be identified, isolated, that people in the appropriate places can get the testing and we'll see the same, I'm sure response to the call for testing in Queensland, as we've seen in Victoria and we've seen in New South Wales that has been so effective in containing the spread of the most recent outbreaks that we've seen there. But in Brisbane, we're dealing with a different situation. There are many unknowns and uncertainties in relation to the new strain. And so that's why this precaution, a precautionary approach, we believe is very sensible and has the full support of our Chief Medical Officer, the AHPPC, all the Premiers, the Chief Ministers, and of course, myself as I indicated earlier today. This will hopefully ensure that we do not see this go to the next level. And so I want to thank everyone in Queensland, as I have, and those in the Northern Beaches and Melbourne in the past for the patience that they'll be called on over the next few days. Hopefully that's what it will be. But as we all know, we'll just have to take this step by step.
So the Brisbane hotspot, as we are declaring it at a Commonwealth level, it is different to the normal definition we've applied to hotspots but you've got to change the rules where you know that there is new information and new uncertainties that are being introduced. And that is the case in relation to this strain. And that applies to Brisbane, Logan, Morton, Ipswich, and Redlands. This comes into effect at six o'clock this evening, is my understanding. And our message to Australians who are in those areas is stay where you are, don't go anywhere. Don't go home to another state or any other part of your state, over the next few days stay where you are. If you're somewhere else and you are planning to go there, don't. If you are from any of those places and you are somewhere else, you may be here in the ACT, you may be in Western Australia, you may be in Victoria, you should treat yourself as if you are in those places. You should get tested. You should monitor your symptoms. And until you've gone through the testing process, you should remain isolated. This is something we can't allow to get ahead of us and the quick response here proportionate, I would stress, I believe this is a proportionate response to the very real risk, I think all of you know that I've always taken a very balanced approach when it comes to weighing up the risks, the need to keep things open where we can. Certainly had plenty of discussions around that table regarding domestic borders and the like. But where I believe the risk is absolutely proportionate, I can tell you, I'll back it in. And on this occasion, I'm advised and believe that this is the most prudent course of action to ensure that the great gains that have been made over the course of this last year are not put at risk by this most recent strain.
So as a result, we decided to take a number of actions today in relation to quarantine and how it operates, as well as in relation to flights. The purpose here is to both reduce and debulk the risk in terms of exposure to the new strain, starting firstly with arrangements that are substantively already in place on what the Chief Medical Officer would call the ‘should’ basis and turning them into the ‘must’ basis. It is already largely practised, but and particularly, I should stress, for flights that are being chartered by the Commonwealth Government. And so the Commonwealth Government, these arrangements are already in place when in terms of the flights that we are chartering. But this will now be a requirement right across the board. Travellers to Australia must return a negative COVID-19 test result prior to departure to Australia. There will be exemptions and extenuating circumstances and this could include for seasonal workers from amber risk countries where there is limited access to testing, with mitigation of testing on arrival in Australia, in the Pacific where this applies, this is not presently an issue, but where we can put those mitigations in place, people will be aware of the challenges in the ag sector, particularly in the harvest, particularly in the stone fruit industry. You know, we need to have tailored responses when it comes to applying this.
Individuals, including travellers and staff, must undertake measures for infection prevention and control for international travel, that includes passengers to wear masks throughout international flights, crew to wear masks and other personal protective equipment where appropriate. Airlines to have appropriate infection prevention and control measures on board aircraft. All individuals within Australian International Airport environments to wear a mask. Passengers should wear masks while in international airports overseas. International air crew must undergo a COVID-19 test in Australia every seven days or on arrival. That will be determined by the state jurisdictions. To continue to quarantine in dedicated quarantine facilities between international flights or for 14 days, no special rules for flight crews moving about, not reposition for an ongoing international flight unless they do so on a crew only flight. In addition, we agreed that for domestic travel, mask wearing will be mandatory on all domestic flights for all persons in Australia, excluding children under 12, and those, 12 and under, I should say, and those with other accepted exemptions, as an additional preventative measure to prevent geographical spread, mask wearing will be mandatory in all domestic airports in Australia. These measures over the course of the next week and the compliance arrangements that sit around that will be put in place by the Commonwealth and the state governments.
In addition to these arrangements, we will be reducing until the 15th of February the caps on international arrivals in New South Wales, Western Australia, in Queensland by 50 per cent. That means in New South Wales there will be a weekly cap of 1,505, in Western Australia, the 50 per cent reduction these will be finalised with state jurisdictions, at 512, Queensland at 500, Victoria there'll be no change because they are already operating at less than 50 per cent of their current capacity or were on their way back. That will be reviewed now by the 15th of February, not under the arrangement we previously had which was at the end of this month. South Australia there is no change. They are at 490, at a relatively low level compared to the other jurisdictions. In the smaller jurisdictions, the ACT, the Northern Territory, Tasmania, they are very bespoke arrangements in relation to those airports and they will be settled between the Commonwealth and those jurisdictions. Specifically in the Northern Territory, in particular, they are the primary entry point and will be the sole entry point for chartered flights that the Commonwealth has put in place. Those chartered flights will continue over the course. There is one arriving next week because without chartered flights, we have total control of who gets on the plane. So we can ensure that it is vulnerable people who get on those flights and the flight for example, next week that will be coming in and quarantining at Howard Springs, which is not in a densely populated area in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, there are appropriate arrangements in place there. Everyone on that flight I'm advised is either a vulnerable individual as identified by DFAT or a family member of that vulnerable person. So it's important that we keep those chartered flights going where they can be done in a safe way. As I said, all of the requirements that I've outlined to you today substantively are already followed on those chartered flights right now and so that will apply.
The other standard we agreed to today is that for quarantine workers, and states are encouraged to take as broad a definition of that as they can as is done in many states, so that would extend to transport workers for people going to quarantine, not just those who are the cleaners or others directly involved in that process, medical staff and so on, that they would move as a national standard to daily testing. So shift by shift testing for those on a daily basis who are working in those environments and that currently at a national standard has been every seven days. But I stress that that is already being done on a more regular basis in some states and territories now and all states will move to put that in place under their own local arrangements as soon as possible.
What all that means is that we are working together and I must say it was one of those meetings where everyone was on the same page here. Everybody understood what the risk was and I want to thank again the Chief Medical Officer and all the state health officers for the very important work they've been doing and advising on this issue. This is absolutely consistent with the medical advice that has been provided. The suggestion that Australia might be able to close off every single flight that comes to Australia was considered by AHPPC and was not recommended to the National Cabinet. Australia needs to continue to function. For example, vaccines need to come to Australia. They come here on planes, as do other critical supplies. There are people who need to come to Australia who have critical skills that are involved in supply chains and other essential functions in the country, for everything from medical workers to any number of other specific occupations. So Australia must maintain practical contact to ensure that we maintain the functioning of the nation. This is being done because of the many unknowns associated with this strain and over the course of the next four weeks, we will be in a better position to understand what we think fully the impacts of these new strains. So I thank Premiers and Chief Ministers for their cooperation and as I said we will meet fortnightly and more regularly as necessary.
Professor Kelly.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thank you, PM. So just to reiterate and give a bit more detail about the situation with the new strain. I think we've said for many weeks now we live in a dangerous world in terms of this pandemic. It is still raging globally. Looking at the number of active cases in Australia during this week compared with the UK, for example, the UK has about one in 50 people in the UK are currently active coronavirus COVID-19 cases. In Australia, it's about one in 85,000. There's a big difference there. We haven't had a death from the virus for quite some weeks, if not months. In the UK, every day at the moment they are having more deaths. As the PM said yesterday, more deaths in one day than we are getting, we've had in the entire pandemic. So it's a dangerous world out there. What is our major risk? Our major risk is people coming from overseas. We've known about this UK strain for a while. Before Christmas, we specifically looked at that at AHPPC, saw what we knew in terms of the science. It's become clearer now that that particular strain is more transmissible, it's more infectious, if you like, between people and that has now become the dominant strain in the UK. But it has also now been found in many other countries, most of the countries where Australians are travelling from to come home. So that's the issue.
What else has changed in the last 24 hours? I was rung last night by the Chief Health Officer, Jeannette Young, in Queensland. We discussed this issue of the cleaner from the quarantined hotels. This is the very first time we've seen someone with this strain in the community in Australia. We've had some cases in hotel quarantine in the past weeks. But they've been controlled through that process. So it is a change. We have therefore moved to calling this a Commonwealth hotspot as Queensland has done and will come in right behind with all of the Commonwealth supports in relation to that. Already last night I discussed with my aged care colleagues about making sure that our aged care, residential aged care facilities in that greater Brisbane area are being supported by our GP respiratory clinics in that area. We're looking to increase the number of tests, the hours and so forth so that there can be support to the Queensland authorities.
Our main issue is to keep Australians safe and to really make sure that this particular strain is not the one that becomes circulating in Australia. The reason is because it will be much more difficult to control. All of the things we've done in the past, all of those controls we've talked about in terms of test, trace, isolate, all of those personal measures, even some of the other measures we've had to do in certain times during this pandemic will become less effective if this virus was to establish itself in Australia. So that's why we're going hard and fast and strong. And to just reiterate again what the PM said, if anyone has been in Brisbane since the 2nd of, in the greater Brisbane area, since the 2nd of this month, wherever you are, you should assume that those directions that have been put for those people in the in that area now apply to you. Isolate and get tested and watch for those, how that emerges in terms of directions. And I will say that right now, whilst I've been with you, PM, by my own office is actually being fumigated on the basis that one of my staff was in Brisbane during that period. She's gone home. She's going to get tested.
PRIME MINISTER: You're welcome to stay here, Paul. You can have one of the offices here if you like.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thanks PM, but I'm sure it'll be safe. So this is a moment for Australia to take notice. And as we did about a year ago, some of these drastic actions, they may seem like where we're changing things rapidly, there's a reason for that. There's science behind it and it's about keeping Australians safe.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Paul. We're happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you’re mandating masks in airports and on flights. We keep seeing and as you've said it's expected that we'll continue to see clusters popping up around the country and sometimes we don't find out until a few days or a week after that cluster starts. Why are we not mandating mask wearing on public transport and other other community settings right across the country?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they're decisions that are being taken by local jurisdictions, based on the advice of their own Chief Health Officers. And that will continue to be the case based on the risk as assessed in each of those states and territories. That's not a matter that has been recommended for a national position on, by the medical expert panel Paul. That's, I mean, there's been plenty of discussions, but it really depends on the circumstances in each case and you've seen that played out across the country as the circumstances suggest. I mean, the situation, for example, in Western Australia is very different to the situation right now in Brisbane, which was very different to the situation in New South Wales three weeks ago and even a week ago. So, you know, there is a flexibility that is maintained across jurisdictions to deal with those issues and those issues are determined by the Premiers and the Health Ministers based on the advice of the Chief Health Officers.
JOURNALIST: Is it now the standard that if your city has, and Professor Kelly, if your city has one case, even one case of this mutant strain, that you face a lockdown? Or is it a case of this is a one off to try and understand how this mutant strain works.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we'll see. That's my honest answer. I mean, I can't tell you what we don't know. No one can. And so to lock in those sorts of, those positions as you've outlined them, I think would be imprudent. We don't want to learn the hard way on this and that's why I think the decision of the Queensland Premier today in this case has been very wise and very prudent. I think we're going to learn a lot in the next three, four, five days. The whole world is trying to understand how this new strain works and we've got a very live example right here in Brisbane in one of our major cities. And so let's learn what we need to learn over the next few days. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. There's no need to catastrophise this, but there is a very real need to address it seriously, as both the Queensland Government is and the Commonwealth Government is and the states and territories are. So I would caution and I would counsel reporting on this to be measured and to see it in the terms that it truly is, that this is a very significant issue and we will deal with it and we will learn what we need to learn from it and that is what will guide further actions. I'll just move across. I know there's a lot of questions here.
JOURNALIST: There's a lot of concerns right now, particularly amongst the business community, about what further lockdowns might mean for their revenue. Have you been considering extending supports like JobKeeper beyond March?
PRIME MINISTER: We've got a situation that we know to be in place for the next three days and what we have known when we've dealt with JobKeeper and JobSeeker transitions before, the last transition occurred while Victoria was still in lockdown. And then we saw 450,000 businesses come off JobKeeper and over two million Australians no longer needing taxpayer funded support and hundreds of thousands jobs created, including in Victoria. And so that is how the system is designed to work, where there are businesses that continue to be in need of it that continues out till the end of March. And I think what these events prove once again is you just don't want to get too far ahead of yourselves. We've got a very clear plan. That plan is working economically. And I think it does provide certainty to businesses to know what the next step is. We've just gone through the next step and there'll be another step in March, end of March, I should say.
JOURNALIST: Could I ask both of you, in your discussions on vaccines, did any jurisdictions suggest that it might be necessary to make it compulsory for a subset of the Australian population and particularly for Dr Kelly, do you have a view on states making it compulsory for the health and aged care workforce, for populations with a particular vulnerability, or for travellers to and from that jurisdiction?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, thank you, Paul. You raised this issue yesterday, and I think you need to be careful about how you are explaining this issue. Flu vaccines are not compulsory in Australia. They are not mandatory, but in certain workplace settings, it is a requirement of those workplaces. That doesn't mean they're mandatory vaccines for flus, but currently for flu vaccines through state public health orders, those arrangements are put in place for public health and safety. It's also true that you need a measles vaccination, I'm advised, to be able to work in an ICU. Measles vaccinations, similarly as with all vaccinations predominately or overwhelming, the Chief Medical Officer will correct me if I'm wrong, they're not compulsory. So I wouldn't suggest that an occupation that may require that for public health reasons is making the vaccination mandatory. That would be false and that would be misleading and I'd counsel you against that. So what states and territories are seeking to do with the Commonwealth is understand in which occupations the normal arrangements that might apply for other vaccines and that's the process that you would expect them to go through. So it's no different. It's the same thing. It doesn't make it mandatory. It doesn't take away from anything the Government has said on this, and I would encourage it to be reported in that way. Paul? Paul, it's based on public health risk.
JOURNALIST: But that could be for the vulnerable sections of the population. It might be travellers.
PRIME MINISTER: It will be based on the same way that any vaccine is currently considered in occupational settings, on a public health risk basis. So that's what it is. What I'm stressing is there's no different approach here. This is the same thing that is done to ensure that we don't lose hundreds of people each year through the flu in our aged care facilities and that's why those protections are put in place. It's not mandatory to work in an occupation, but it can be a requirement of an occupation for public health reasons that certain vaccinations are in place. Paul?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thanks, PM. So we talked about this a lot yesterday, but the two main priorities that have been set by our, our advisory group, ATAGI, which is and this is the medical advice that's driving the vaccine rollout, there's two of them. So one is about exposure risk and the other one is about protecting vulnerable people. So in this case, it’s I think the word requirement rather than mandatory is really important. So we've done this, as the PM has said, for many other protections for vulnerable people in health care settings, in aged care settings before. So as COVID was coming to Australia in March last year, we very specifically worked through AHPPC about the public health risk, realising that we didn't want our most vulnerable people in our aged care facilities to have a double burden of flu and COVID. At that point, we didn't have a COVID vaccine, but we did have the flu vaccine. And so that became a requirement for anyone who was working in aged care to have that vaccine and also visitors. It was a requirement for them as well. That was to protect the most vulnerable. So that sort of assessment will be made for the COVID vaccine as well and it will be on the public health advice that will go to Government to make decisions about that and probably most likely, as was with the flu vaccine, be part of public health orders in jurisdictions.
PRIME MINISTER: So National Cabinet agreed to do that work and as we outlined the vaccination rollout program, there is ample time to do that work as well as we lead up to the commencement of the vaccination of those most vulnerable populations. I should stress, having outlined the additional testing requirements and other constraints around the quarantine space, that quarantine related workers are the first in the queue, along with others like them in border protection and other places like that. So that's incredibly, it's an added layer of protection in the first layer. John?
JOURNALIST: Thanks Prime Minister, what's the medium term end goal with the new variant of the vaccine for Australia? Is it to completely stop it getting into Australia any more to prevent community transmission or at some point once the vaccine is rolled out a bit more widely, will we have to live with it a bit more, given it's going to become the dominant strain in the world?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think the first step and I'll ask the CMO to comment from a medical perspective, but from my perspective as Prime Minister and I'm sure this view is shared by the Premiers, right now when so much is unknown and when a vaccine is yet not in a rollout phase, we should be very cautious. And I know there'll be some in Brisbane today who'll be going, ‘well, why is this necessary? That seems a bit rough. There's only one case.’ Well, this isn't any ordinary case. This is a very special case and one that requires us to treat things quite differently until we know more and we will learn much in the next few days. And what Queenslanders will be doing over the next few days they will be doing not just for themselves in their own communities, but I think the rest of the country. And so, again, I thank you for the patience that you'll have to show in relation to the disruption. We know it causes disruption, but we're also quite sure that that is the prudent course of action given the circumstances. But the longer term position of this, John, I think is one that we will learn more about as the weeks unfold, for example, the decision to take the caps down for those three major areas, which effectively includes Victoria as well, because they're already at 50 per cent and less than that, I should say, that automatically comes back to their existing levels on the 15th of February, so this is a temporary suspension of those higher levels of intake as we learn more about what's happening here and what's going around the world. And this isn't the only new strain. And you notice I'm not describing the strains using any nationalities, we haven't done that more broadly. I don't see why we would start doing that now. There are other strains that are coming in and other locations and they also can present a threat. But Paul?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: What we know about variations in coronaviruses and in this coronavirus in particular is much more than we knew a year ago, pretty much about any virus. The genomic testing that we've talked about a lot is important in several ways. The most important is that it really assists our contact tracers to make those connections between one person with the illness and another person. So there are many variations, thousands of different variations. There are now three definite strains in the world that are, that seem to be associated with more transmissibility, more infectiousness. None of those are associated with more severe disease and none of them are associated with any problem with the vaccine. They are important things. You asked about what our plan is, it is the same as it's been from the beginning. It's a suppression strategy with the aim of no community transmission. And doing anything we can to do that is important, to take what's happening in Brisbane right now, the three days, and this is really important, the three days is not about controlling the virus. It's about giving our contact tracers enough time to make those connections, to make sure anyone who needs to be isolated is isolated, to do the testing and then to reconsider. And that's absolutely, I accept and support that approach.
