Press Conference - Sydney, NSW

27 April 2021

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Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women

Prime Minister: Good afternoon. I’m joined by the Foreign Minister. Can I begin on behalf of Marise and I in extending our sincere condolences to the Baird family, Judy Baird who passed away earlier today and she will be missed, of course, by our dear friend Bruce Baird their family, Mike, Julia and Steven and their families. Judy was an absolute saint and an angel and she will be sadly missed. 

Today the National Security Committee met and we were considering a large number of matters, as is normal for the National Security Committee, but in particular we met today to address the situation in India and the terrible humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in India. We recognise that this has been a very significant outbreak in India and we know for Australians who have family in India at this time that they will be very distressed. From the scenes we are seeing from India, they are truly heartbreaking. India is a great friend of Australia and a comprehensive strategic partner. We share so much in common as peoples, as democratic nations, and we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences and our support to the nation of India and the people of India and the Prime Minister of India, Prime Minister Modi. They are dear friends of Australia and we will stand with them during this terrible crisis and for all Australians who are caught up in this terrible set of events. 

The number of cases continues to increase. 325,000 new COVID cases on April 25, on Anzac Day, and over 2,800 deaths. There are significant shortages of key personal protection equipment, medical equipment and oxygen supplies and a severe disruption of the production capabilities of India because of the impact of COVID on their population. Australia, by contrast, has obviously had a different experience and that places us in a unique position among many countries to lend our support to India at this time. India has also been determined to be a high-risk country under the process we have put in place for the purpose of travel arrangements. Not only do we need to reach out and support our friends and family and all of those across India but we also need to take appropriate steps to ensure that we, here in Australia, we have border protection arrangements upgraded, and put in place, to deal with the risks that clearly present from travel from India. 

Today we agreed, in addition to the measures that were announced after the last National Cabinet meeting, to pause direct passenger flights between India and Australia until the 15th of May. It will be reviewed prior to that time in terms of any further extension of that pause in those arrangements. This will impact directly on two passenger services from India into Sydney and two repatriation flights from India to Darwin, this impacting around 500 arrivals. The passengers on all future flights, when and if these flights are resumed going forward, will be required to have both a negative PCR test and a negative rapid antigen test prior to uplift. Further flights to India will be considered, as I said, prior to the 15th of May with a focus on supporting vulnerable Australians, in particular in relation to charter flights that have been put in place by the Australian Government. For indirect flights, that is another way that people who may have been in India would come to Australia, and already it has been announced and we are advised that indirect flights through Doha, Dubai, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, we are aware flights to and from these transit points and India have been paused by the respective governments. So that third country entry point into Australia has already been closed by those key embarkation points to Australia. That will obviously have impacts, in a positive way, in terms of restricting the inflow and in fact in most cases eliminating it and for places like Perth and South Australia and ports that do not have direct flights. 

In addition to the existing, this is all in addition to the existing arrangements that we put in place, including restrictions on outbound travel to India as a high risk destination last week. But we also have to reach out and support India. As many countries are doing, what Australia will do is we will provide an initial package, I stress this is an initial package, there will be more to follow, of support and to deliver this as soon as possible. 509 ventilators, 1 million surgical masks, 500,000 P2 and N95 masks, 100,000 surgical gowns, 100,000 goggles, 100,000 pairs of gloves, and 20,000 face shields. We will also agree to commence procurement of 100 oxygen concentrators, along with tanks and consumables. DFAT will manage the movement of this equipment over the course of the next week. I will ask the Foreign Minister to speak more to the support we’re providing to Australian residents who are in India. We are standing with those Australians in India and recognise the very serious difficulties that they face. A hardship program which has been in place for many, many months now continues to be available to provide support to Australians in those circumstances and consular support continues to be available. I particularly want to commend our High Commissioner, Barry O'Farrell, for the great work he and all his consular team are doing in India right now. As you can imagine, they have been getting considerable requests, and the work they have been doing to respond and support Australians in India is highly commendable. 