PRIME MINISTER: We’ll keep going around this way. I’m just, one at a time, we’ll do a queue today.
JOURNALIST: Professor Kelly and Prime Minister, can you just clarify that testing? Is that rapid testing? Is there a time limit associated for travellers having to come back to Australia,
PRIME MINISTER: You mean overseas or,
JOURNALIST: For overseas, coming to Australia? And if so, will there be financial assistance to people in countries that need to get this testing? Because we're hearing from people in the UK that say that it's around $300 dollars and that's on top of costs for flights to get home?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, let me deal with the second part first, and I'll allow the CMO to talk about the tests that are around and how we work through those issues. We already have a hardship fund which is being extended right now to Australians who are overseas. And I can tell you actually, that the, I think I’ve got it here, that the amount that has currently gone out from that hardship fund is some $15.5 million dollars, has been provided to people overseas to assist them, and that's with some short term financial assistance, zero interest loans those types of things, small amount of loans, around $4.27 million in loans, but over $11 million dollars in direct financial assistance to Australians who are in trouble overseas. We approved a budget of over $60 billion dollars for that last year. And so, you know, in circumstances that warrant that, then there is a hardship fund that DFAT consular officials have available to them in circumstances, based on merits. So I wouldn't say it would be a carte blanche arrangement if people can afford to look after their own situations in those places, then well and good. But if there are genuine hardship issues, then DFAT is already resourced and supported to help people in that case. And I should note that given the announcements we've made today regarding the reduction in the caps over the next, over a four, four, five week period, it will take about a week because of the flights that are already in the pipeline, to ramp that down. And I was just speaking to Alan Joyce before coming out here today, and we had a bit of a chat about that, that those who are overseas and that may be in a hardship position, that I would expect the DFAT consular support to be, to continue to be extended on the circumstances as they determine. But Paul, on the testing arrangements?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So the testing, we will be expecting a rapid, a PCR test. Sorry real time PCR test, not a rapid test, as the standard. There may be exemptions there for various reasons. For example, some countries that just won't be available. So, but that's what we're aiming for. The reason and I've talked before against that particular proposal for the issues that you raised, equity and so forth, but with the UK Australian, we now have good modelling data to show that that would actually be very effective, increase in, in the rings of containment that we have. So none of these things that the PM's talked about today that we discussed at AHPPC and have been adopted at National Cabinet are the silver bullet for this. Each of them, though incrementally increase the chances that we'll be able to keep this virus out of Australia or at least recognise when it's arriving. So we want the very best test prior to departure, as many other countries have done previously.
PRIME MINISTER: Yep? Oh sorry. I missed, I missed you. Sorry.
JOURNALIST: In relation to the 15th of February date that you mentioned,
PRIME MINISTER: The which date?
JOURNALIST: The 15th of February date for the increase in the hotel quarantine cap. Is that connected with when you expect to start to see those initial frontline workers getting vaccinated? Is there a connection there?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: And just in relation to,
PRIME MINISTER: Whether that coincides or not is another matter. But that that wasn't the basis. It was effectively, you know, if you're going to reduce them, there is a sort of logistical process that goes with scaling it down and then scaling it up again. And that month period, we basically take another week. So that takes us through to the 15th at the end of next week, and then a month on from there.
JOURNALIST: Just in relation to the success of New South Wales in clamping down on its most recent outbreaks. Do you think that perhaps Victoria and Queensland and other states acted too quickly in implementing those hard borders, given how successful the contact tracing has been?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh look I'm not going to go back over that. I'm simply going to say that I think both the New South Wales and the Victorian, and I believe the Queensland system will demonstrate this as well and I think give Australians confidence. As we look back over the last few weeks, sure, there was a real risk, but they all got on top of it, you know, Northern Beaches is coming out. Thank you Northern Beaches. I'll get there at some point once I am able to return to Sydney, at some point. But, and say thank you, as I hope to do in Victoria and other places in the weeks and months ahead. I think Australians have done an extremely good job, but the systems that the states have built over these many months were put to great test over the last few weeks and they've come out well. And I think that gives us a lot of confidence. We've seen, particularly in Tasmania and Queensland, who took the hotspot approach to this. Now, I freely acknowledge that states and territories and the Commonwealth have a difference of view about what constitutes a hotspot. But I can tell you we were in no disagreement today when it comes to Brisbane and this and this case. But that is one thing. But the other issue is then having a hotspot approach, which I think in Tasmania's case and Queensland's case in relation to the New South Wales outbreak that has worked incredibly well. And that was acknowledged I think, by both states today. Victoria took a different decision. They'll be, as did South Australia. So it's not on party lines or anything. And I would hope that from every run around the block we have on this, something is learnt on every occasion. But I think the hotspot approach, which you know, has been my view since March, I think that has always been the best way to approach that to minimise disruption, but I have also acknowledged, as we discussed today, because this was a topic that came up today, that how borders impact on the country differs across the country. How it, this is why I've always understood Western Australia has a different scenario largely to what happens on the eastern states and the impacts of those things, of statewide restrictions can have a very significant impact on the east coast. And that's why, you know, that has to be taken account of by states when they make these calls. I understand the sensitivity in Victoria having been through what they went through last year and what I'm sure was a very strong public sentiment that they didn't want to go back to where they'd been in the back end of last year, for most of the back end of last year. So look, there's a lot of give and take in this process. But what I think is always important that where states are putting arrangements in place and we discussed this today, then you've got to be clear about why you're doing it. You've got to try and give as much head's up and time for business and others to be aware of what's going on so they can adapt, as well as for individuals to minimise the disruption. And you've got to be clear about how it comes off at the end of the day as well and that helps people plan. And so we discussed those things today and, you know, I respect the decision states have to make. And, but I think the hotspot approach, which was followed particularly by Queensland and Tasmania in this case, it proved to be very effective.
JOURNALIST: Professor Kelly, just on the PCR tests, you've got to get them before you get on a plane. But they're not the antibody test that you can have a result within a few minutes. It's the swab test, am I right? Yeah so are you expected, you can't get it when you get to the airport. You have to have it in the day or day before you get there. Is that accurate?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Correct.
JOURNALIST: So those are not foolproof tests either because, you know, you might test negative at the airport and when you arrive in Australia the next day you may test positive. So it's not a foolproof plan obviously?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: No, it clearly isn't. And that's why I'm saying, we have these rings of containment that we've always had. This is just another layer to that. Yes, if it's positive, we know it's positive. If it's negative, that does not prove that the next day or even on the plane, they might develop, become infectious. But what we've found and as the PM has said, we've been doing this all along with our flights into Howard Springs. So I think the last flight that came, there were 15 people that were denied uplift onto that flight because either they or their household contacts and this is the new rule now for everyone coming. If you or your household contacts, if you're positive, you and your household contacts will be denied uplift. And that will be, that would be part of that. So a negative test yeah it is not foolproof, but a positive test, they're not coming.
PRIME MINISTER: Anyone looking for absolute guarantees in a COVID world is not going to find them. And the expectation of them being there is unrealistic. And we can't be cavalier about what the alternatives are to the approach which the Chief Medical Officer has set out. Every action will have implications and consequences. I do want to make it clear beyond Australia's borders that Australia has every intention of remaining engaged and the investments and the trade and the many other important connections we have with the rest of the world, so critical to Australia's economic recovery and the jobs of Australians and supply chains and access to medicines and all of these things are very important to Australia. So there are no consequence free decisions here and so it is about managing the risk as appropriately and as proportionately as possible and bringing together the full balance of factors that we have to consider as Governments.
JOURNALIST: You said earlier that Brisbane had been declared as a hotspot, but with different rules. So is this going to be the case wherever this new strain of the virus pops up? We're going to have different rules. And so how is the approach going to be different to other hotspots where other strains are?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'll give you the same answer that I gave to your colleague. This is how we're applying it in this one instance. And we will learn what we'll learn over the next few days about how this strain behaves. And we've made no further decisions about how our broader hotspot definition may be altered. That should be informed by the evidence. And so it would be imprudent of me to make those sort of sweeping generalisations or changes based on what we know right now. We don't know enough right now. So we'll be very cautious, if we know more and that enables us to take a different approach, then we will. So we're not locking anything here. We are just being careful right now in this case, because it is the first one. And, you know, you learn a lot from your first case. We certainly did many months ago and the many waves that came and we're going to learn a lot in the days ahead.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on the international borders issue in regards to people coming in from the UK or South Africa. How close are you in your thinking to preventing Australians returning home from those areas, given the significance of the strain of this virus? I know you said it wasn't recommended today. Was it discussed? How close are you on that front? And just your reaction to Abu Bakar Bashir being released from prison today? Are you comfortable with the Bali bombing mastermind being released?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, let me come back to that issue. But on the other issue, as the Chief Medical Officer has set out, this isn't just a problem out of one country. This is a problem for 80 per cent of those seeking to come back to Australia from over 30 countries, and so the idea that you can somehow narrow stream your response here and mitigate the risk, just dealing with one channel into Australia is not true. And that was the discussion we had today, that just looking at it in terms of one channel of arrivals into Australia would not contain the risk. And that's why we went down the path of reducing the bulk of that risk by reducing the caps and where we would maintain those charter flights we were putting it through much more rigid channels, much more contained channels. And the National Cabinet was confident that the issue that you raised was well considered by the AHPPC and that they did not recommend that action meant that was not something that we should move on. That would be a very significant step. But it would mean not just one country, it'd mean the whole world. And that would have very profound economic implications for Australia. We certainly don't want the protections to be worse than the impact. And so that is the balance you always have to strike, we have to be very careful as we deal with these issues as we have all year, that we just don't go to the extremes of the debate and turn it into an either or proposition. The balance is always being found in the middle by calibrating and giving a proportionate response.
Oh, on, look, this is very distressing to the friends and families of the of the Australians, the 88 Australians who were killed in the Bali bombings of 2002. I still remember that day very vividly, like I'm sure many Australians do. And over the years where I've been able to, I would join the remembrance service down there in Coogee above where Giles baths used- Giles baths still are and come together with many others in remembrance of those who were lost. And so I understand. It's hard and it's gut wrenching, having spent time with the families of those victims of that terrible bombing, we have always called for those who are involved, not just I as Prime Minister, my predecessors of all political persuasions to face tougher, proportionate and just sentences in these cases. Decisions on sentencing, though, as we know, are matters for the Indonesian justice system and we have to respect the decisions that they take. We have made clear through our Embassy in Jakarta the concerns we have that such individuals be prevented from further inciting others. And we will continue to follow those sort of issues through. They have been released consistent with the Indonesian justice system. That doesn't make it any easier for any Australian to accept that, ultimately, that those who are responsible for the murder of Australians would now be free. It's sometimes not a fair world, and that's one of the hardest things to deal with. So I extend to the families and the friends and particularly those, I suppose, who I've met and discussed these issues. I remember one chap who would come along to the remembrance service with the thongs that he was wearing on that day, and he would bring the thongs along the remembrance service and he wears the sort of stuff he was wearing that night. And it's still raw all of these years later. Still very raw.
JOURNALIST: Other than daily testing of hotel quarantine workers, is there anything else that can be done to prevent the virus, especially the new strain coming out of hotel quarantine?
PRIME MINISTER: We do everything we practically can and that's what we've decided to do today. And if there are other things that can be practically done, then I can assure you that the Chief Medical Officer and the AHPPC won't hesitate in making those recommendations. We're in constant contact with jurisdictions in other places which are dealing with the same problems. But I can give Australians this confidence. This uncertainty is not different to the uncertainties we've dealt with over the past year. And as we've dealt with those uncertainties, we stand here today in a country that has been able to battle this virus better than almost any other country in the world and we've been able to do so while keeping Australians in jobs and getting them back into jobs to protect lives and to protect livelihoods. The mission hasn't changed from when I first discussed it here, you know, back in March or even before that time. The mission hasn't changed. We're all still working on it. We're all still working on it together. And we will get through this latest challenge as we've got through the others. Every day we've been dealing with this pandemic we have got better at it. We've got stronger, we've got more capable, and we've got better and better results as time has gone on and we've learnt and we've learnt and we've learnt. And that's what we will continue to do. The reason we've been able to learn has been because of the great forbearance and patience of the Australian people and the trust that they have offered to all of us, whether as Prime Minister or Premiers or others, to go and make these decisions. And we thank you for that trust and we will continue to honour that trust in the decisions that we take as a group. As I said, we'll meet again at the latest in a fortnight. The Acting Prime Minister tomorrow, Mr McCormack, will be taking up that position over the next week. On the 18th, I’ll be back here in Canberra but if there is any reason to convene things before then, then we obviously will and I'll stay in close contact. But I'm sure Mr McCormack and Mr Hunt and the many others who are working on these issues will follow through on the important decisions that we've made today. So we might leave it there. Thank you all very much for your time and I'll see you in just over a week. Thank you.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
7 January 2021
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, afternoon, I should say. I'm joined by the Minister for Health, I'm joined by the Secretary of the Health Department and the Chief Medical Officer. This afternoon we will be providing an update and making some announcements on the vaccination rollout strategy. Before I do that, though, I want to make a couple of comments regarding the rather disturbing scenes in the United States. As I've already expressed today earlier, and as so many around the world have, the riots and protests that we've seen in Washington D.C. have been terribly distressing. They are very concerning. As a result, we are making some changes to our travel advice, which is as follows: Due to violent protests in Washington D.C., curfews are in place in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia from 6.00pm on Wednesday the 6th of January to 6.00am on the Thursday the 7th of January and that you should avoid areas where protests are occurring due to ongoing potential for violence. Follow the instructions of local authorities, including curfews, and stay away, stay at home orders, monitor the media for information and updates. We also note that COVID-19 remains a serious health risk in the United States. Various restrictions and public health measures are in place and they vary by location. So please follow the instructions of local authorities, including those related to the quarantine, self-isolation and social distancing and the wearing of masks. Please monitor the Embassy website for further COVID-19 related information. I’m pleased that the Senate has been able to recommence their proceedings and we hope for a peaceful and stable transition of government to the new administration, elected by the American people. And this is a difficult time for the United States, clearly. They are a great friend of Australia and they're one of the world's greatest democracies. And so we just, our thoughts are with them and we hope for that peaceful transition to take place.
But to the purpose of today's calling of this press conference, we are still winning, but we have not yet won the fight against the pandemic. And that will continue to be a fight that we will wage over the course of 2021. In the most recent outbreaks over the summer, the systems have been put to the test in New South Wales, in Victoria, and today in the case that has been announced in Queensland will similarly present a test. But we have seen that test passed, not just by the systems that have been built up by those jurisdictions as we have battled that virus throughout the course of 2020, learned the lessons, improved the systems, upgraded, working together. But it is also a test that is increasingly and continues to be passed by the Australian people. Whether those up in the northern beaches of Sydney or the suburbs of Melbourne or indeed in other parts of the country, we say thank you for your patience, for your perseverance and your cooperation. And we will continue to work through those issues as we battle that virus, as we have been so successfully over the course of now 12 months. Almost 12 months ago, was when the then Chief Medical Officer, Professor Murphy, came into my office and briefed me on the situation regarding the coronavirus at that time.
So we will continue to put our trust in those systems that have been built up and we commend everyone who is doing that job out there today, getting tested, conducting the tests, getting the reports back to people, seeking to minimise the disruption to their lives as much as possible, whether at the cricket in Sydney or they're at home or in isolation or whether they happen to find themselves. Including, we are mindful of those in Western Australia at present who are fighting fires north of Perth. I've been in contact with the Premier today and they are on top of that situation. There's been no request for federal assistance on that matter, but the Premier is aware of the availability of support if they should need it.
The vaccination policy that was adopted by our Federal Cabinet in November and subsequently also endorsed by the National Cabinet, has been put into action in these months since then, as we prepared for the rollout of the vaccine. This is ultimately a partnership between the Federal Government. It's a federal vaccination policy. But with all vaccines, they are done in partnership with the states and we've been following those processes. This is not the usual vaccination arrangement that we'd have, given its significance. And on this occasion, the federal element of this vaccination policy has been driven very much by the Health Secretary who joins us today.
The vaccination in 2021 is a key component, obviously, of how we're dealing with the pandemic here in Australia. Throughout the course of dealing with this pandemic, we have been dealing with this in a very Australian way. Of course, we are mindful of the experiences and the lessons that we can learn from other jurisdictions. Over the course of the past year, I've probably had more discussions with leaders of other countries than Australia has seen for a very, very long time. And I've found all of those engagements, as has occurred also by the Health Minister, indeed our other health officials, other chief medical officers, whether in our own region, in the Indo-Pacific or more broadly, further afield in the United States, Canada and of course, throughout Europe and the UK. But Australia has been making its own way through this, and we've been tailoring our response to our conditions, our challenges and our needs, and we have had great success by comparison. It is a terrible tragedy that there are countries in the world today who are seeing daily death rates from COVID-19 that are higher than the total number of deaths that Australia has sadly experienced in the course of the past year. And I must admit, when I reflected on that figure in the last couple of days, it was incredibly sobering. More deaths in one day from COVID in many jurisdictions, than Australia has experienced in the last year.
So we find ourselves in a different situation, a situation not unlike countries, whether it be like New Zealand, South Korea or Japan. However, I note in recent times they've also seen an increase in cases. So we will continue to make our Australian way through this COVID-19 pandemic and seek to continue to achieve the same success that we have had to date and manage the disruption as well as we possibly can, both to our economy and the daily lives of Australians. Our officials have been moving swiftly and safely to introduce the vaccine here in Australia as soon as is safely possible. Doing that is critical to public confidence in the vaccine. We have set out cautious timetables and outlined them to you over months now, and the Health Minister has engaged most significantly in communicating that to the Australian people. But behind the scenes, the officials you see here have led a process with their counterparts around the country, but particularly within the Federal Health Department, to ensure we are seeking to better those timetables. We don't want to make promises that we can't keep. That is incredibly important. We will tell you timetables when we can have confidence in those timetables and we will continue to update those timetables as more information is known and as improvements continue to be made. We know what we know and will base our information and our timetables on that rather than speculating.
There have been no delays in the introduction of the vaccine in Australia. There has been the necessary swiftness that has been asked of the TGA and, of course, the health officials that are driving this process. It is moving considerably faster than normal vaccination approval processes would occur in Australia, but without skipping a step, without cutting a corner, ensuring that everything that needs to be ticked is ticked along the way. But the priority that I and the Health Minister have placed upon this vaccination is to ensure that that is the goal. That is the task. That is the major thing that needs to be worked on by the TGA and by our health officials to move swiftly to have this in place. So there has been no delay and no deferral. This is going as quickly and as safely as possible.
Our health officials and experts, led by Professors Murphy in Kelly, have taken us through this process again this morning and the work that's been done over this summer break. And I want to thank all of those officials who have been working incredibly hard, particularly over these last several weeks, to get things in place to advise what we can today. After considerable effort, including with our vaccine suppliers, we are now in a position where we believe we'll be able to commence vaccinations of high priority groups in mid to late February. So we're talking about next month. This will, of course, remain conditional on a number of important factors, most importantly, that final TGA approval and the delivery of the vaccine from our suppliers. To step this out, the Health Minister will go through a presentation and that will be followed by Professor Murphy and Professor Kelly. The Therapeutic Goods Administration we are hoping to secure all the data, the final data, which they've been accumulating on an incremental basis now for some weeks to have that mid this month. That is from Pfizer, I should say. We then envisage to be hopeful of an approval subject to all the data and issues that may arise from that being resolved by the end of January. AstraZeneca, we expect that process to be completed in February, but we cannot give you a closer timetable around that. Pfizer’s global protocols require approximately two weeks for delivery post approval of the vaccine. So the vaccine does not arrive pre approval. The vaccine is only released and distributed to countries once the approval is provided.
Now, you remember, this is a vaccine that has to be stored at sub-70 degrees Celsius. And that obviously has logistical issues. And that is what is addressed by Pfizer. And so that is around about a two week timeframe. Outside of that, there's about another up to a week which is required for batch testing of those received vaccine doses.
There are many other issues which Professor Murphy will also speak to, which go to the distribution of the vaccine. There is the registration process, one of the issues that is already presenting itself is there can be confusion around the vaccination process and who has received what vaccines. It's very important that is crystal clear and a process has been established already to ensure that that certification is in place. And so everyone will know who has received what vaccines, because once you get the first dose within a couple of weeks to a month, you also need to receive the second dose. And so it is not just one shot here, it's a two shot process. And that has to be managed particularly for the priority populations.
There will be five phases of priority populations as we work through over the course of this year to administer the vaccine, both the Pfizer vaccine and the AZ vaccine. Today, we are going to talk about the process of those first two phases that will provide the most necessary ring of containment and protection for the Australian population. Those populations in that first phase are quarantine and border workers, front line health officials, as well as those working in aged care and disability care and those in aged care, and disability care residents. We anticipate optimistically that we would hope to start the vaccination with around 80,000 vaccinations a week. That's what we are targeting. And then seeing that build up over the next 4 to 6 weeks and we hope by the end of February- end of March, I should say, to have reached some 4 million population. That is a target. That is what we are working to. But as the information and other things become clearer, then I think we can provide further updates on how we are tracking against those goals.
We will continue to work with the states. That has been something that has been happening now for weeks and weeks, and that will continue. Tomorrow the National Cabinet will be meeting by video link and will be able to update that further and we look forward to that process with them. This will include the necessity for state governments and territory governments to harmonise and ensure a national consistency in public health orders, which is the process by which any requirement to have a vaccine is made legal across Australia. So that is a matter that I have already spoken to the Secretary of the Health Department, Secretary Murphy, Professor Murphy, to ensure that he's working with his counterparts in the other states and territories, that we can get a consistent standard of public health orders at the state and territory level, which relate to the administration of the vaccine and where if in any cases there is a requirement to have that vaccine. But that is a discussion still to be had with the states and territories and working through the process with Professor Murphy.
Finally, vaccination is not a silver bullet. Once the vaccination starts COVIDSafe practises do not end. They continue. COVIDSafe practises will be a 2021 lived experience, they will continue. The vaccine both here in Australia and around the world, will continue to be rolled out, but it will still be a fight over the course of 2021. But this will add a very, very significant further defence and offence I should also say, in combating the virus here in Australia and around the world, there is still a lot still to be learnt about these vaccines and how they impact, that is in terms of transmissibility and issues of that nature. And that's why COVIDSafe behaviours and other arrangements will still be necessary over the course of this year.
Now, just on National Cabinet, it was earlier this week I asked the Chief Medical Officer to consider a set of proposals that they could bring forward to National Cabinet. As I've said to you earlier, where there is a clear proposal for National Cabinet to consider, then, of course, very happy to convene National Cabinet. And that proposal is further being worked on, literally as we speak AHPPC is meeting now and Professor Kelly will be rejoining that meeting later today. It's being looked after by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Kidd, right now. And they will work through those proposals, which will deal with the end to end process on international arrivals, right through that quarantine process from point of embarkation at the source country from where people are coming right through to the acquitting of the final quarantine period. And so we'll talk more about that tomorrow. I don't have anything further to add to that today. I think it's fair to leave that consideration to the medical expert panel. I want their medical advice and they are working through providing that. And we'll consider that in the morning with all the other Premiers and Chief Ministers. And I'll be back here tomorrow around about the same time to update you on those issues.
With that, I'll hand you to the Health Minister. Greg’s doing a fabulous job.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: Thanks very much, thanks. Thanks PM, Professor Murphy, Professor Kelly.
If we could have the first slide, please. Today is a very important day in the course of the pandemic in Australia. We see over here the first wave, the second wave, which was overwhelmingly, of course, within Victoria, and then the outcome from the twin outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria. Today's Australian numbers are; zero cases in the community in 7 out of 8 states and territories, 1 in Queensland, and we have full confidence in their ability to track and trace, but 0 cases in each of New South Wales and Victoria in the community, 1 expected tomorrow in New South Wales, but zero today. And it's important to remember there were, there was a prediction, for example, of 3,000 cases in New South Wales on the 8th of January made only two weeks ago, and today: zero. What that means is that the outbreak and containment structures that had been developed prior to the pandemic but enhanced during the course of the pandemic are succeeding, are protecting Australians, are saving Australian lives. Equally, it's important to understand there are now over 11 and 3 quarter million tests that have been done for COVID in Australia and only yesterday over 100,000 tests conducted in Australia with later figures to come for the day.
If I could have the second slide, please. Then we look at Australia in comparison with the world, and we see here that there are a group of countries that are highly advanced, developed countries that are living in the most difficult of circumstances, 87 million cases, over 1.88 million lives lost officially and no doubt higher for those that were never diagnosed. In particular today, it's likely that the world will see over three quarters of a million cases, over 13 and a half thousand lives lost. In the UK alone, in a country with which we're so close, over 62,000 cases and a 1,000 lives lost. And in the United States, over 240,000 cases and 3,700 lives lost. Unimaginable numbers and agony that those communities are facing. We have been fortunate through preparation and planning and the good work of Australians and our health officials and governments across Australia, all of the work, of all of the Australians that we are in a group here with Japan and Korea slightly above now, Australia, New Zealand. We know that the jurisdiction of Taiwan has also done very well, and that has framed how we approach vaccination in Australia. And it's a very important part of it. Those countries which are here are working to an expedited but full safety assessment. Others in the grip of extremes, in the dark of a northern winter are having to make the most difficult decisions around emergency vaccination, which we recognise and support and acknowledge. And given the circumstances, that's completely justifiable.
I would note that as part of our response, just to give a brief update with regard to aged care, asymptomatic testing, 67 facilities recently completed in New South Wales, no positive cases. Victoria, 256 facilities at the Commonwealth's request tested, no positive cases, all negative so far. So that then brings me to the third slide and the strategy. In particular, and I'll let Professor Murphy and Kelly speak to the bulk of this. There are 4 principles to what we're doing, as the Prime Minister said safety first, above all else. Secondly, safety is about confidence and vaccine confidence leads to high take up. There have been parts of the world that have had challenges with vaccine take up, even though they are in the grip of the most extreme phase of the pandemic. So confidence about safety is fundamental to Australians. Thirdly, swift but safe, and fourthly under promise, but over deliver. We've continuously exceeded our targets and that's what we will strive to do.
So in terms of the priority groups and this is something that's been determined by the medical experts, you will see the phases one and two. There's no surprises as the Prime Minister said, in phase 1A, quarantine and border workers, frontline health care groups, aged care and disability staff and residents. And that's been foreshadowed. And Brendan will take you through the other elements. Also though within our strategy, a very important thing is that we- they have separated on medical advice, the cold chain and the non-cold chain distribution processes. So there will be a series of hubs for the cold chain. So there is no risk of confusion about vaccines or risk to the process. And these 30 to 50 hubs will provide early support across those three groups. And then for the AstraZeneca vaccine and in turn, in time if required, for the Novavax vaccine, over a thousand locations around Australia. So over a thousand points of presence working in conjunction with the states for vaccine distribution.
Brendan?
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Professor, to outline the plan Brendan.
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thanks PM, and thanks Minister.
So as the PM and the Minister have said all the advice we have in Australia is because our strong public health position is what it is. We should go with full, proper registration of these initial two vaccines. We have two of the most promising vaccines that are coming our way very shortly, but we want to have full registration. The registration process through the TGA has been extraordinarily expedited. What used to take several months is being done in days and weeks, but without any compromise, without any compromise on safety. So these processes are going really quickly. But the TGA needs a lot more information than the data that those countries that needed emergency authorisation required for that. So we need more data. We need to get that approved by our experts. And as soon as we have that data, the panels will meet that- the data will be assessed and we will get registration. As the Prime Minister has said, we're likely to have registration for the Pfizer vaccine this month, later this month. And the AstraZeneca vaccine, by the time we've got all the right data, answered all those questions, in February. That means that we can, as the Prime Minister said, assuming all those things go well, in mid to late February, we can start our phase one rollout with likely to be the Pfizer vaccine for this priority population. Which will be quarantine and border workers, frontline health care workers, residential aged care and disability staff and residents, and that will be a relatively focussed rollout, which I will come to a little bit later on and discuss how that will be done. Then when we get access to significantly more vaccine, as we release the batches of the hopefully registered and fully approved AstraZeneca vaccine, and remember, we are manufacturing this onshore, so we have guaranteed supply line of this vaccine and that will lead us to a rapid ramp up within weeks of that initial start. And we will expand the roll out to a significantly broader range of, again, at risk population. And that will include the people who are of advanced age where we know the risk is higher. Indigenous Australians over 55, who are clearly at higher risk of disease, and a number of other people with clinical conditions that make them at higher risk of COVID and a number of critical and high risk workers who are much more prone to be exposed to COVID, that ramp up will continue. And as the Prime Minister has said, by the end of March, we hope to have at least 4 million people- 4 million doses, and then we will ramp up further and expand the population more broadly.
I won't go into the details of those subsequent phases at the moment, but we'll just take you to the next slide now. So this just outlines that very first priority population, that Phase 1A in some more detail. We know we've seen the tragic consequences of outbreaks in residential aged care. So aged care facilities and the workers who can spread the virus generally will be a high priority. And that will be done by the Commonwealth contracted officials working in partnership with the states and territories. And I do want to emphasise that at every stage, as the Prime Minister has said, our planning and delivery is done in partnership with the states and territories. Each state and territory has different needs. It has different populations. It has different geography. And we need the expertise and the wisdom of the experts in each state and territory to do it. But the aged care and disability care will be a very high priority. The states and territories will set up dedicated clinics to do priority frontline health care workers, those people in the emergency departments and intensive care units who are at the frontline of exposure to COVID. And then particularly as we've seen more and more recently, those people working in our quarantine hotels, those frontline workers at the border and working in those quarantine hotels who are putting themselves probably at the highest risk of exposure of anyone in our community at the moment. And they will be a great priority. And again, we will do that in partnership with the states and territories.
So if you go to the next slide, the first stage will be, as the Prime Minister and Minister Hunt said, specific hubs for the minus 70 [degrees celsius] Pfizer vaccine, that will need to be a limited number of sites set up by the states and territories in hospitals, 30 to 50 across the nation. And they will remain Pfizer hubs the whole way through. So we don't have any confusion about which vaccine is available at which site. Each hub, each vaccination site will only deliver one type of vaccine. We've seen already some parts of the world where there might be some confusion about which dose of which vaccine you get. We want, because we're in this luxurious position of being pretty COVID free at the moment with a good COVID response, we want to vaccinate our population properly with the right dosage interval and give them two doses of the same vaccine according to the best possible protocols. Those hub locations will be determined by the states and territories in partnership with the Commonwealth, and they will deliver some vaccines to those frontline border workers, quarantine workers, frontline health care workers and become a distribution site for the outreach teams that will go into residential aged care and into disability care to deliver those vaccines to that initial priority population.
Then if we go to the next slide, you'll see a very large number of vaccination sites. This is within a few weeks of commencing vaccination. When we broaden to get access to the large quantity of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which we are, as I said, producing locally, initially we will be using imported doses and then we will have significant product coming off the production line at CSL’s plant in Parkville, and we have enough plan to cover the entire population with two doses, and you'll see that we will expand our vaccination sites, in addition to those Pfizer hubs we will be expanding into general practice clinics, our existing Commonwealth GP respiratory clinics and a number of other state run vaccination clinics that will be determined in partnership with the states and territories and obviously also Aboriginal controlled health services. And you will see potentially a thousand or more sites across the country that will be rolling out vaccine for the subsequent phases. We will then obviously be expanding progressively those populations we saw on the first slide and over the course of this first- the second quarter of this year, we will have achieved a very significant proportion of the population coverage and then we will go on to cover the rest of the general population. And the very last group that we might consider is children. We know children are at the lowest risk of getting COVID and transmitting COVID. And the vaccines currently haven't been properly tested in children. And that will be the last group that we will consider in the fifth phase.
So you've seen all that you I think you will get access to these slides. And I'm happy to take questions later on. But I think Professor Kelly is going to put it into the general public health context now.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Professor Kelly?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thank you, PM.
So all along through this pandemic, we've had a plan for dealing with the pandemic in an Australian way and the other speakers before me have spoken to that already. So vaccines fit into that plan. They are part of, it's a strong tool, it's not a magic bullet, it’s not a silver bullet, as the PM has said, but it fits into and strengthens all of those things that we have in our pandemic control strategy. It will continue to include all of those personal behaviour issues that people know all about right about now. It will include the test, trace and isolate component and the excellent work being done in the states and territories right now dealing with the outbreaks that we have in Sydney and Melbourne and other places. So it's part of that story. It's a very exciting new part of that story. We said very early on it would take us probably 18 months to two years to get to get a vaccine into Australia. We are well ahead of that initial phase. And it's an extraordinary position that we are in to be able to introduce that in the coming weeks. We are looking to save lives and also minimise the risk to the Australian population and others, Professor Murphy and Minister Hunt and the Prime Minister have talked about that importance of priority populations, and that fits into the plan that we've had all along. It's about those that have the highest risk of exposure for their own personal health, but also how that may transmit to the rest of the population. And so that's an important component. It's why quarantine workers and other border workers are right at the top of the queue right now. They are the ones at the highest risk, but it's also about protecting lives and protecting people at the highest risk, therefore, of severe disease. The elderly, particularly those in aged care facilities, some disabled people, Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and those with chronic diseases. That's why they're in that priority group. It's because they are at the most severe end of the spectrum in terms of disease. And the important thing to note is both of those vaccines that are now on the cusp of being approved for use in Australia have shown very strong effectiveness against severe disease in particular. And so that's an important component of our plan.
Thank you, PM.
PRIME MINISTER: Let's keep questions at first to the vaccination strategy and those issues. Happy to deal with other issues later and matters for tomorrow. But as I said, there's not much more I can add about tomorrow's meeting until they've actually met.
JOURNALIST: So on the vaccine, can you take us through what's happened over the last 24 hours? Because the timetable has obviously bounced around a bit. You know, in November, you said that we'd be at the front of the queue. Then you changed it to saying we'd be on the front row. Yesterday, we had Greg Hunt saying the rollout would start in March. What's happened in the last 24 hours to bring it forward? It does sound a bit like you're taking the timetable that Labor has proposed. And when can that batch testing start? Can it only start, you know, after the TGA has approved it, then it's been introduced. Just explain to us why we had a two week concertining of that in 24 hours?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, let me start and then Greg and I think Brendan and others can comment. First of all, our practice has been to set out cautious targets. And that's what we've done with this. We talked about the first quarter of this year when we first talked about vaccines. And since that time, we've just worked the system to see how we can improve the timeliness of the delivery of the vaccine. So these are not things that have been decided in 24 hours. These are things that have taken us weeks to arrive at from the time that we agreed the national vaccination policy and then took that through National Cabinet. Health officials have been working with their counterparts and states, with our suppliers and others to continue to improve on the timetable that we have outlined. Now, we're not going to go out and make commitments against which we can't be confident of meeting. And that's why you've seen a gradual improvement of the position as we've set it out. The comparison that we have with other countries are with countries that are not in emergency vaccination territory. If you compare us to countries like Japan or South Korea or indeed New Zealand or Taiwan or other places, then that that's the group you've, I think everyone has agreed is a group that's good to be in when it comes to the impact of COVID-19 and the pandemic. And so we haven't gone to emergency vaccination arrangements for the reasons that Professor Murphy has outlined. And I think Australians want to, a swiftly developed and administered vaccine. But more importantly, they want a safe one, and they don't want any corners cut on that process. And that's certainly not what Australia would do. The Australian way is to follow the processes. Now, in following those processes to the letter and giving it the priority that we have has meant we've been able to continue to bring forward that date. But I do put this very strong qualification. The data has to match up and the data has to meet the requirements of the TGA. And to go to your point about the batch testing, that can only occur, as I understand it, once they have been delivered, and that is at least around about two weeks after TGA approval has been provided. So there are a number of steps that you must go through before I can, and others who were in that priority group can go and get that initial vaccination and then the follow up vaccinations that come.
But I'll ask Greg and I’ll ask Brendan to also add to the answer?