I also want to note, over these weeks ahead, the Australian Government will be reaching out through the Department of Home Affairs directly through the Minister and the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, to engage with the Australian community with Indian descent and reaching out to them, listening to them, engaging in roundtables with community leaders to keep them informed of the information we have available as well as listening to them about what they are hearing on what they are understanding of the experiences of family members and friends and other associates in India. It is very important we remain in close contact with them over the course of what will be a highly stressful period for those Australians who are caught up or have family members affected by this humanitarian crisis in India. And we are very keen to make sure they know that we are standing with them during what is an incredibly difficult time for them and their families and communities. 

So with that I will pass you onto the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Senator the Hon. Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women: Thank you very, prime Minister, and like you I want to start by acknowledging Judy Baird and her family. Coincidently and completely serendipitously, I have known Judy Baird since I was a teenager, she was my careers counsellor at school, at high school. So I know this will be a very, very difficult time for the whole Baird family, who have been great friends of ours for many, many years and my warm sympathies and thoughts as well.

Prime Minister, I also want to send our thoughts to our friends in India. This is no doubt a very difficult time for many, many people. I have been in touch with my very good friend and colleague Foreign Secretary Jaishankar in relation to these issues and assured him of Australia's very best wishes and our strong support, which we are commencing with the announcements from today. I also want to reaffirm the great leadership and generosity that India has shown to the global community throughout this pandemic. They have, in fact, exported over 66 million WHO approved vaccines across the world. I know in our own region how important this has been, and in the Pacific, it includes gifting vaccine doses to Nauru and Fiji. It has also manufactured vaccine doses for Papua New Guinea, for the Solomon Islands, being delivered though the COVAX facility and we warmly acknowledge that generosity. As the Prime Minister did, we also know that for Australians in India and their loved ones, this is a very difficult time. For Indian Australians, many here in Australia will be very concerned about family as well. 

Prior to the current outbreak, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had eight planned flights from India in May and because of decisions we have made today, of course, they will be paused. They are part of our continuing support to Australians to return safely. Those restrictions will be under regular review but since these efforts have begun, we have seen over 19,400 Australians return from India since March of last year. We currently have just over 9,000 Australians registered in India, 650 of those are registered as vulnerable. As you would expect in the circumstances, this number will certainly increase in the coming days and weeks as people's circumstances change. Since March last year we have facilitated 38 flights out of India, 28 flights with Qantas from Delhi, from Chennai, from Mumbai and from Calcutta, which have brought back 5,000 passengers and when circumstances do allow through this temporary pause we will resume those flights and if possible seek to increase the frequency if we are able to. I particularly want to acknowledge the efforts of those at our High Commission and our consular posts in India. I have spoken again today to High Commissioner O'Farrell and thank him and teams across those four posts for what has been a very significant task, not just in recent weeks but in fact since March of last year. I want to absolutely assure those Australians in India and Indian Australians here that our four Indian network posts remain staffed by Australian diplomats. They will continue to provide that consular assistance to Australians in distress, including through the DFAT’s financial assistance program, and that has of course been in place for many months now. Our posts will also be redoubling their efforts to maintain contact with Australian citizens in India to make sure they are informed about travel settings, any changes and about any changes and about assistance programs. That has been part of their work for many months now, but certainly in the current circumstances, those efforts will as I said be redoubled. 

I want to advise again our consular contact numbers for those who may need to make contact. From Australia the number is 1300 555 135 and from outside Australia, it is of course +61 62613305. We have seen some increase in registrations in India from Friday and across the weekend. As I said, I expect that to increase but we will stay in close contact with those Australians and provide the support we are able to.

Journalist: Prime Minister, what's the reason for this? Obviously you didn't go so far last Thursday, has the WA lockdown been influential? Is our hotel quarantine system unable to contain this many cases?