JOURNALIST: You can get it, you can get the approval in late January, but you can roll it out in mid-February. Where does the batch testing?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's what I just said Samantha. There is a two week process for the vaccines to then be delivered to Australia because Pfizer, their global rule is that they deliver it around two weeks after TGA approval has been provided. The vaccines don't turn up before the TGA approval. They turn up two weeks after and then after that there is up to a week involved in batch testing of the doses that have been delivered. Greg?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: Look, our approach has been very clear. The principle of under promise and over deliver, which means that whilst we have allowed for cautious timeframes, if the because we're relying on data from others, shipping from others, testing from others or distribution from others, we've allowed for any gap in that chain. But as each of those elements has been ticked off, we've been able to move forward from the second half of the year to late in the first quarter. The fact that we've been able to get confirmation that the Pfizer data is going to be available soon, confirmation that now the TGA, this is actually something which has changed on my advice from Professor John Skerritt, that's the change in the last 48 hours, that the TGA will therefore be able to assess that at potentially an earlier timeframe and confirmation that the shipping arrangements are all on schedule mean that we can now provide a confident timeframe at an earlier time. But unless we were confident, we wouldn't want to take the risk. We've seen some jurisdictions, because of the emergency circumstance, not be in a position where they can necessarily meet all of the timeframes that had been set out. And our approach has been to look at being in the same category of timeframe as New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan. And when you look at the arguably the most successful countries in the world in dealing with it, they've taken a very considered but expedited approach and that's what we've done on batch testing. But Brendan?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: I can add only very little. The key issue is that we've had increased certainty of stuff that's coming from the companies, particularly. Increased certainty on how we can expedite our process. We've been working on this for over a month. We've said where can we get better information, more robust data that will satisfy the TGA? How confident are we that that data will satisfy the processors? Can we give greater confidence to Government that we won't be setting dates that will not be realised? I should emphasise one other point that this time has not being wasted. We are doing 24 hour a day preparation with the states and territories on the most complex logistical exercise that perhaps we've done in public health in this country. We've seen in other countries where some of that logistical exercise, because they've had to roll out very quickly, has not been up to speed. We want to make sure that everything is set to go so that when we start vaccinating, we have a well-oiled machine that delivers exactly as we've promised. So we have been continually striving to improve our timelines and this is and this is an iterative and ongoing process.
JOURNALIST: On the UK variant, I know you can't foreshadow tomorrow, but have there been any discussions with any of the gentlemen here about restricting the border with the UK or separate quarantine arrangements?
PRIME MINISTER: They are all issues of the AHPPC are considering now and, of course, I discuss those matters with my own Chief Medical Officer. The day doesn't go past when we or the Health Minister and I don't speak and, you know, quite extensive briefings are held every couple of, three times a week and sometimes even more regularly than that with a broad field which includes Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs and a range of others. So these are matters we've been discussing. I'm looking forward to AHPPC finalising their recommendation later today and that means we can receive it hopefully this evening and consider that overnight and be in a position to make some decisions tomorrow. But my expectation is, given what I think has been a very good collaborative process amongst the Chief Health Officers, that if they are in agreement, then that should enable us, I think, to move through that issue fairly quickly tomorrow.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, how will the vaccine distribution to the states work? Will that just be on population or risk level will be taken into account and just separately on the use of the GPs to deliver the vaccines, we've seen in New South Wales reports that even though the COVID test is supposed to be free, people are being charged for GP consultation fees to get the test. What guarantees can you give around the price of the vaccine and its delivery?
PRIME MINISTER: I'll let the Secretary.
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So we can guarantee that the vaccine will be free and it will be delivered free. We're working with the medical bodies around how that will be achieved, but we do not want their cost to be any barrier whatsoever to access to the vaccine. The Government has committed to free vaccination and we will deliver that. In terms of delivery to the states, that will depend on those priority populations as a careful logistic planning exercise, looking at the populations in each state, and we will be delivering obviously just in time stock to meet those priority needs. So there's a very careful and complex planning process that's going on, looking at the populations of each of those at risk groups in each state and delivering the necessary vaccines according to that priority list.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on what Andrew was asking before, if I could just ask the chief medical officer, is it your opinion, Professor Kelly, that there is any need to close off the border to people coming from the UK or is testing required, extra testing on departure? And Prime Minister, if I can ask you, would you be open to the idea at all using Defence sites as quarantine bases to bring more Australians back?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, again, what we've discussed around the National Cabinet table is the most effective way to get people back is to use the hotel quarantine system that has been in place all year. That's where the greatest capacity is. That's where you can get the greatest application of both health support as well as the necessary security support, which is been delivered still significantly by the Australian Defence Forces. We have opened up additional sites such as in the Northern Territory and in Tasmania to supplement those arrangements. But that is what has enabled us to get more than 60,000 Australians home by the end of last year from late September, more than double what we'd set as a goal for that period of time. And so we are expanding further the ability for people to come back from overseas. I had a very positive discussion with the Victorian Premier about that earlier this week. They're gearing up to post-Australian Open. They've got that challenge to get through over the next month. And then, you know, their confidence continues to strengthen around those arrangements and we'll have further discussions on what that means for those arrangements tomorrow, that is the quarantine arrangements in the end to end processes. That should see us in February also for Victoria to be able to lift from where they currently are now. Getting Australians home is important, but keeping Australians safe and ensuring the robustness of our processes and the quarantine arrangements, particularly with the additional risks that come with the more contagious strain. That is obviously what has prompted my request to the Chief Medical Officer this week and the things that they're considering now. But I do think it's important to allow them to have those discussions and for the Chief Medical Officer to be able to have those discussions with them before I think he has them publicly. But Paul can speak for himself.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thank you, PM. So the AHPPC formally looked at the UK strain and made suggestions about what, if anything, should be done differently for the people coming from the UK before Christmas. Since then, we've met actually every single day, including Christmas Day and all of all through the Christmas New Year period. At every meeting we have discussed this issue and there is a specific paper that we worked through yesterday in relation to the UK strain, and that will be coming to the National Cabinet once it's gone through the AHPPC process. Just to say, though, that the UK strain is more transmissible. It is able to be, is more infectious to other people, therefore. It's become, it started in the south east of the UK. It is now pretty much the only game in town in the UK. It's been found in multiple other countries and it's been found here in hotel quarantine. So it is spreading. We have so far kept it under control within hotel quarantine and it is not transmitted when you're in your hotel room for 14 days. We know that hotel quarantine is safe. We need to, though, look at what else, if anything, needs to be done and that is what will be discussed at National Cabinet tomorrow.
JOURNALIST: You mentioned a discussion with the states about when and how vaccines could be required by uniform public health orders. Could you please clarify who that would apply to? Would that be aged care workers, returning Australians? And how does that square with repeated assurances that vaccines will be voluntary?
PRIME MINISTER: All I've said today is that that is a discussion that needs to be had. And so we will have that discussion.
JOURNALIST: But you said it would be voluntary, so…
PRIME MINISTER: It is voluntary. But that is an important discussion for the public health and safety that needs to be had in the states and territories who are responsible for public health.
JOURNALIST: So you're leaving open the possibility that you could require certain cohorts of people like returning Australians, aged care workers…
PRIME MINISTER: We’re going through the processes that are necessary to protect public health and safety in the country and I'm doing that collaboratively with the states and territories, who are principally responsible for that, John.
JOURNALIST: Is that going back on your previous statement…
PRIME MINISTER: No, I think you're over interpreting, Paul. You've got a want to do that. Yep.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, does Donald Trump bear some responsibility for undermining democracy and some of the chaotic…
PRIME MINISTER: Let’s just stay with the vaccination program. I'm happy to come to other issues. Yep?
JOURNALIST:, Prime Minister one, would you use ADF capabilities to ensure that this vaccine is swiftly delivered in time for winter? But two, I hate to be ungentlemanly, but I couldn't notice that your age bracket is in phase 2.A. Would you and members of the Cabinet be vaccinated earlier? And would you be willing to do that on television in the same way that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, in answer to your last question, yes. And I think it's important for public confidence for leaders around the country to do that and I'll obviously make myself available to do that. And, you know it's a discussion we'll have with Premiers, but I have no doubt that they would equally be stepping forward. We've had those discussions around the National Cabinet table before. It's not a new idea. It's not the most important issue obviously, what's important is the other things that I think have been discussed today. But there's no reticence there. We need to be mindful of the, you know, the doses that are available. As I said, were starting at around about 80,000 a week and that will scale up, as it is in all countries. It starts out in all countries at a limited amount and then as, as are the more doses become available, and particularly when the AstraZeneca vaccine becomes available, then it ramps up from there. But I think for the sake of public confidence and I have absolutely no issue with that, I have total faith in the Therapeutic Goods Administration. I trust them with the decisions about the vaccinations that I give to my children on all other matters and so I think Australians rightly have a lot of confidence. But Brendan can deal with the other matters.
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So we have contracted some very experienced logistics providers to do logistics. We're confident that the providers we've got at the moment, working in close partnership with the states and territories who are well experienced in vaccine distribution, will meet our needs. The ADF has been through us right through this pandemic, if we've ever needed them there to step up and help and they are incredibly versatile and would be able to do so if required, but we don't think it will be required. We think that our logistics providers are up to the task.
JOURNALIST: Sorry, Prime Minister, just to clarify, would you and members of the Cabinet get vaccinated in earlier phases, in phase 2.A, considering most of you are in the phase 2.A age bracket.
PRIME MINISTER: The Health Minister and I will certainly line up for that. But I mean, I think that's necessary to show public confidence and so we're comfortable with that. I don't think we need to line the whole Cabinet up, by the way. I think, you know, there are more important people who need to get vaccinated, frankly, than me and the Health Minister, and the Premiers, for that matter. They’re the aged care workers, they're the frontline health workers, they're the people working in hotel quarantine on our borders, they're the elderly who are in the disability sector and the vulnerable in those areas that we've identified. That's the priority. We're not the priority. But I think it is important for a show of public confidence and that's been done in other places and we'll certainly line up for the televised jab. I'm sure you'll all enjoy it.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: And, look just very briefly on that. We had given that some thought. None of us wanted to be queue jumpers, but we also recognise the public confidence role. And so we've come down on the side that the Prime Minister, the Health Minister, maybe a few others, but not the Cabinet as a whole. We don't believe that we qualify on the public health grounds. It's very important we recognise that but it does matter that we have public confidence and that's why we would look to do it with both the Government and Opposition Leaders and I've had that discussion with Chris Bowen, very constructive looking at doing it at a comparable time. So it's about the confidence and trust of the leaders and bipartisanship, but not about the Cabinet as a class.
PRIME MINISTER: Let’s let everyone have a go, then I’m happy to…
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, with regards, we’ve mentioned that the priority population will start being vaccinated between February and March. When can the general population expect to be off to receive the vaccine and how will that work?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'll ask Brendan to add to this, but what we have learnt all the way through is you've got to act on the best information available to you. You’ve got to do with the priorities straight away and that's what we're talking to you about today. We've identified three other priorities, three other areas of the population that it will move to once we've been able to work through those first two priority populations. Remembering in those populations, you've got to do two doses over about around about a month or so, in some cases less than that period of time. And so they provide the first ring of containment and protection of the vulnerable and that's where our priority has to be. And we will be able to update again, just as we have today, on further timetables for further populations once we're in a stronger position to be able to do that and that will depend on further information that comes forward. It will depend on the approvals, meeting the timetables that we've talked about and the production schedules, and the roll out of the distribution mechanisms which are well underway. I mean, one of the things that have been happening over this period of time is things like workforce readiness, an important part of the distribution process already underway. That's not something that has to wait for TGA approval. That's something that is already being done as well as the vaccination kits and things of that nature, ensuring we have enough syringes and all of that. That can be done now, that is being done now. But there are certain things that have to only take place and can only take place once the TGA approval is in place and that is a matter of weeks, both in terms of the delivery of the vaccines and the batch testing that needs to take place and the transport logistics, obviously, of them getting them to those many hospitals, public hospital locations around the country. Brendan?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So you'll see from the slide that nearly half the population are actually covered in those initial priority populations and that includes a number of people who would not be considered at risk, but they might be frontline health care workers. They're not medically at risk. So we'll be covering a significant proportion of the population in those first priority phases and hopefully that will be underway in that, you know, that March quarter. And as the Prime Minister said, it depends how quickly that goes how soon we can then broaden that out towards the middle of the year to the broader general adult population.
JOURNALIST: Where will most Australians get their vaccines? Will you be commandeering town halls, schools, that kind of thing?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So there will be a number of sites. The, obviously those Pfizer hubs will be initially focused on that high priority population. So that'll be a small proportion. The majority of the population will get their vaccines from either what we call a GP respiratory clinic, which the Commonwealth has set up. Some general practises who want to participate and can deliver the vaccine program and they will be selected on that basis. The states will be setting up some special vaccination clinics in addition to the Pfizer hubs. Aboriginal controlled health services will be setting up. Towards the middle of the year when we're broadening beyond the priority population, Minister Hunt has already committed that we will be looking at arrangements that pharmacies may be able to also be rolled out in the second half of the year. So most of the population will probably get it at one of those settings.
JOURNALIST: At the moment, there's issues getting fresh food and vegetables etcetera to remote indigenous communities. How are you going to roll out the vaccine in cold temperatures to remote indigenous communities?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Well, it's obviously a huge logistical challenge if indeed we are choosing to use a minus 70 vaccine. We do have a vaccine, the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is very stable in normal cold chain refrigerator temperatures and is likely to be the priority vaccine for those settings. So that's been worked through. We've got a very specific plan, working with the Aboriginal control sector on how we're going to vaccinate remote indigenous communities. But it's likely that we won't be prioritising the use of a difficult logistic vaccine for that population.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: I might just add something here. I think it's a very important question. One of the extraordinary achievements of Australia's vaccination program is that whilst the five year old vaccination rates through the course of COVID in 2020 increased from, to 94.8and then 94.9 percent, Indigenous Australian vaccinations for five year olds are at almost 97 per cent and so they are higher than the national average of vaccination. So Indigenous Australia has been extraordinary in taking it up and that includes within remote communities. And so that remote community network through the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services is a fundamental part of the distribution network.
JOURNALIST: This has been a big debate in the UK about the distance between people being vaccinated. Obviously, we're not in that situation. You know, they're rolling it out really quickly because of the situation in the UK. But here in Australia, how long will it be between the first jab and the second jab? And what do you think about the British proposal to wait up to three months for the second jab?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Look, I think we're in a very, very different situation. In the UK they have a significant public health crisis. And they've decided that because the first dose provided some protection, that they will compromise what would be an ideal vaccination strategy. We're not in that position. We fully understand and support what they've had to do. We are planning to go with the trial evidence around two doses of the same vaccine at roughly a month apart. Obviously, you can have a bit of slippage either way, but we want to make sure that people come back in that, in that recognised time frame to get their second dose. We want to have the systems to make sure that they can come back to the same clinic, have the systems to call them back, have the systems to record their data so that we know exactly what they've got, when they've had it, and to fully vaccinate people in an appropriate and staged timeline. That's why so much planning is happening at the moment. We have had, we've got a team of 60 people in the health department and another team of similar size around the government who are working, and a lot of consultants and contractors working on this logistic planning so that we, it works smoothly from the minute we start.
JOURNALIST: On the Pfizer hubs, can you just explain are those 30 to 50 hubs, are they just warehouses or are they going to be locations where people will go to?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: They'll be locations where some people will go for example, the quarantine and border force workers and the frontline health care workers will go to those sites to get their vaccine. But they will also distribute or provide vaccines for outreach teams to go into aged care facilities and disability residences, to vaccinate residents in those places. So they will do both.
PRIME MINISTER: For me, I will pop down to the Canberra Public Hospital. Any other questions on the vaccination strategy or those issues relating? Very good, well on that basis I might excuse the Chief Medical Officer because he’s got a very important AHPPC meeting to rejoin. And thank also Professor Murphy for the great work he's been doing and leading a team of experts that has been in place for some time now since the, we formally approved the national vaccination policy that was pulled together by Professor Murphy. And that has been critical to running this process to where we are now. John?
JOURNALIST: Thanks PM. Does Donald Trump bear some responsibility for undermining democracy and inciting some of the chaotic scenes we've seen in the US Capitol building overnight?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I'm not going to offer any more comment than the one I've already made on this issue. I think what we've seen in the United States is terribly distressing, terribly concerning. And I noted the President's message this morning to tell people to go home peacefully. I hope that's what people are doing. And this is a very distressing time in the United States. And I feel terribly for what's happening there. I really do. I mean, they are one of our closest friends and partners, the United States. And I feel for those here in Australia who have family in the United States or maybe that's their origin and it's heartbreaking to see what's happening there. This is one of the world's greatest democracies, and it remains so because of its forbearance and its persistence in the principles and values upon which the nation was established. And I have no doubt that that will prevail.
JOURNALIST: In that same video message, though,
PRIME MINISTER: I’m not here to offer a running commentary on what should be happening in the United States. What I'm here to do is ensure that we deliver our vaccination plan. What I'm here to do is ensure that this year the Australian economy continues to recover, that we get people back into jobs, and that we can ensure that the Australian economy and society again, can open up as safely as we come out of this holiday period, that people as they come back from their leave, can get back to work and we can have a 2021 that is certainly much better than 2020. But we're not out of the woods yet. We haven't won yet, but we're certainly winning a lot better than a lot of other places around the world. And we want to make sure we maintain that and the way I do that is I stay focussed on what's happening here in Australia and the needs of Australians. And that has my absolute priority focus.
One at a time.
JOURNALIST: In that same video message, the President of the United States of America, while telling people who had trashed the Capitol building to go home, said, we love you, you are special people. Is that a responsible message from a world leader?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s not for me to offer commentary on other leaders. I don't do that out of respect for those nations. And that's where I'm going to leave that matter. I've expressed my great concern and distress about what has been happening in the United States, just as other leaders of the world's democracies have and I concur with their view.
JOURNALIST: Is there any change to our diplomatic arrangements in Washington, DC given our proximity, given the proximity of the US- the Australian embassy, to some of those violent protests?
PRIME MINISTER: No, not at this point, but we'll obviously take advice on those things. And I'm sure that the Secretary of DFAT will continue to advise on, on anything that is necessary, as they would in relation to any Post. But there is no advice along those lines at this point.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, after the US election, George Christensen promoted false claims of dodgy extra votes for Joe Biden. I accept you don't want to comment on Trump, but will you condemn conspiracy theories being promoted by members of your own Government?
PRIME MINISTER: You know, Australia is a free country. There's such a thing as freedom of speech in this country and that will continue.
Okay, well thank you all very much. I'll see you here tomorrow after the AHPPC, thank you, has met and the National Cabinet has met in the morning. Thank you.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
1 January 2021
Prime Minister: Happy New Year, Australia, for we are one and free. Our Anthem is about us, who we are, and who we hope to be as well. We are a strong and vibrant liberal democracy. We live in a timeless land of ancient First Nations peoples, and we draw together the stories of more than 300 national ancestries and language groups. How good is Australia? And our Anthem should reflect that and the changes we have made and we have announced today, I think, achieve that goal. It simply reflects the realities of how we understand our country and who we will always hope to be and the values that we will always live by. It's a straightforward proclamation by the Governor-General that he signed off on the day before yesterday and followed the same process as was undertaken back in 1984 when the change was made by Prime Minister Hawke. It's a change for all Australians, and I've already been encouraged by the strong response from Australians right across the country, Indigenous, non Indigenous, people of all different backgrounds, people of all different political views and I think that is very much sits in the mainstream of where Australia would like us to go and I think it's a great way to start the New Year.
But, of course, the New Year does not start without its challenges. COVID still hasn't gone away, it hasn't taken a holiday, it won’t be going anywhere, and as a result, we continue to deal with the very serious challenges and that is why I am pleased to be joined today by the Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly. I want to congratulate Australians for doing the right thing last night, and not just last night, but over a longer period of time, particularly in Sydney and Greater Sydney and the Central Coast and now including down in Wollongong, as New South Wales has done extraordinarily well to get on top of this latest outbreak. Today's news is encouraging. The news in both New South Wales and also in Victoria. And I will ask the Chief Medical Officer to speak more to today's points of information that have come through, particularly in the last 24 hours. I want to thank people, particularly in New South Wales, but also for the people of Victoria for their response to the public health messaging and the controls that have been put in place. Especially those coming forward for testing. The record numbers we have seen come forward for testing has been extraordinary and enormously helpful for those who are doing the job to keep Australian safe, both in those areas and for the benefit of the other parts of the country. And in Victoria, we are seeing already, I think, the results of the strengthening of their tracing systems that have been put in place over many months and it has been good to see how that has swung into gear over the course of the last 24 hours or so or longer and we are seeing them getting on top of that information very quickly which is assisting them in managing this most recent outbreak in Victoria.
I also just wanted to note that the wastewater testing results that the Premier of New South Wales referred to in her own media conference just recently which revealed that the areas where we know there to be cases have been confirmed in that wastewater testing but elsewhere across New South Wales, outside the Greater Sydney area with the exception obviously of Wollongong where that was confirmed, that remains low and negligible risk and the Chief Medical Officer can speak more to those issues. The Aged Care Response Centre has activated in New South Wales and continues their work in Victoria. Asymptomatic testing has a ready been under way in New South Wales some time and it is being expanded into a number of other areas as we speak and that has been reinforced both by the Aged Care Quality Commission and the work done by the Department in reinforcing messaging around infection control and use of PPE. We have no active cases in aged care across the entire country, including New South Wales and Victoria, there has been some primary contact exposure in the five cases we know of in Victoria but three of those have proven to have had no positive impact from those contacts and we are waiting on two others. But the news there is pretty encouraging.
Just finally before I hand over to the Chief Medical Officer, since the 18th of December as we have now drawn to the close of last year, the figures on December 30 was that 63,109 Australians were able to get home by the end of the year since the 18th of September. As you know, that is more than double the number we had as our target of just around 26,000 back in September. Obviously, more people are put themselves on the list and there are still quite a number on there at a similar level as to what we have talked about in recent times. Australians want to come home and we're going to keep help them come home. Those flights will continue to come to Australia. Expanded quarantine and support in places like the Northern Territory and others are doing their job as those flights continue to come through and that will continue to be an issue we manage into the New Year. Our process here as a Federal Government continues. The AHPPC medical expert panel continues to meet every day. I will remain here in Canberra for the foreseeable future over the course of the next week. If there are any changes to the arrangements with ACT that may enable me to get back to Sydney next week but that is unlikely. So I will continue to work out of here over the course of the next week. We are taking regular health briefings and meeting with the Defence Force and the National Coordinating Mechanism out of the Department of Home Affairs to stay on top of the many requests or other issues we are dealing with to support the states as may otherwise be required. At the end of next week, from the following weekend, I will be taking one week's leave. The acting Prime Minister will be the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and he will continue in that role over the course of the week.
So with that, I will pass you over to the Chief Medical Officer. Paul.
Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer: Thank you, Prime Minister. As the Prime Minister has said, we're meeting every day, the AHPPC, which I think everyone knows who is on that now but all of the chief health officers from all of these states. We get updates at that meeting from all the states but particularly New South Wales over the last few weeks and now Victoria. And that group of experts that has got us through that very long year of 2020 with the advice to the National Cabinet and to their own governments to continue to give that advice to offer assistance and so forth to particularly New South Wales and Victoria at this point of time.
I am very encouraged by what has happened in New South Wales over the last couple of weeks and that news today that there is a definite genomic link between all of those clusters that they have seen in Wollongong, in Croydon and the Northern Beaches, as well as other parts of Sydney. That demonstrates a couple of things. The PM has mentioned the wastewater testing as a guide to where issues may be occurring and that at the moment is only in the Greater Sydney area and Wollongong, including the Central Coast. That has been regularly looked at and interpreted by the public health authorities and the genomic testing which this time last year we did have that ability to be able to do so quickly and link in the laboratory, as well as the epidemiological investigations what has actually happened, and to guide the public health response. So that test, trace and isolate part we have talked about so often is really excelling in New South Wales and again in Victoria. So in the last 24 hours, the linkages they have made between the various cases, and they are all linked, where they have been is guiding the approach now. That has linked into, as the PM has said, our approach and response in relation to aged care facilities. No cases there in staff or in residence at the moment but a very precautionary approach using all of those learnings we have learned through the long year of 2020.
So just to stress that it's really important, particularly in Greater Sydney but throughout New South Wales and the same in Victoria, and indeed all around the country, if you even have the mildest symptoms of the disease and we all know what they are now, get tested. We have seen enormous response in Sydney over recent times and I'm sure the same will happen in Melbourne with these recent cases. Just a real callout to the Northern Beaches. In the week up to the 21st of December, 432 per thousand of the population were tested. That is 43 percent of the population of the northern part of the Northern Beaches were tested in that week. That is the sort of response we need whenever we see even the wastewater testing become positive or a case being found in an area. So I think we need to remember that while there are active cases in the community in both Victoria and New South Wales at the moment in Sydney and in Melbourne, I should say in Gippsland, it's only 11 cases yesterday confirmed in Australia. There were over 50,000 confirmed cases in the UK yesterday and when we think about our experience here in Australia through 2020, although it has been so difficult, it is so different from the rest of the world and that is a real, you know, we should really remember how well we have done as a nation but also with the public health response and the political commitment to really tackle this disease had on and we have done a great job. 2021, of course, will add an extra tool to our toolkit in terms of approaching this, in terms of the vaccine and that is coming soon and we continue to work through this holiday period on all elements, including the implementation of our rollout plans as well as the regulatory response to making sure we have a safe and effective vaccines for Australians, for Australians who want to get that vaccine throughout this year. Thank you.
Journalist: Prime Minister, with borders going up and people being forced into quarantine at the last minute, delays in traffic, concerns about employment prospects, can you understand that some Australians may not be feeling one and free at the moment?
Prime Minister: I understand the frustrations that people have with the disruption that comes from those changes. We are dealing with a pandemic, that hasn't changed, but it doesn't change who we are as Australians. Australians are Australians whether they are in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, Tasmania, whatever happened to be. That is not affected by those things. These changes have been put in place by states for public health reasons and that is their purpose, not to divide Australia but to, in their decisions, to seek to keep Australians safe. Now, each state and territory has over the course of the pandemic had their own approaches from time to time, particularly when it comes to borders. I welcome particularly the approach we have seen from Queensland most recently. They have adopted that hot spot around Greater Sydney. People know my view, I think, about the great approach the Northern Territory has taken all throughout this crisis. They identify hot spots and they come on and off the list and I think that has proven to be a very effective way. Tasmania, similarly on this case, continues to treat Victoria and New South Wales on a hot spot basis. I think that is a constructive way and I welcome that approach. But look, the end of the day, state governments are elected by the people of their states to exercise their responsibilities when it comes to the public health of people in their state. And as much as we would like there to be greater consistency across all of these things, we must respect their jurisdictional authority because they are ultimately responsible for what would happen in their state if there were to be an outbreak in their state. As Prime Minister, I do respect that. I can have whatever view I may wish to have but ultimately they are responsible for those things and I have to respect the authority they have derived from their own electoral processes in making those decisions. So I can understand the frustration. We are similarly in a situation. One of the reasons my family and I remain in the ACT is because I need to be in Canberra and if I were to go to Sydney at present it would mean I would not be able to return here. As a result we are remaining here because this is where I need to be able to be with Paul and the many other advisors and others who are managing these most recent sets of events. So, we are all dealing with these things and I thank Australians for their forbearance and I think that has been one of the great qualities of Australians over the course of these last 12 months. To pick up on what Paul has just said, look at the alternative. Look at the alternative overseas. Look and see how others are spending this time in so many other countries around the world. And as frustrated as we might be from time to time, I think there is also an opportunity to count our blessings.
Journalist: There has obviously been a lot of support for the change today but there are many who say it doesn't go far enough and would like to see a complete rewrite. What do you say to them, was that considered, will it ever be considered?
Prime Minister: This is a simple change. I think it is a change that is very much in accordance with where Australians feel about these things. It is not pretending to be anything more than it is. I think it has been well received across the country. There will be those who say it's doesn't go far enough and those who think it goes too far. That is democracy. That is one of the things we celebrate in our National Anthem but I think it is a sensible change and I think it will be well received and I look forward to it being sung for the first time. Perhaps that will be at the SCG test in a few days’ time. I was texting back and forward with Justin Langer and Tim Paine, wishing them well for the test because normally they would be at Kirribilli today but no-one is going to be at Kirribilli today. But they assure me they are going to bounce back and I have every confidence they will.
Journalist: Any chance you want to be the first to sing the new national anthem? You are alongside Paul Kelly.
Prime Minister: I think singing by Prime Ministers is the same as public exercise by Prime Ministers, it is best done in private. I will leave the singing to Tina Arena and others who are far better at it than me.
Journalist: It is our National Anthem though?
Prime Minister: You will hear me sing it in a crowd, as always.
Journalist: Back in July, you said Australia couldn't afford to go stop go, stop go when it comes to these border restrictions. Isn't that what we are essentially facing now heading into 2021, that states are not going to be able to open up forever if they continue to see these small clusters?
Prime Minister: We are moving towards a vaccine into the New Year and I think that will obviously change the parameters for everybody but that will take some time as we move through its distribution across the community. And this is why when I see what some states have done and looking at Greater Sydney as a particular area of concern and managing that way, then that is welcome. I think we have to keep reminding ourselves that there is no simple easy way of this all being fixed. It is a global pandemic and that means that there will be frustrations from time to time. They are disruptive and they can put long-held plans at bay and it can be very disappointing. But we will continue to get through it and I think it is important that obviously when states are making these decisions, they must give thought to balancing the risk of COVID and its transmission against the disruption to people and that is what they are accountable for and that is what they have to explain to their citizens in their own states.
Journalist: On the, just following on from the question, obviously you're saying is going to take some months but once we start a vaccine rollout, will you want to reboot the roadmap to reopening timeline and process and would you expect the premiers to stick to it?
Prime Minister: The roadmap doesn't change. The roadmap always has as its goal to get all of these things lifted. I would hope that as quickly as the states have moved to put things in place, they would move as quickly once the risk subsides. We saw that in most cases after the Adelaide outbreak which was able to have been got on top of very quickly. We’ve seen borders on this occasion come up more promptly when there was the significant Victorian outbreak and New South Wales border was not closed for some time until after that was done. So this is why I hold out the Northern Territory as a very good model. They declare a hot spot and it goes on and then it comes off. And I think that is a very good model and it has been my consistent view over these many months of the pandemic.
Journalist: You mention the disruption, Prime Minister, does the latest round of this, we’ve seen queues at borders and quite a lot of confusion, does it create impetus to rethink the timeline to bring in an vaccine and the speed which that's rolled out?
Prime Minister: Public health is our number one priority on the vaccine. There will be no short cuts. The standards must be maintained and upheld and that is what Australians expect. For the vaccine to be successful, Australians have to have confidence in it and I believe they will have confidence in it. I was discussing this with Professor Skerritt this morning on our regular briefing call, together with Paul and he may wish to make a point about this as well. There's been in no other advanced jurisdiction an approval given for the AZ vaccine, there have been emergency authorisations given. But this is in countries like the UK, where there's hundreds of people dying a day. Australia is not in that situation. So, we're being careful to ensure that we dot all the Is and we cross all the Ts to ensure this vaccine is safe and able to be distributed across the Australian population. We're moving promptly to do that, we're moving swiftly to do that, but we're not cutting corners. If there's no tick, there's no jab. That's got to be right for every single Australian. And so, our authorities are doing a tremendous job on this. But you need to get all the right data, and that needs to be validated, there's the batches that also need to be tested as well, it's not just about the initial vaccine itself, it's actually what is distributed around the country. It's important that process is followed. We're being meticulous about this, because that's what Australians deserve, and it's important from a public health point of view in ensuring public confidence in the way the vaccine is distributed. But Paul?
Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer: Thanks, PM. So we now have three vaccines that have published in the public domain their interim results of their phase three trials. So the third one was Moderna, it came out a day before yesterday in the New England Journal. So we can be confident all of those three, two are mRNA vaccines, the Pfizer BioNTech, and the Moderna, and the AZ vaccine, which we're making here in Melbourne, and we'll have plenty of doses of that through 2021. So, those three have shown good safety profiles and good efficacy. But that's not the only data that's looked at by regulators. So, as the PM has said, there's not a single major regulator in the world that has given full approval for any vaccine at the moment. There have been particular emergency use authorisations in several countries, in Europe, in the UK, and the US in particular, but they're in an extremely difficult and different situation in relation to this pandemic compared to Australia. They've now been 82 million cases in the world. Here in Australia, just over 28,000. There's been 1.8 million deaths in the world, here in Australia, 909. They're very different situations. We need to go by the regulators. They have always been cautious and it's kept us in good stead. The TGA will look at all the data, the tens of thousands of pages of data that will come from the companies and will make a decision.
Prime Minister: On the vaccine, you don't rush to failure. That's very dangerous for Australians. Those who suggest that, I think it's a naive suggestion.
Journalist: To the Anthem, has Cabinet considered the options for the voice to Parliament and when can we expect to hear about that? And just separately, you're the convener of National Cabinet, how come National Cabinet hasn't met, isn't meeting again until February 5?
Prime Minister: That's the next scheduled date and there's no need for it to meet at the present time. The agencies are working closely together, the AHPPC is meeting every still single day, I'm in regular contact, particularly most recently, with the New South Wales Premier, the Victorian Premier is currently on leave, I understand. But if there was a need to bring forward a meeting, we always could. But at this stage, there hasn't been something for the premiers in particular to action as a result of advice has come forward from the AHPPC when it comes to handling this most recent pandemic. Their views on borders will be the same if they met this afternoon as they were a month ago. What we need to focus on right now is ensuring that the outbreak is contained, the support that is necessary to be provided to those jurisdictions that are dealing with outbreak is in place, and that's been delivered through the ADF and other agencies. And the communications I'm having with those states and particularly through Greg Hunt as well, who is speaking to Minister Foley also quite regularly, those systems are working well. The National Cabinet is not an operational committee. There are people like Paul and others who do that work. And they're doing it very well.
Journalist: Prime Minister, earlier this week...
Prime Minister: Sorry, Cabinet has considered that matter and the Minister for Indigenous Australians will be making announcements at an appropriate time.
Journalist: Prime Minister, earlier this week, Professor Kelly said he wouldn't be sending this family to the SCG for the Test, should this event be going ahead with spectators, and would you be sending your family if you could get back to Sydney?
Prime Minister: I have great confidence in decisions the New South Wales government are making in relation to these matters and I know they'll be following the medical advice. That's how you manage those issues and whatever level of crowd they ultimately decide is appropriate for the public event, I am sure will be based on the health advice and so, on that basis, I'm comfortable with those decisions and if they say it can go, if I happen to be in Sydney, I think that would be unlikely, given I suspect where the ACT's position will be over the course of the next week. If I was in Sydney, I would love to go there and sing the National Anthem in it’s new form.
Journalist: Prime Minister, yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the WHO being…
Prime Minister: I don't think the girls want to go to the cricket though, somehow. If they want to come, they can come with me. I know Jenny doesn’t want to come.
Journalist: Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the WHO first being informed by China of the new virus. Are you frustrated, is Australia frustrated, at the progress in the investigation of the origins and do you have any regrets about the way Australia led the calls for that investigation given the ramifications?
Prime Minister: No. We're patient and we continue to monitor the progress of that inquiry closely and support its swift conclusion.
Journalist: Just one for the Chief Medical Officer, sorry, Professor Kelly, we're seeing some reports coming out of Victoria now they have suspended testing in some parts because of a concern about the number of people coming back from New South Wales. Are you aware of anything to that effect, and would it be concerning given what we saw in Victoria just a few months ago, that they would suspend testing at a time like this?
Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer: So, I had extensive conversations in AHPPC about testing yesterday, including in Victoria. And I've had since then two conversations with the acting chief health officer, Professor Allan Cheng, just urging them. I know that Minister Hunt has been in contact with Minister Foley on that basis. So I definitely urge greater testing in the coming days, particularly in those geographic areas of concern. I will follow that up but I haven't heard of any particular halt. Certainly from our perspective, our GP respiratory clinics, we have expanded the testing in the ones run through the Commonwealth.