Prime Minister: What is concerning is the increase in the percentage of cases in hotel quarantine which have their origins in India. While up until last week, the total number of cases that have occurred in quarantine from Australians returning from overseas has not left above levels which we have been experiencing over the course of this year, it has only actually been in the past week, on the week commencing on the 16th of April, that we started to see a jump. It went from 90 the previous week to 143 the following week, from the most recent week. Now, we have seen numbers of 90 and above, 95, 98, before this in the course of this year. So within the total number of positive cases, while the proportion of Indian arrivals had increased, the overall number of cases in quarantine had not markedly changed. In this past week we saw that rise and that was particularly in areas such as the Northern Territory and in New South Wales, where we have direct flights coming in to both of those areas. Proportionally, we saw higher numbers in Western Australia and South Australia, but in terms of the total number of cases originating in India, then the overwhelming majority of those were in New South Wales and in the Northern Territory and as a proportion of the cases in the Northern Territory, which is where we have the national quarantine facility, that had got to the point of almost 95 per cent of cases. So it's important to take this pause to enable those quarantine facilities, particularly in the Northern Territory, to be able to work through the system and return to lower levels, so we will be able to resume supporting getting Australians home in those direct flights that we have been using to repatriate Australians. But equally, in New South Wales, which has been carrying the lion's share, not just of arrivals right across the country, but also because they have a direct flight from India, we thought it was necessary to put in place just over a  two week pause. I spoke to the Premier about that on the weekend and  she supports that, thinks that’s wise, as we just allow the system to rebalance. But one of the challenges is going forward is the testing regime for those embarking on flights, and so having the rapid antigen testing in place will support that, but that will give us several weeks to put those arrangements in place with commercial operators. Qantas has already indicated they are able to do that, but working with other operators, we want to make sure those mitigations were in place. So this is a rapidly escalating situation. We took a series of decisions last week and we believed to date we needed to go further with the pause and I welcome the fact the third country entry points to Australia, embarkation points I should say, into Australia, have also closed off. Which is I think what was driving the concern, particularly in South Australia and Western Australia. There weren’t direct flights going to those states and so those flights coming from Malaysia and other places were carrying Australians back from other parts of the world, where the risk is not as great as in India, so that means Australians will still be able to come home through those flights under the cap arrangements we have. Western Australia has reduced their cap. Queensland is now only starting to return to where they were and Victoria, we are pleased to have them back in the system but they obviously have further ability to increase the number they are taking.

Journalist: During this two week pause, there are vulnerable Australian citizens who are in India who may catch COVID-19 and may pass away. How do you feel about it and what are you going to do for them?

Prime Minister: It is a humanitarian crisis and it is one that is gripping the world. This has been the case around the world over the course of the last year, that is the nature of a global pandemic. That is why we have been repatriating Australians from India, some 20,000 or thereabouts, over recent months, indirectly contracted flights as well as facilitated flights the Australian taxpayer has supported to get as many people home safely as we can. But the need and the risk continues to grow in a place like India and that is very sad for the people of India. But I don't see this as a problem that we’re trying to solve, I see this as a group of people we are trying to help. I don't see those Australians of Indian heritage as a problem we had to solve, not at all, and I am concerned that is how some may have been seeing this. No, these are Australians and Australian residents who need our help and we intend to make sure we are able to restore, particularly the repatriation flights, and those repatriation flights focus on the most vulnerable and that's what the High Commissioner and their team is working through to ensure that when these flights resume and the Northern Territory facility can take them again, as well as direct flights into Sydney, then we will be able to do that in the appropriate way. But, Marise, did you want to add anything?

Senator the Hon. Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women: No, Prime Minister. I spoke, when I spoke to the High Commissioner this morning we touched on this challenge. Absolutely, there are the people that I’ve referred to today, those registered, those registered as vulnerable. They are also all over India, literally in every single corner of the country. There is not a significant concentration in one place or another other than New Delhi, and that does make the process challenging, but we will stay in touch with them as I said, redouble our efforts to do that and provide any support we are able to.

Prime Minister: So we will be looking to restore flights safely with even stronger protocols to ensure that we’re protecting arrangements around our borders. We don't think the answer is to forsake those Australians in India and just shut them off, as some seem to suggest. That’s not what my Government is going to do. We will stand with the Indian community here and our friends in India, as one of our closest and most strategic partners.

Journalist: Prime Minister, it’s disingenuous to say that you’re not forsaking them and that you’re standing with them, when in fact if you’re saying it’s this massive crisis and you’re suspending these flights for three weeks. How do you say that that’s not forsaking them and standing with them?