Journalist: Prime Minister, is there a view within government about what percentage of the population will need a COVID vaccine in order to kind of live in a COVID safe way and have no real restrictions?
Prime Minister: That's a medical question, I will defer to the CMO.
Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer: The vaccine would have an effect on that. But I think people need to realise it's not a magic bullet immediately. When the vaccines are found to be safe and effective, they will be rolled out in Australia, starting with those priority groups that we have talked through in many times, and based on the expert advice from the Australian immunisation committee, ATAGI. So that will happen as soon as it's ready to go and it is safe to do so, we'll be using it. It won't change everything else we're doing in relation to the pandemic immediately. We need to roll it out as we’re planning to do through the whole community next year, and I really encourage people to come forward when it's available to get that vaccine.
Journalist: Is there a ball park though? 95 percent, 90 percent, because there is a concern that possibly people are not wanting to take it?
Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer: As many people as possible, every person who takes it will be helpful. That's one way of improving the immunity within the community and decreasing the chance of transmission of the virus. So we're aiming for as many people as possible that can get it, starting with those high priority groups, our healthcare workers, our aged care workers, our aged people who we know are the most vulnerable.
Prime Minister: Australia has a very good record on vaccinations. We have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. One of the reasons for that is the system of regulations and approvals we put around vaccines themselves. That's why the government is being meticulous about following that process. I think it's good for public confidence. It's something I have discussed with the premiers and chief ministers and they are very supportive of that because of the nature of the take-up that we would hope for, and I think following that meticulous process is a strong national position. OK. Probably got time for one more.
Journalist: Are you hoping the New Year will see a bit of an improvement in the Australia-China relationship? The Foreign Minister of China has reported this week as saying he wants things back on track as early as possible. Are you hoping this New Year will see a better relationship between Australia and China?
Prime Minister: Well, I'm always optimistic, I'm always hopeful, I'm always positive. I would certainly welcome that. That would begin with leader level and ministerial level discussions which we're ready and open for, and we’re happy to do those. And as soon as those occur, then I think you would see that being fulfilled. That's not an obstacle at the Australian end. Thank you all very much. I wish everyone a very happy New Year, stay safe, and stronger safer together is how we got through 2020, and it's certainly how we'll emerge even more strongly in 2021. Happy New Year, Australia.
Prime Minister's Christmas Message to the ADF
24 December 2020
G'day and Merry Christmas to everyone in our Australian Defence Force.
You know, throughout our history, successive Australian governments have called on our ADF to respond to the most difficult and challenging of circumstances. And this year was no different.
We've made repeated calls on our defence forces, but especially here at home.
During our Black Summer of fires, we called on you to help keep Australians safe.
Our Army, our Navy, our Air Force were all deployed, flying through orange skies to reach fire affected communities and areas.
On Mallacoota Beach the relief was palpable when the HMAS Choules emerged from the smoke that blanketed the ocean. For those who had been through harrowing days and sleepless nights the arrival of our ADF was the sign that everything was going to be OK.
We called on you again in response to a once in a century pandemic, an unexpected challenge. But where once again the skill, adaptability and professionalism of our ADF was put to work keeping Australians safe.
Right now, there are some 1,500 ADF personnel spread across the country as part of Operation COVID-19 assist. And throughout the pandemic, more than 6,500 servicemen and women had delivered vital care and support to all states and territories.
But the work that we do overseas continues as well. This Christmas, nearly 1,500 Australian servicemen and women are deployed overseas. From Africa to the Middle East, Afghanistan and the Pacific.
We know you're far from home. You're upholding our nation's interests. You're defending our values. You are shining lights of our country.
This year, we also commemorated two historic events. The 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the awarding of the Victoria Cross for Australia to Ordinary Seaman Edward 'Teddy' Sheean.
At these events I had the opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary men and women of those times. Why did they join up? What caused them to make the selfless decisions that they made? How did they keep going under such relentless pressure? From where did they draw their strength?
Now, I have no easy answers to those questions, but I know you have special insights. They found an abiding strength through living for others. For country, for family, for mates and comrades.
Your service, your choices, your life, your service embodies not only who we are, but who we can be: strong, courageous, selfless, driven by our love of family, community and, of course, country.
This Christmas, I really want to honour your service, your choices, your abiding and selfless patriotism.
The respect that Australians feel for our Defence Force men and women and our veterans is earned. You've earned it through your service.
That cannot be taken away from you and never should. We respect and give thanks for the life of service that you have chosen.
On behalf of Jenny and my family and my government, and as a proud nation, I want to wish all of you and all of your families who share in your service a very Merry Christmas and a happier, and let's hope a more peaceful and prosperous 2021.
God bless.
Prime Minister's Christmas Message
24 December 2021
If there's one overwhelming feeling we have this Christmas, I think it's one of thankfulness, a sense of gratitude.
This year has not been easy for any of us.
Some of us have faced the loss of loved ones. Others, the loss of jobs and their livelihoods. Separation from family. Isolation during lockdowns and lost gatherings with those we love.
For all of us this year has been a time of stress and a lot of uncertainty.
Yet through it all, once again, we have rallied to each other, together.
Australians are an amazing people with an amazing spirit. And this year the Australian spirit has shone brightly again.
Though we had to be distant socially, emotionally we connected and turned to each other.
There were the firefighters and volunteers who got us through the Black Summer.
The doctors and nurses, the researchers and scientists doing their utmost to protect and care for us throughout this pandemic.
Retail workers kept the supply chains open.
Volunteers made sure that no one was left behind or left without.
Public servants out there providing support to people all over the country.
Everyone playing their part.
And even now up in Sydney, on the Northern Beaches, everyone is still there doing their bit to keep all of us safe right across the country.
So no matter where you are in Australia, this Christmas I think is one where, as Australians, we can once again count our blessings as a country.
And in our very Australian way, resolve once again to share those blessings with others wherever we can.
So we give thanks this year for our Christmas because our blessings outweigh our struggles.
It is the tradition of these messages to give a shout out to a group at Christmas who have done so much.
So I do want to thank and honour all our older Australians in aged care and their carers.
They have really endured a lot this year with visits limited and the loss of hugs and kisses and visits from the company of family. It's been terribly hard.
This year we saw you draw on that well of strength that you have displayed over your entire lifetime. And in doing so, you kept others safe.
For all of us, those who are Christian and those who are not, this Christmas is again a time of great hope.
And my prayer for Australia this Christmas comes from the great verse: "Let us not grow weary of doing good. For in due season we shall reap a harvest, if we do not give up."
So stay safe. Stay COVIDSafe.
May God bless you and your family at this Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Australia.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
21 December 2020
PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon everyone, I am joined by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly. Paul has now been officially appointed as the Chief Medical Officer after a rather exhaustive selection process. Congratulations, Paul and as you know he's been doing an outstanding job now and acting in that role for many months and he will update you on matters just in a few minutes.
2020 is not done with us yet, that is very clear and nor should we be surprised. The events of the past few days I have no doubt are incredibly frustrating and disappointing for people all around the country who had plans in place to get together and move in between states. The restrictions in Sydney of only ten people in a home, all very sensible, but I understand that it will be disappointing and frustrating because of the disruptions that have taken place and I have no doubt that the premiers feel the same way. But the actions that have been taken are necessary. As we look around the world we know what is happening and we know that we have to be cautious and the great gains that have been made at great sacrifice and at great cost over the course of this year, we intend to maintain them and that means that in circumstances like this, as we have done so now on many occasions we need to act swiftly as is occurring, as the authorities get on top of this and ensure that we can preserve the gains and ensure that we can go into 2021 in a good state.
The virus as I have often reminded everyone, it does not go anywhere it is still there, it is a global pandemic, and as a result outbreaks will occur from time to time. Remember the Crossroads outbreak. Northern Tasmania. Adelaide just a few weeks ago. Of course, what occurred in Melbourne. Even smaller outbreaks have occurred in Brisbane and many other places. It is how you respond to the outbreaks that matters. The outbreaks are things that are going to continue to occur and while great care is taken all around the country, then we can never fully rule out that an outbreak might occur at some point in time. In this case, what we are seeing is both great cooperation, as we have seen in other places before, but the geography I have got to tell you is helping this as well. Those of you who know Sydney well know that the peninsula is a very cohesive community that tends to keep to itself, a bit like the Shire down where I'm from and that is certainly I think assisting in making sure that the Avalon outbreak is staying exactly where it is and the Premier has already gone through at great length with the Chief Health Officer in New South Wales about where things are today.
But we do welcome the fact that we have seen a reduction in those new cases in that 24-hour period. That is no guarantee of tomorrow or the next day after that but it is certainly much better than the alternative and as we go into these next few days, we will be watching carefully as we endeavour to understand whether there has been further seeding, or any seeding I should say, there hasn't been at this point, in other parts of the city or other places and I'm sure Professor Kelly will make this point as well. If you're from that affected area in the Avalon outbreak and the Northern Beaches of Sydney, if you were there over the past fortnight and you happen to be somewhere else now, if you are in Adelaide, if you're in Queensland, if you are indeed here in the ACT or somewhere else, then the rules about isolation apply equally to you as they do to those of your neighbours who are back in Avalon and the Northern Beaches right now and I think that is a very important point and we seek people's cooperation. I think the speed at which the New South Wales authorities have been able to get on top of this and understand the extent of the community transmission in all of those places has been outstanding and that is greatly assisting them in managing this outbreak and that will continue.
I should note as Professor Kelly did on Friday that the Avalon outbreak does qualify under the national hot spot definition and that has been the case for several days now and so therefore the precautionary actions taken in other jurisdictions is understandable in that context. Let's hope that they won't be required for long. Let's hope that what we see here in New South Wales, and I think there is good cause for that hope and what we are seeing having just spoken again to the New South Wales Premier this morning there is good cause I think to have hope that if they continue to apply themselves in the way that they are and the cooperation continues then we can hopefully see things return to COVID normal as soon as we possibly could hope to see that occur. One of the very encouraging elements of the response so far has been the community response from some 38,000 tests conducted yesterday, that is a record. What that shows is that people are listening and they’re coming forward. All of those tests are incredibly helpful to the authorities as they get on top of this and manage to map the impacts of this community transmission. We are already seeing that some of those who are identified as having the virus were already in isolation. They had already isolated themselves as a result of the precautionary approach that had been advised by the health authorities and that shows you that the system is working. The turnaround on testing, same day, we will know of anecdotal evidence of people getting turnarounds in tests in a number of hours, for some it has taken a bit longer than that. But the same day turnaround, the ability to ensure that they are running tracing to ground within those 48-hour periods, these are key metrics that are being hit and very essential to the response.
Just quickly on the issue of aged care. There are no cases in any aged care facilities in these affected areas and in fact none in the country. There is one case where there was a visitor but I'm advised that the visitor was wearing a mask when they were visiting that individual and at this stage there is no suggestion that there has been any virus infection at that site or any other sites. That said, we have put in place the single site working arrangements and support of the facilities in the affected areas, and in addition to that we are also doubling down on the support provided for PPE and other supports through the aged care facilities to ensure that those facilities on infection control and the other matters are being well attended to.
I've already mentioned the testing. On the Commonwealth funded GP respiratory clinics, all across New South Wales and the ACT we have agreed a request to allow asymptomatic testing and that will continue for as long as it needs to. That testing is proving also very helpful with New South Wales authorities on tracking the course of the community transmission. On Defence I should note that we have some 1,298 Defence Force personnel who are deployed to supporting our priority which is hotel quarantine. That includes 342 officers in New South Wales, 284 in Queensland, 150 in Victoria and the other numbers I can make available to those who are seeking them, some 1,600 ADF personnel are directly involved in the effort all around the country. We will be providing the response to the request for additional logistics and other support to the Victorian Government to support their border operations but that does not extend to actual patrolling of the borders, that is not something the Defence Force is doing any longer and that will be done by state officials and supported through the ADF with their logistics and other planning experience. But our major priority for ADF is actually on the hotel quarantine and that is where I think we can add the most value and that is certainly the view of the ADF and General Frewen who is responding in assessing each of those cases.
I also note the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment for those who are in New South Wales who are having to take tests and isolate themselves that continues to be available. Some $18 million has been paid out in that payment since it was first introduced to Australians and Australian residents, $16 million of that I note was paid in Victoria and so in New South Wales for those who need to access that payment they can access that payment and hopefully that will be of great use to you.
The only other thing I was going to note today was that tomorrow's swearing-in ceremony, we will be doing virtually. Bringing people from around the country to the ACT, including from Sydney, we don't think it is a wise decision and so alternative arrangements have been made with the Governor-General and we will arrange another suitable time for a formal ceremony later in January. But the official swearing-in to enable those changes to the ministry will take place tomorrow and those arrangements will become active after that swearing-in.
So with that, I might pass over to Professor Kelly.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thank you, PM. So just to add on a couple of extras to what the PM has already said. The key element of the what is now being called the Avalon outbreak, and that is important to consider that, this is very localised thing at the moment, as the PM mentioned, that part of the Northern Beaches is quite insular, actually. They tend to stay where they are in that peninsula. So all of the cases so far, all of them, the 83 locally acquired cases that have happened since the 17th of December in New South Wales have been linked back to that cluster. So most of them are living in Avalon, Newport and surrounding suburbs. Almost all of them have had either a direct link or an indirect link to those events that happened in the RSL on the 11th and the Bowling Club in Avalon on the 13th of December.
So just to go through those numbers, and this is an important thing to think about, not just the daily numbers but the trend. So on the 17th of December, we have three cases. On the 18th of December we had 15 cases, on the 19th of December we had, 18th of December, 15. 19th of December 23. 20th of December 30. And today, 15. So it has gone up and come down, it may go up again. We cannot absolutely guarantee that. But at the moment the trend is good and crucially, despite the fact that we had 38,578 tests yesterday, that is all we found, was 15, and they were all linked to that particular cluster. That is a huge response from the community and a real shout out to the people of Greater Sydney but particularly the Northern Beaches. Almost quadrupled the number of average daily tests as was occurring two weeks ago so that is an enormous response and people are coming forward and that is something we need to absolutely stress. Anyone who has been to any of those places that has been mentioned on the New South Wales Health website, they should take on that advice. Isolate, get tested if that is the case and then that is how we know whether it has spread further. For those, anyone in Sydney particularly, at the moment but throughout the country please download the COVIDSafe app if you have not already done so, make sure it is switched on. And secondly, if you go to a place that has a QR code, check in. Use it. That is how we can really get on top of these issues if anyone has been to those venues, that is how we know who else has been there and we can get that done quickly.
For those of you who are now not going to be able to share a family Christmas, it is the same for me, and so make sure you check in on your family and make sure they are keeping well and look at virtual ways, as the PM has said, if it works for the Ministers being sworn in, we can have virtual Christmases, we have had it all through this year and we are very good at that. So make sure you do keep in touch with your family and don't be separated at this time, even though you physically cannot be there.
Thanks.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Paul. We have been here before. We have been able to overcome this before, including in New South Wales. New South Wales, I should stress, has not sought any additional support at this point. They have got it covered, but the Premier is aware of what is available to her if she needs it. I should note that in Victoria, particularly the support the Defence is providing is in defence accommodation for accommodation for those involved in addressing those border issues. The medical expert panel is meeting every day and Paul will chair that meeting this afternoon. The transport Ministers were meeting today, pulled together by the Deputy Prime Minister, and that is just to ensure that the freight continues to operate with these border changes coming in over the last sort of 48 hours. The Health Ministers will be meeting on Wednesday and if there is a need for the meeting of the National Cabinet, we did not meet especially when the Adelaide outbreak occurred, I think there is a few more days of data, and these other meetings, I think addressing the operational issues here, I have not had direct requests from any of the Premiers for that to occur and I noted there has been a commentary in the media. But that said, I mean National Cabinet can come together but with the medical experts actually meeting and advising them, they are getting all of that information direct they have made their calls when it comes to the precautionary arrangements on the border restrictions they have put in place and I think after a couple more days we will know a bit more and if there is a need to do that, well of course we can do that. Do it on Christmas Eve if necessary, do it on Christmas Day but between now and then, I think we will allow those people who have the job of advising and taking those operational decisions to just get on with it.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, in the past few days we’ve seen as a result of this Avalon cluster state Premiers close their borders. We’re not going to have a vaccine widely available in Australia until the end of next year. Is it your expectation now that every time we see a cluster pop up in this country, state Premiers are going to close their borders, restrictions will be imposed and the country will for a short time go backwards again?
PRIME MINISTER: The vaccine will be available in March, not at the end of next year.
JOURNALIST: Widely available.
PRIME MINISTER: It will take some months for it to work its way through the population but I note, Paul, there still has not been the emergency authorisation in the United Kingdom as yet and I can assure Australians that I will not be putting their health at risk in the way we manage both the approval and deployment of the vaccine. It must be safe, it must follow all of those rules. I note that in Australia we have the highest, one of the highest vaccination rates in the world and that is because of the trust they place in the system and their expectation of me and indeed the Secretary of the Department of Health and Health Minister and Professor Skerritt at the TGA is that we follow all of those processes very, very diligently. Now, as I said before, we have a hot spot in Avalon. We have a hot spot in the Northern Beaches and when you have hot spots respond to those with restrictions. That is the way this has been successfully managed anywhere in the world and Australia is no different to that. The ultimate decisions that states make our sovereign matters for them. As I have said to you before, the states, they determine their own definition of a hot spot and what restrictions they put in place. We have sought to get a national approach to that and the states and territories have chosen that they want to retain their flexibility to set those issues for their individual states and territories. They have the constitutional power to do that. In the New Year, if there is a way to get further streamlining of that and consistency, well, my door is always open to have those discussions but I can assure you, though, the states have a very strong view about retaining their decision-making power over those issues, they are responsible for public health in their states and so that is understandable. But as we deal with the virus, it is unpredictable, it does do this and how you respond is very important. So long as it is done transparently and efficiently and as quickly as the Northern Territory has been doing this now for months and months and months. The will have areas go on and off a hot spot list in a matter of days if not weeks. That process in the Northern Territory has worked extremely efficiently and that is what the Commonwealth view of the national hot spot has been based on, that Northern Territory experience. You can't ignore hot spots, you can’t pretend they are not there and they don’t present a risk. Of course they present a risk and until we have a vaccine that is reaching the necessary levels that is required across the country, then these are the ways we will have to practically manage these issues. But the difference between now and when we were dealing without breaks six or seven months ago is night and day and I think that is what we will continue to see in New South Wales in the days ahead.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you disappointed that we won't be able to open by Christmas as formally hoped?
PRIME MINISTER: I couldn’t quite hear you, sorry.
JOURNALIST: Do you think are you disappointed we won't be able to opened by Christmas as you formally hoped and also do you think this most recent outbreak will have any material impact on the economic situation in the country?
PRIME MINISTER: On the first point, like any other Australian, of course we wanted everything to be opened by Christmas but the virus has had a different idea about that and that is just a practical reality. I should say, though, in the seven states and territories we certainly will having Christmas in this country like few countries in the world are and so every Christmas is a time to be thankful and while there are frustrations and disappointments and disruptions this Christmas, I think here in Australia we have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to be grateful for and those people who we are able to join with are the most important things we should be grateful for. And so that will go ahead, either directly or as Paul says, virtually. So I think we have to keep that in some sort of perspective. On economic issue, well, it is still too early. What we are looking at here is an outbreak in one quite geographically defined part of Sydney which at the moment is not suggesting broader seeding and having a broader impact now. As the Chief Medical Officer says, he can't guarantee it won't take a different course. But that said, if it were to continue on in that way, just like we saw with the Adelaide outbreak a few weeks ago, then these things would have a very minimal impact on those economic scenarios. In the short term though, of course it is highly disruptive, there is no doubt about that.
JOURNALIST: Just on the comments about Christmas, it is still a few days away, are you praying for a Christmas miracle and also is there a need to reconsider or even consider travel restrictions from the UK given the mutated strain?
PRIME MINISTER: I will let Paul deal with that, why don’t you deal with that item first Paul, and that I will share my prayer diary with the gallery.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So on the new strand in the UK, I think we need to put that in context. Firstly, there has been thousands of mutations of this particular novel coronavirus, you remember that is what it was called at the beginning. It was new coronavirus and had a mutation to get there and there have been small mutations along the way, but thousands of them. The particular strain which is circulating especially in the south-east of England at the moment does have some particular mutations related to the spike protein. That is important because it is the way the virus gets into the cells and also the particular part of the virus that the vaccines are attacking, all the vaccines are related to the spike protein. Having said that, there is no definite evidence at the moment that this is a significant change. There has been more transmission in recent times in south-east of the UK and that may be associated with the virus. There is certainly more transmission going on but that is also related to the few weeks before Christmas. So the way I look at this, as with every infectious disease, there are three things going on. There is an environment, a host, that is humans and the infectious agent. So the infectious agent has changed a little, there a lot of people moving around in south-east England or have been until the recent lockdown. It is also winter so those all three are important elements to consider. In terms of what that means for people coming from the UK here, everyone coming from the UK is going into 14 days of hotel quarantine and they are of no risk as that quarantine works so successfully, as it has done for the most part here in Australia since the beginning. PM?
PRIME MINISTER: Miracles happen every day in Australia, small and large, and I think Christmas is a time to give thanks to those that we know of.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the review into the problems with the hotel quarantine in Victoria, their findings out today, they conclude that no person or agency claimed any responsibility for the decision to use private security as the first tier of security and all vigorously disputed the possibility they could have played a part in the decision. Do you think that is a credible finding? Is there a problem now with the lack of accountability about the failures of hotel quarantine in Victoria?
PRIME MINISTER: What matters most is that we learn the lessons from what happened. Not just on that occasion but there have been many events and incidents that have occurred over the course of the pandemic and my focus has been, along with my team is to learn from each and every occasion. On quarantine, as a National Cabinet at our instigation we initiated the Holton Review that has gone around and checked right across the country and there have been significant improvements on the tracing. We had Doctor Finkel do something very similar and we have seen major improvements that have come from that. In the middle of a pandemic, you just have to focus on making sure you learn the lessons and you get it right going forward. I honestly think the best way I can continue to do that job is just by keeping looking forward, learning whatever we can from those experiences. I mean, I go back when we were dealing with the outbreak in northern Tasmania, I was down in Tasmania, down in Devonport just a few days ago, reflecting on that with Premier Gutwein. I spoke to a doctor who was involved up on that outbreak on that occasion and there were things that were learned from that experience and that translated to the next one. And so on each occasion, we are now here with what is of course a serious outbreak in Avalon but with the tools and capability to deal with it better than we have in previous outbreaks. So, you know, they have made their report, they’ve made their findings, others will judge that in the Victorian context and for the Victorian Government. That is a matter for them. What I am focused on is working and supporting every single government in this country, leading from our Government, to ensure we put in place the best possible response on each and every occasion.
Paul, you are being very patient today.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what progress has been made to strengthen the standards for quarantine of international aircrew and why did it take until December to decide that crews should be in fewer airports, fewer hotels closer to the airports?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it has been a combination of practices by the states, as you may know. Some states already were quarantining aircrews in one hotel hotel and New South Wales is moving to that. I should stress though, New South Wales takes half the international arrivals to Australia every week. So New South Wales has been carrying the lion’s share of the burden of getting Australians home. 3,000 even now, every week. Despite the challenges they’re facing now, New South Wales continues to do everything it can to get Australians home and they’re not just from New South Wales. They are from all the other states and territories. Victoria is still only at 1,000. Great to see them come up and in my discussions I’ve had with the Premier but we will see that happen when it is safe to do so. New South Wales keeps carrying that burden and great to see in Queensland they have gone up to about 1,300 per week and in WA it is just over 1,000. That’s great but New South Wales continues to carry the heaviest burden on quarantining international arrivals into this country. That means they have more aircrew and more pilots and they had more challenges in managing that than any other state or territory in the Commonwealth. So the arrangements they are putting in place now, I spoke to the Health Minister in New South Wales Brad Hazzard about this yesterday and I support the moves they are making there across all those who are involved, aircrew, pilots and others. That will only further strengthen the system, there is no doubt about that and that is a welcome development and we will continue to support them in those efforts.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on the hot spot definition it sounds like you have all but abandoned the hope of actually getting a national definition. Do you not think that as the Federal Government it is your responsibility to give some certainty to all Australians about what will happen in the events of outbreaks?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't agree with your assessment and I don't agree with your summing up of what the constitutional position is by implication. The National Cabinet has been able to achieve things that hasn't been achieved in so many other federated countries around the world. The point I was making to you is that state premiers take their responsibilities for the public health of people in their jurisdictions very seriously. If they feel that they want to have a stronger rule or different set of rules to exercise their responsibilities, then that is understandable. That is their accountability and the basis upon which they’re elected as governments and where possible, we seek to make these things consistent but what we need to look at is what the result has been and that is Australia has had one of the most successful outcomes in a suppressing the virus in this country of almost any other country in the world. I haven’t finished. And so I would stress to you that where we can work together, we do, and where states want to exercise their responsibilities to have differing arrangements, well that is the Federation of Australia. We will continue to make as consistent as possible but as I said in this case, the Avalon outbreak actually matches the national hot spot definition. It actually does and we have seen states respond along those lines. So I wouldn't take the same pessimistic view.
JOURNALIST: Is the COVIDSafe app being used in the contact tracing efforts for the Avalon cluster?
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry?
JOURNALIST: Is the COVIDSafe app being used in Avalon?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
JOURNALIST: Has it managed to track down many positive cases?
PRIME MINISTER: It is provided the same use it has right across. But Paul might want to add to that.
JOURNALIST: Has it managed to track down any positive cases?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: It is definitely being used and you remember it really a tool that is to be used by the contact tracers. New South Wales has, I would hazard that they would actually have the best contract tracers in the world. With their manual processes with the QR codes and everything else that they’re using as well as Opal card data, all sorts of other ways of getting that information, they are getting a lot of information from the people coming forward, getting tested and being questioned. They are putting the COVIDSafe app into that and at the moment haven't got any extra information from that but this is absolutely crucial and as we move, if this virus was to move outside the Northern Beaches, this is the way we will find those people if they are in contact. So please download the app.
PRIME MINISTER: As we have in other cases with outbreaks and so it is an important backstop measure that actually integrates with other tools being used.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can I ask about trade diversification, we're looking at other markets other than China, what countries specifically are we looking to trade with how long will these new arrangements take?
PRIME MINISTER: Let me stress, already the Government has increased the two-way trade that is covered by trade agreements under our Government from 26 percent to 70 percent that’s quite a, that’s the biggest diversification of our trade opportunities that this country has ever seen up to this point. The next two big agreements we are working on is with the UK and European Union which we have been working on for some time, ever since Brexit basically began with the referendum. We have been engaging with the UK on that matter and obviously have to waited until they finalise the arrangements with the EU. But at the same time, we have been working with the EU and would like to finalise that next year and I have made that point in my discussions with European leaders that have been quite extensive over the last six months.
JOURNALIST: A lot of the businesses in accommodation and the tourism sector rely on January, the income they earn in that period to tide them over for the rest of the year. We are looking at cutting JobKeeper from 10 days, I guess, effectively in the New Year. Is there any thought given to maybe putting a pause on that, or providing further assistance to those businesses that are going to be hit and given what you and Professor Kelly were saying about it being localised on the insular peninsular, do you think that perhaps the states, the other states, may be in a position to lift those border restrictions quite quickly before the end of the Christmas holidays for instance, the summer holidays?
PRIME MINISTER: It all depends on the data, it all depends on the data over the next few days. It may well be that what we're seeing in the Avalon outbreak goes the same way that the Adelaide outbreak went and it all comes and goes and in that sort of period of time and then things can then restore where they were prior to that. We're not at that point yet to be able to make those judgements. Hopefully in the next few days, next week, that will become clearer. But what we have done all the way through, particularly managing in relation to the economic response to the pandemic, is to ensure we have been driven and led by the evidence that we're seeing and Australia's economic response has been in the top tier around the world. I make this point, that without JobKeeper over the course of this year, the doubling initially of the JobSeeker payment, the JobTrainer initiatives, HomeBuilder, the Apprenticeship Support Programs, all of this, then the health response that has been put in place around the country by the states and territories would not have been possible. The economic foundation and support that was put in place by the Commonwealth Government enabled the public health response at a state and territory level. The Commonwealth bankrolled, wrote the cheque that underpinned what has been an outstanding health response at a state and territory level. The two have gone together and that's a partnership that I think has made Australia's response this year stand out at an international level. So we're always careful how we apply these things. The dates and the transitions are set, we’ve got no plans to change any of those, and we'll see what happens over the next week or so with the Avalon outbreak but at this stage I can't see any reason why any of that would change.
JOURNALIST: What discussions have you had with Jacinda Ardern around the New Zealand travel bubble, has this outbreak delayed that further?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the travel bubble with New Zealand is a matter for New Zealand. New Zealanders are welcomed to come to Australia and that arrangement has been going very successfully. The last figure I had, I think was about 9,000 New Zealanders had come through. It’s probably more than that now Paul, and without any incident whatsoever. If New Zealand wants Australians to be able to travel to New Zealand in the same way, that's entirely a matter for New Zealand. The last chat we had with her was exactly that. If New Zealand would like to do that, fine. That's great. But it's not a decision for Australia. It's a matter for New Zealand. Australia has no role to play in that decision whatsoever.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, do you envisage a time where you would cancel flights from UK as a result of the new strain following what's happened in Europe and Canada, or do you believe that hotel quarantine is as good a defence as cancelling flights?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have no plans to go down the path you have suggested. We always take the medical advice on these things and as Professor Kelly has just set out, at this stage there's nothing to suggest that such a significant action would be warranted. We're always mindful of the medical advice on these things. Our hotel quarantine system has been a very effective and important defence in the vast majority of cases. Of course, we all know what occurred in Victoria and we all know what has occurred in New South Wales and a number of other places on occasions. But I'd stress this, it's not just about the quarantine, it's also then about the response and the behaviours that people follow and so as we go into these last few days before Christmas, I think it is good to be mindful that the virus hasn't gone anywhere. I think it's important that we provide support to each other, particularly those who are most affected at the moment. I really feel for those small businesses and medium-sized businesses who have had their businesses disrupted again. But they know that the Government has been supporting them all the way through. There's not a place I go to in this country and my colleagues where business owners come to us and say, "JobKeeper kept my employees in jobs. JobKeeper kept my business in business." So they know, they understand, the Government has stood with them over the course of this year and I think the Australian people understand that as well through the record levels of support that has been provided. And we have been able to do that in partnership with the states and territories to ensure that Australia's response has stood out all around the world. So as we go into Christmas, while it's frustrating, I know, and while it's disappointing, deeply disappointing that some of the reunions that might have happened this Christmas for many families won't happen, but they will happen in the New Year. People will get together. We will get through this like we have got through so many other events. It's important to stay calm, to follow the health advice, to follow the public health information that is available, to keep the COVID safe behaviours and practises in place and I think we got a very good cause and very good reason to trust what is happening in New South Wales at the moment. They really are continuing to demonstrate their gold standard when it comes to managing these issues and I'm very hopeful that that will play out even more positively in the days ahead. Thanks very much.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
18 December 2020
Prime Minister: Before I make some statements about the changes to Ministerial portfolios that has been brought on of course by the retirement of Mathias Cormann, a few quick words around the situation in New South Wales.
As you all know, we have a reported total of 28 locally acquired COVID-19 cases that are linked to the Northern Beaches cluster. The two first cases reported on the 16th of December 2020, a total of 28 cases are currently associated with that cluster, including one case that was diagnosed in Queensland on 18 December of 2020. The majority of cases I'm advised and the New South Wales Premier would have already made reference to this I'm sure, they involved two venues, the Avalon RSL and the Avalon bowlo. And a number of cases are linked to one or both of those venues including the case diagnosed in Queensland and the Avalon RSL case is considered to be the source of the initial seeding of that cluster. All of those cases attended a number of venues whilst infectious, which have been part of a public health alert and most of the cases live in the Northern Beaches.
New South Wales has dealt with many of these challenges over the course of recent months and over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, New South Wales have demonstrated an extraordinary capacity to deal with these challenges and I retain full confidence in their ability to do that. I was with the Premier for most of yesterday, in fact as you’d know when we were up in Northern New South Wales when this information was coming through and already their agencies were right onto it. They are working around the clock as you have seen, with the amount of detail and information they've been able to identify in such a short period of time. So our advice is to just take heed of the information that has been made available by the New South Wales authorities if you're in any of these areas then what you need to do is set out very clearly there. For those who are in other states then it's the same rule, follow the advice of your local health authorities.
Of course, these things remind us that we are still in the midst of a global pandemic, the virus has not gone away, it is still there and as a result all the measures that we continuously take are necessary to continue to protect Australia. We have dealt with this before, we'll deal with it again, it's important that people just remain calm about these issues and follow the instructions that they're receiving from their local health authorities and I was in contact again with the Premier of New South Wales just before coming out here and she like I am very grateful to the cooperation of the public in responding to their requests and following the instructions that have been provided.
I'm very grateful to the Australian people for the way they have always throughout the course of this pandemic just got on with it and made sure they’re taking the necessary precautions and being highly responsive to the requests that are being made of them.
But today I'm here to announce changes to the Ministry which I propose to recommend to the Governor-General. The decisions that I have made reflect the very strong focus on stability in key portfolios, together with a commitment to bring forward some new talent as Australia continues its comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic. In a time of great uncertainty, stability and consistency is very much what is needed. And what I'm announcing today I think, very much continues that thread of what has been a constant in Australia over the course of this year. In a time of uncertainty, I think Australians have been able to look to their governments, plural and see the stability and certainty and constancy that is necessary for them as they navigate their own pathway through what has been a very challenging year.
Key portfolios geared to Australia's prosperity and security they remain unchanged. Treasury, Finance, Employment, Skills, Small Business and Family Business, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Home Affairs, all key portfolios, remaining unchanged.
There are no changes to the Nationals in the Ministry and associated policy responsibilities also remain unchanged under the leadership of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Mr McCormack.
The Ministry also maintains its record representation of women in Cabinet.
Following the appointment of Simon Birmingham as Minister for Finance, taking over from Australia's longest-serving Finance Minister, Mathias Cormann, in October, the Honourable Dan Tehan will be taking on the job as our new Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Dan brings incredibly strong credentials to this role as a former officer in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as a keen sense of the particular interests of regional and rural Australia in open rules-based trading systems.
The Aged Care portfolio will be elevated into Cabinet, with Greg Hunt as Health Minister taking on the additional responsibilities of Aged Care for the Government's response in particular to the Aged Care Royal Commission that will be handed down next year and the response that will be brought together as part of next year's Budget. The Honourable Richard Colbeck, Senator from Tasmania will retain responsibility for Aged Care Services and that includes the delivery of the Residential and Home Care packages, the Aged Care Sector regulation, as well as retaining his responsibilities for Senior Australians and as Minister for Sport. And I thank Richard for the great work he's been doing in what has been a very difficult year in this portfolio. Richard will continue to play a very important role in the response that the Government brings together in response to the Royal Commission and being able to maintain the continuity and the corporate knowledge that has been built up during a very challenging time I think will be incredibly important for the Government and myself and Minister Hunt as we bring that response to the Royal Commission and the broader strategies of reform together next year.
The Cabinet remains, will remain where it currently is now at 22 members and so there is a realignment of other portfolios to take account of the departure of Mathias Cormann and the appointment of Dan Tehan as Trade Minister.
The Education, and what will become the Education and Youth portfolio that will be assigned to Alan Tudge with a clear brief of improving education outcomes and in particular helping younger Australians navigate challenges in a rapidly changing world. He will be supported by an Assistant Minister for Youth and also Employment Services supporting Minister Cash, and that will be taken up by Luke Howarth who will take on that role from Queensland.
Paul Fletcher will take on broader responsibilities in addition to Communications and the Arts, he will also take back on the roles of Urban Infrastructure and Cities all of which together sit within the Infrastructure Department.