Prime Minister: Well, this is the difficult challenge in a pandemic. You don't get the perfect of all situations. And what you have to do is you have to ensure you have the integrity of your quarantine arrangements, which have withstood any number of challenges, and we need to ensure that the load in those quarantine facilities is manageable so we can take more people in down the track, which is what we definitely intend to do. We will resume the repatriation flights from India. That's exactly what we will do, and we will work through our consular offices in India to ensure that we're focusing those repatriation flights on the most vulnerable who need our help.

Journalist: Prime Minister, Mike Pezzullo's comments on Anzac Day about.

Prime Minister: Why don't we just stay with India for a minute.

Journalist: Prime Minister, I was going to ask you if, we’ve had the states calling for Commonwealth quarantine facilities. Is the Government considering any further ones like Howard Springs at RAAF air bases? And also Greg Hunt has kind of suggested the appropriateness of Queensland's Wellcamp proposal, he’s questioned that a bit, and wondering are you going to be looking at that further or not [inaudible]?

Prime Minister: Well if I had told you a year ago, just over a year ago, when the National Cabinet agreed unanimously to put in place a system of hotel quarantine, and that would be done to enforce the state administered and imposed public health orders that require that quarantine, and if I was to tell you that that would achieve a 99.99 percent success rate, you wouldn't have believed me. No one in this country would have believed me. I would have found that hard to believe. That is what the hotel quarantine system has achieved. If we look only, particularly in recent times, from the end of October to the 22 April, we have had some 140,355 people go through hotel quarantine. Thirteen, only on 13 occasions have there been incursions, and only on around two occasions, such as in the Northern Beaches, has there been a broader impact in terms of the spread of that virus, and on that occasion it had to do with a superspreader event that was at a major entertainment venue. See, hotel quarantine is the first ring of containment. While 99.99 percent success rate I think is pretty good. I think there's not a country in the world who wouldn't want a quarantine system that has been working as effective as that. But it is not 100 percent foolproof, and in 0.01 percent, in fact less of cases, you will see occasional breaches. So I make no criticism of any state and territory government that on occasions we will see breaches. The challenge is as we've seen Western Australia respond to particularly on this occasion, but other states respond on other occasions, particularly here in New South Wales, is the ring of containment that comes into place with their contact tracing system. And that's what’s been achieved again. This is how the system works. I mean, a system that is achieving 99.99 percent effectiveness is a very strong system and is serving Australia very well. Now, when the Commission in Victoria looked at quarantine facilities, they made a number of recommendations, and that meant that quarantine facilities need to be near major hospitals, tertiary hospitals. And so, that is a key requirement. There is also need to have these facilities that are near appropriate workforces, both health workforces and the other workforces that are provided, both through the Defence Forces, local police and others, and to ensure that support is in place as well. They need to be close to our major airports because that's where the planes come. And that's why these arrangements worked so successfully, and they can always be improved. When Jane Halton did her review some time ago, she made a number of recommendations which have been taken up by the states and territories. One of those was to establish a national resilience facility, which we have done. And that is in Howard Springs and that's been done in partnership with the Northern Territory Government, and towards the end of next month that will have a capacity of 2,000 people to be able, and that is there to take the charter flights that we're using to repatriate Australians and for that not to have to be accommodated within the hotel quarantine arrangements with the states and territories and the other major [inaudible].

Journalist: Should WA have not locked down?

Prime Minister: That's entirely a decision for the WA Government.

Journalist: But you must have a view, as Prime Minister.

Prime Minister: No, I back the decisions of the states. See, I’m working with the states and territories, Andrew.

Journalist: But one case is enough to lockdown?

Prime Minister: I have sought to do that all the way through this pandemic. They have their responsibilities and they have to make their calls and their decisions. And it has not been my practice to give a running commentary on the decisions and the responsibilities that they have. Australians expect me to work together with the states and territories, to work together to ensure Australia is best protected through this pandemic. So you won’t find me squabbling about this. You will find me supporting the states and territories. And so what we've seen in Western Australia is a quick response, their contact tracing system kick in, and I'm sure there’ll be lessons that they will pick up from how they look back at the issue that occurred and I'm sure there’ll be improvements.

Journalist: When the repatriation flights do resume, Prime Minister will there be any, when the repatriation flights with India resume, will there be any prioritisation for Australian cricketers who are currently playing in the IPL, or will it be basic, just done on vulnerability?

Prime Minister: No, it's done on vulnerability. And they’ve travelled there privately under those arrangements. This wasn't part of an Australian tour, and they're there under their own resources and they'll be using those resources to, I'm sure, to see them return to Australia in accordance with their own arrangements.

Journalist: Do you agree with Michael Pezzullo when he says the drums of war are beating?

Prime Minister: My goal as Prime Minister, and I know the Foreign Minister feels the same way and the entire Cabinet, is that our objective is to pursue peace. That's what we're doing. We're pursuing peace for a free and open Indo-Pacific. And all of the agency that we have as a country and as a Government is designed to achieve that. But it's also at the same time designed to ensure that Australia's national interests are always advanced. And of course that's why we have invested considerably to ensure the capability of our Defence Forces. Two percent of the, our economy each year, the size of our economy, is spent each year now ensuring that we have a capable Defence Force in this country. That's a significant increase from where we were when we came to Government, when the size of our investments in our Defence Forces fell to below the levels before the Second World War. We have restored that and we have done that to ensure that Australia's national interest can always be protected. But our goal is to pursue peace and our region, it’s to pursue peace and stability and as I’ve said before, a world order that favours freedom.

Journalist: What do you make of his comments then?

Prime Minister: You're the commentator Andrew, not me.

Journalist: Given Mr Pezzullo’s comments, would you consider increasing that two percent to say three percent or?

Prime Minister: Well we're already above two percent. What we've got is a platform and a program of defence investment that stands this Government out against its predecessors and ensures that Australia can meet the needs that we have. And I refer you to the strategic update that I gave last year, which highlighted the new areas of focus that we have as part of our defence plan and that in particular related to strike capabilities at that time, and I’ve made subsequent announcements about that as well. But the purpose here, Australians want us to pursue a peaceful outcome because that's what’s in their interests, ultimately, and that's what the Government is doing, working with our partners in the region, working with ASEAN, working with our Quad partners, working with our comprehensive strategic partners, which includes China, and working together to ensure that we can have an open, trading, peaceful community in the Indo-Pacific, because that's what is in the interests, I believe, of all countries in the region.

Journalist: When will the list of high risk countries be finalised and when will the new testing regime be introduced, the 72 hour test?

Prime Minister: The 72 hour testing regime, that's for third country arrangements for high risk countries, which at this stage has only, has only listed India. The Chief Medical Officer has worked through all the countries and while, when you go to a red list like they have in the United Kingdom, remember in the United Kingdom this is about where they restrict entry into the country just for citizens. So they currently allow travel into the United Kingdom for non-citizens. And so the red list, as I understand it, applies to where they restrict to citizens. Now, Australia already has that in place for every country in the world. You can't come to Australia, you can't do that unless there's a specific exemption which is granted by the Border Force Commissioner for any number of quite specific purposes. And so India is the only country of major point of embarkation into Australia that has been identified as a risk, at this point, at that level. They’ve looked across a range of other countries. It wasn't that long ago that we were having serious concerns about Papua New Guinea, and what we've seen as a result of the pause we put in place for arrivals out of Papua New Guinea into Queensland is we've seen the proportion of cases of Papua New Guinea originated infections drop significantly. And that has meant that the system in Queensland has had the stress come off it from the Papua New Guinean arrivals and that's proved to be very effective. So, what we've done all throughout this pandemic, is you’re just learning every day. You know, you make decisions, you monitor them carefully and you seek to repeat the successes and to improve them, and this type of a pause arrangement will give, particularly the facilities up in the Northern Territory and New South Wales, the opportunity to ensure that they can deal with the infection cases that currently exist in hotel quarantine and then enable us to step off from a stronger position in a few weeks’ time.

Journalist: Prime Minister, just on the Brisbane Olympic Games, can you explain to us the deal between the Queensland Government and the Federal Government, why there’s an oversight body that is needed?