The Honourable David Coleman will be returning both to the Parliament and to the Executive and as a clear indication of what is a very significant priority for me he will be taking on the role of Assistant Minister to me as Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. This is a critical focus of the Government. As you know, we have provided a National Suicide Prevention Adviser to the Government and to me as Prime Minister and integrating that with the broader reforms that we're continuing to make in the mental health area. This has been highlighted as recently again as last Friday at the Federation Reform Council and the meeting of the National Cabinet. This will be a key area of collaboration, Federation reform, to deal with the many challenges that exist within mental health and suicide prevention. He joins me as an Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister because dealing with these issues is just not a challenge of the mental health portfolio within Health, it is a broader whole-of-government and, I'd say, whole-of-governments challenge, in dealing with mental health and suicide prevention. This is a matter that is very dear to my heart and I'm very pleased that David after a very difficult year for him personally is now in a position to be able to resume his responsibilities in the Parliament as a Member, as well as taking on a continuing role in the Executive. He stands down from where he previously was as a Minister in the government and takes on this very important role and on that note, I do want to thank the Leader of the Opposition, in particular, for his cooperation and support in enabling David over the past year to deal with those issues and now he is returning we thank them for the way that they handled that matter.
Strengthening the economic team, and in recognition of the growing importance of digital technology and the digital economy to Australia's economic future, Senator the Honourable Jane Hume will be promoted to the Ministry, and she will take on the expanded responsibilities from Superannuation and Financial Services, which she's been working on now since the last election and she will now take on the role as Digital Economy Minister. The Digital Transformation Package was a key component of the most recent Budget. It was something that I highlighted last year as one of the key areas of our job-making economic plan for Australia and has become even more important as we emerge from the COVID-19 recession.
Building on the success of the Government's housing policies, particularly in maintaining those residential construction jobs during the COVID pandemic, I am integrating the roles of Housing Minister, which is held by Michael Sukkar and also to include in his responsibilities swearing in him also to the Social Services Department portfolios as Minister for Homelessness, Social and Community Housing, and combining all aspects of the Housing Policy challenge under one Minister.
To further drive Australia's pursuit of new economic opportunities and challenges in a new global economy a post-COVID economy, Senator the Honourable Jonathon Duniam will become Assistant Minister for Industry Development. He will retain his Assistant Minister roles for Forestry and Fishing. Now Jono will be working across both the Industry and the Agriculture portfolio assisting his senior Ministers in Minister Littleproud and Karen Andrews to particularly look at the challenges facing Australian industry on the global trade front, ensuring that the diversification challenges and adjustments that they're making we can support, and he'll be working to those Ministers, and obviously work closely with the new Minister for Trade.
A portfolio which has always been close to my experience and so I don't hand this one out lightly, the Honourable Alex Hawke will take on the job of Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs. Australia has yet again proven in 2020 that we are the most successful immigrant and multicultural nation on earth and we have demonstrated that again and I know Alex will do an outstanding job in this area. He has previously worked as an Assistant Minister in this area and he has deep connections, particularly in the New South Wales community in this area, and is very conscious of the migration needs and migrant services support needs that are needed in that sector.
Senator the Honourable Zed Seselja will be promoted to the ministry and he will take on Alex's former portfolio as Minister for International Development and the Pacific. The Government's demonstrated commitment to our Pacific family very real, even right now, as cyclones go through Fiji I was in contact yesterday morning with Prime Minister Bainimarama assuring him of our steadfast support to be there for them in their time of need which he greatly appreciated. Our Step Up to our Pacific family is felt very deeply by our Pacific family and friends and this is a matter that is critically important to the Government. Zed has a great experience in the Parliament. He's served in a number of Assistant Minister roles and I think that brings great added benefit, particularly to our Senate team, which is combining with Senator Hume, creating two new Ministries for Senators which will boost those ranks within the Senate amongst our Ministers. There is also the work that we announced most recently at the ASEAN and East Asia Summits where we have upped our level of investment in the ASEAN region, particularly in many of the development projects which sit in the Mekong Delta. This is also important to Australia's engagement with the region and that has been incredibly well received. He will also play a key role in ensuring that we roll out the vaccine in our Pacific family into the new year. Being an ACT Senator situates him also very well with all the various embassies and missions that are here in the ACT, which enables him to work well with those development partners as part of those roles.
Every Prime Minister needs an outstanding Assistant Minister, and I've had a tremendous one in Ben Morton and he will continue in that role as Assistant Minister to me and the Cabinet, and he will take on additional responsibilities both in taking on the public service role formally which was being done by Greg Hunt with him taking on Aged Care, Ben will take on that role, which he has now been doing for some time during the pandemic unofficially under my direction and in addition to that, he will take on the role of Assistant Minister for Electoral Matters.
Bringing in new talent to the Executive, I'm delighted to announce that Senator the Honourable Amanda Stoker will become Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General. There is no harder-working Minister in the Government than the Attorney-General and the Minister for Industrial Relations, and the Leader of the Government in the House and Amanda Stoker is well-credentialed, extremely talented. As senator for Queensland, I'm pleased to see another Queenslander in the Executive, which lifts that representation for Queensland in our Executive and I think she's going to do an absolutely sensational job.
I also want to thank Steve Irons. Steve, there would be few people as the media, I suspect might know who are closer to me than Steve Irons. We have, we came into this Parliament together in 2007, and we are deeply close and personal friends and I've been so pleased that Steve has been able to serve in the Assistant Ministry, and I thank him for his great passion. Steve is the ultimate team player and Steve has always promoted younger people throughout his entire life. And Steve wanted to make way for another great Western Australian to be able to come into our Executive at this time, someone who's also done a great job not only in his local electorate, but has served our country admirably. And so I say to Steve and to Cheryl, I want to thank you, Steve. You've been doing a fantastic job, and I know you'll continue to do a fantastic job. We'll be working through new areas for Steve to be working, but he has stood aside from the Executive, which makes the way available for me to appoint Andrew Hastie as the Assistant Minister for Defence. No one possibly could question what Andrew can bring to this role at this very important time. It's something that the Minister for Defence and I felt very strongly about. We're very pleased that Andrew can join us in that team and I think he'll do an extraordinary job. His service is already on public record in uniform and what he's done here in this Parliament, and particularly as Chair of the PJCIS Committee has been exemplary. That means that because of the new entries to the Executive, there will be a number of committee and other roles that now will become freed up, and we'll look closely at those.
As you can see, there is only two members who have come into the Executive, so this is on the scale of changes, as Mark and other senior members of the gallery will know, this is not a large-scale change this is a modest set of changes and I think that is important at this time. To have that stability and to have that certainty and to have that constancy. That's what Australians are relying on and that's made possible because I have an outstanding team who are doing an outstanding job and I will continue to commend them on the work they're doing and rely on them as all of the Australian people are.
So with that, I'm happy to take questions.
Journalist: [Inaudible] Minister Tehan could bring to the Trade portfolio perhaps try something a bit different or do you see him just basically taking over from where Simon Birmingham left over?
Prime Minister: I think very much what you’ve just said then, Australia's position on these issues are very clear, and I think constancy and consistency in those matters is just as important. We've made our position very clear and we will continue to seek engagement at both Ministerial, and Dan will seek those opportunities as I continue to at a leader level. But our position is very clear. There are matters that are now being brought forward to the WTO. But I also want to stress as important as those issues are with China, there is also a very big agenda to be pursued next year with the EU and the UK and Minister Birmingham has been doing an outstanding job in those areas and in recent months, I've had the opportunity to talk to most European leaders and of course to Prime Minister Johnson on several occasions and we both share this as a big ambition for next year. Ursula von der Leyen and I and President Michel from the European Union, this was a big factor in our discussion while I was in isolation. So Dan will be picking up that. What Dan brings I think as I said in my remarks, he has a technical expertise in this area having served in a trade role as an officer for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade nut also, I think, he brings an important rural and regional focus to this issue and I think that's very welcome.
Journalist: Prime Minister, many people will see Alan Tudge moving to Education as a promotion. Do you think that passes the pub test given the revelations that came out about him just several months ago?
Prime Minister: Well, first of all this is a reassignment of portfolios and there are no changes to the order of precedence. So to couch it in those terms I wouldn't, and neither does Alan take it in that context. But you raise the issue so let's talk about it. Alan's judgement of some years ago in his own personal life that pre-dated my Prime Ministership, he has served as Cabinet Minister for many years and, indeed, was put into the Ministry and to the Cabinet by my predecessor and he has continued in those roles and he's served very well as a Minister in the Government. Alan's decisions in his own personal life he has taken full personal responsibility for and no one has paid a greater price for those things than his family and those that they affected and himself. What has impressed me about Alan is he's dealt with these issues honestly. They relate to things that happened some years ago, many years ago now actually and for them to be now re-presented at this time as if they're fresh revelations, or anything that go to his current conduct I think would be very unfair, Lanai. And as a result he continues to do a great job. But as Alan Tudge who for the past 12 months has taken on two Ministerial portfolios while David Coleman has been unable to perform those roles, and he's done that with great application and at the same time dealing more recently with the issues that were raised in the Four Corners report. So I think the timing here needs to be understood. The issues that were raised in regard to Alan Tudge happened some years ago. He's accepted responsibility for his own personal conduct. He's had to deal with that in seeking to restore relationships in his own personal life and his own family and so I would ask that that is the main issue where that needs to be addressed and there are no matters that are before me in terms of Alan Tudge's conduct as a Cabinet Minister in my Government that could in any way, preclude him to continue to serve in these roles.
Journalist: You said that Richard Colbeck had done a good job in Aged Care but taking primary responsibility for his portfolio away from him and giving it to a Senior Minister would seem like a strange way of recognising that. How could that be seen as anything other than a demotion for Colbeck?
Prime Minister: This is about elevating Aged Care into the Cabinet. That's the decision I've made and that is important that we elevate Aged Care into the Cabinet because of the seriousness of this issue, the size and scale of the reform program that will need to be implemented post the Royal Commission report. So I'm preparing for that by ensuring that the Aged Care portfolio is held at the highest level it can be and that's by the Health Minister Greg Hunt, who I'm sure people agree has done an amazing job over the course of the pandemic. What I'm doing is putting more grunt, more resource, more capacity into dealing with the challenges in aged care. One of the things that I think happen, often, when there are reshuffles is there is tendency to look at these things always in personal terms and the internal politics and to be honest what matters is aged care and the care of elderly Australians. And what I want to ensure is as we frame our response to the Royal Commission that we have more effort, more application, and more senior-level engagement with that while continuing to draw on the experience that Richard has had in that portfolio. So this is about more focus on aged care not less and that's all it's about. Jono?
Journalist: A quick ring-around shows there's nobody in the country on a ventilator in regards to having COVID. Do Premiers need to take that into consideration, considering some of the rules or the lockdowns they're now enforcing on people coming from the Northern Beaches, the fact that there's nobody on a ventilator with COVID in the country. And if this is the measure that we're now going to see from Premiers, do you need to think about fast-tracking the rolling out of the vaccination program across the country, rather than delaying it until March and having as you said a ringside seat to the rest of the world?
Prime Minister: I don't take hasty decisions on people's health and I don't think Premiers also seek to take hasty or ill-informed decisions about Australians' health. The vaccine is critically important to the country and we will be making sure that when it finally receives approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration by Professor Skerritt, it'll be done in accordance with all the requirements that he and his group require. That way I can say to Australians that if he gives it the tick you can get the jab and that is incredibly important. And so I tend not to be distracted by the events of the day when it comes to ensuring that we maintain the discipline of that path of getting to that important approval of the vaccine for all Australians. In terms of what Premiers are choosing to do, well, they have always been responsible and accountable for the decisions that they're making within their jurisdictions. Premiers and state governments, and I think this is one thing that perhaps has become better understood this year, is the responsibilities of state and territory governments. State governments are responsible for public health within their jurisdictions and they have the authority to make decisions to protect the public health within their jurisdictions. So they're going to do their job, I'm going to do my job and together we will continue to ensure that Australia has one of the best records in the world of both managing the impact of COVID-19 during this pandemic globally, as well as ensuring that the economic comeback that has begun in Australia continues to move at pace.
Journalist: Prime Minister, just in relation to what you're hearing most recently about the spread of the virus. You told people you want them to celebrate Christmas together, but how many Australians now have to steel themselves that's very unlikely they'll be able to move around and actually do that?
Prime Minister: Well, there'll be some constraints because of the events of the last 24 hours. But as we've often seen with those events those limitations also can be eased once further information is known and that will be a matter for the Premiers. They will follow the local health advice and they'll make their decisions accordingly and in the best interests of their own health and the broader community health.
Journalist: Prime Minister, there's a pattern in the way that these things are unfolding. We've seen this morning people panicking in the Sydney Airport and trying to flee before they feel like they'll be locked down or blocked from other states. Given what we saw last month in SA, what we're seeing now in Sydney do you think that it's time to revisit some kind of national standard and framework to give Australians more confidence in what they can and can't do accepting that there will be outbreaks until we have that vaccine rolled out?
Prime Minister: Well again a national standard on hotspots is not something that Premiers and Chief Ministers have agreed to. That's something they do not want to do. The Commonwealth has no authority to impose any such national definition on states and territories. That is not a power the Commonwealth Government has. That would have to be done by agreement with states and territories, and that is not something states and territories have agreed to put in place. They have their own rules that they are putting in place and they're seeking to protect the health and safety of people in their own jurisdictions. My message to the public more broadly is to remain calm and follow that advice. That's what Australians have done, by and large throughout the course of the year. And yes there has been some behaviour along the lines that you've described, but I would say more broadly that Australians as usual have responded in a calm and an effective manner and have been very cooperative with the requirements and the information that has been provided by authorities and I'd simply say to them to continue to do that. The pandemic has not gone away. It hasn't gone away. So these types of uncertainties and these disruptions will continue to occur and there is no magic formula that just makes the pandemic go away. So the states will continue to manage it as they are working right now to track down all the sources and tracing of those cases to protect public health.
Journalist: You mentioned the economic comeback. Obviously MYEFO updated assumptions yesterday that all the state borders would stay open in 2021. Obviously two weeks away from kicking over into 2021 and that's probably not going to happen given from what we've seen in the past. How concerned are you about the potential for this sort of outbreak to have a serious impact on that economic recovery?
Prime Minister: No, I don't have a serious concern about that. You're talking about something that happened 24 hours ago and making the assumption that's going to be the case for the next 12 months. I don't think that's the case. We will take all these things in our stride as we always have, and I'm quite certain that as we move into next year and remember next year, subject to the TGA will see the vaccine come to Australia, we'll see the comeback continue. I understand that there's some uncertainty and some anxiety at this very moment but as we've seen in the past as saw in South Australia, as we've seen in New South Wales on multiple occasions now, they'll work through it. They're getting on top of it. That's been the case all the way through. I think we can have great confidence in the public officials that are working very hard right now to try and restore things to COVID-normal as quickly as possible. The best thing Australians can do to help them do that is just to go about their daily lives as best they can subject to the restrictions that have been put in place.
Journalist: Prime Minister, we've seen two very different responses from the states towards the Northern Beaches outbreak. WA has shut its border to the entire state. Queensland and others have taken a more localised response. What's your preference? What do you prefer? And have you received any medical advice? Has your Government received any medical advice that borders should close to New South Wales or Sydney at this point?
Prime Minister: No, I haven't had that advice, but that advice goes to states and territories because they make the decisions on those issues. And my preference is to work with the states and territories to support them to do their job and their job is to protect the public safety. Their job is to protect public safety within their jurisdictions. It's not my job to go around second-guessing other people's decisions. It's my job to support them and to ensure that as a country we continue to work together in the face of the biggest global pandemic we've seen in 100 years. And so the sooner we're able to move through these decisions over the next few days, I believe the sooner we'll get to a point I hope that the early concerns we hope may be alleviated, but it's still too early to say and I think the states are doing what they've done throughout the course of this pandemic. They're making judgements based on the health advice that has been provided to them.
Journalist: Prime Minister, are you concerned that by promoting Andrew Hastie you'll add to the perception amongst the backbench that the most aggressive stance towards China will be rewarded? And could I please clarify will Amanda Stoker be assisting the Attorney-General in the Industrial Relations portfolio as well?
Prime Minister: In answer to your first question, no. In answer to your second question, she is Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General, not the Minister for Industrial Relations. They are two separate portfolios.
Journalist: Why aren’t you concerned that will add to the perception?
Prime Minister: Because I think it's rubbish. Any other questions? No? Well Merry Christmas everyone. Sorry, yes.
Journalist: On Mr Colbeck, you sort of dismissed the question about it being a demotion but how can it be anything but a demotion when he wanted to remain Aged Care Minister? Did he mishandle the issue during the pandemic?
Prime Minister: No and as I said before, this is about elevating aged care and our response to the Royal Commission into Cabinet. It's not about the individuals. It's about the care being provided to elderly Australians. It's not about politics, it's about people and ensuring that we have the biggest and best resource, response to the aged care challenges that are very, very serious. This is about putting more hands to the wheel not less and continuing to use the experience that is there to inform what will be a very important response for older Australians. It's one of those times I'd say to you that what matters here is the policy and the need and I'm putting the best people in the roles to support addressing that need. Whether it's the comeback from COVID-19, whether it's keeping Australians safe, keeping Australians together, or keeping our economy strong, they remain my objectives as I set them out when I became Prime Minister. We are making great progress on all of those despite challenges that our country has faced, particularly over the last 12 months but longer than that and we continue to make great progress. And the people I thank most for that are the Australian people. I thank them for their resilience. I thank them for their tenacity. I thank them for their patience. I thank them for their sacrifice. And even now in the course of these last 24 hours when anxiety levels have been raised by the cases that we've seen in the Northern Beaches, we too will overcome that just as we have before and as best as we possibly can and frankly far better than so many other countries around the world, Australians will enjoy in a Christmas this year that, in so many other places they will not and I think we can be thankful for that.
On that note, can I wish you all a very, very, Merry Christmas, a very happy new year, we're going to really mean that this year. And I'm looking forward after the new year and into January, I'll be taking a bit of time with my family, and the Deputy Prime Minister will step up at that time and we'll release further details on that. But I will be here and not far away should any other events. I was pleased to be up in Northern New South Wales yesterday to see firsthand our response to those flooding events up in Northern New South Wales. There was also the serious situation in Queensland. We'll be monitoring those closely. And I would ask everyone to stay as safe as they possibly can and when you're driving up that Pacific Highway on that dual carriageway all the way from Hexham up to the Queensland border, that is great news. Thanks, everyone.