Prime Minister: Well what the, what we're doing in Queensland with the Olympics, and let's note this, we're standing in Sydney today and I don't think there's a Sydneysider or an Australian who won't recognise that, what the Sydney Olympics did for Australia as a country. It was a massive success and it really did elevate Australia's standing all around the world, and as it did many years ago for Melbourne, and now Brisbane we hope will join that list of Olympic cities, and that will be good for Australia. When the Sydney Olympics were on well, the Federal Government's involvement with that was quite modest and was quite limited. What we've done in relation to the Brisbane Olympics is we've agreed to enter into a 50-50 arrangement. Now, that means a 50-50 on everything. This is not just 50-50 on funding. This is 50-50 on decisions, 50-50 decisions on appointments to organising committees. What we want is for this to be a people's games in the national interest. That means we have to take it out of the relationship of state and federal governments and any federation tensions, we've got to take it out of politics. This is an Olympic infrastructure authority that we anticipate would need to be established probably by statute at both state and federal levels, with equal representation in governments from the federal and state governments, and that means there would be a joint decision on what projects, where, what the scoping is, the costings, the contracting, the delivery. And this would be a highly competent agency, a lot like what we saw here with the Olympic coordination authority in New South Wales. The difference then, that was run by the State Government because the State Government was paying for it. In this case, if it’s a 50-50 arrangement on funding, there’s a 50-50 agreement on governance of how that infrastructure and how that agency will operate, as well as an equality when it comes to the appointments of persons to the organising committee between the state and federal governments. So a genuine 50-50 partnership is exactly what we proposed to the Queensland State Government and that's what I understand has been accepted by the Premier's comments over the last 24 hours.

Journalist: Back to India, you rightly pointed out that 99.99 percent of arrivals are fine and there's been a miniscule number of incursions. Isn't this a massive overreaction to entirely ban citizens from coming back, given the risk is so low. Why are we so risk averse? And also I understand the Northern Territory facility hasn't had any incursions, to my knowledge. I think that's correct.

Prime Minister: That's correct. It's been a very successful facility. But 95 per cent.

Journalist: And so why can't they go there?

Prime Minister: Ninety five percent of the cases currently of what has arrived into that facility have originated in India. And so working closely with the Northern Territory Government, as well as our medical advisers up around that facility, their advice is we need to slow that pace significantly over the next few weeks to ensure that we can maintain the health of people in that facility. So we're acting on medical advice, as we always have, when it comes especially to that facility. This will also give some breathing space to the New South Wales arrangements and allow in New South Wales people from other countries to come back and go through that quarantine system. So you’ll see just as many people coming through the New South Wales system. There will be less in Western Australia because they’ve asked to halve their capacity. There are increases in Queensland on the way and I hope also in Victoria. So we'll see more Australians coming back. But those over the next couple of weeks coming directly from India we will have a pause I think for very sensible health reasons, and that is also based on the advice of our Chief Medical Officer. So I think this, we have always taken a cautious approach. Australia can speak of a performance during the global pandemic on COVID-19 that few countries can. And one of the reasons for that is we’ve always listened to the medical advice. We take our own decisions, whether it is I as Prime Minister and the National Security Committee, Foreign Minister, the Health Minister and others, or that we do that as a National Cabinet. And that has I think, put Australia, I think, in a very strong position of so many nations when it comes to our handling of the pandemic. In Australia, we are living like few countries in the world can and do at the moment. I'm very determined that it remains that way. Thanks very much, everyone.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43339

Remarks, Anzac Day Commemorative Dawn Service

25 April 2021

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison: Australians all one and free.

We gather again.

Here in our nation’s most sacred place, and in thousands of places across our land, to reflect, remember, give thanks and draw strength.

Here at the Australian War Memorial we gather on land which is the local Ngunnawal people. They consider it as a ‘cradle’ - a place where the elements are constrained by Mount Ainslie, Mount Taylor and Black Mountain.

These hills stand watch over the Australian eucalypts and the New Zealand hebe plants that line the Anzac Parade and lead to this, our national place of remembrance and memorial.

This time last year - like so many other times in our history - we faced a defining moment as a nation.

A moment of uncertainty and danger when the future seemed so uncertain, masked by fog.

We couldn’t gather, indeed. But we held candles in driveways and on balconies and we played the Last Post on radios and iPhones, as some, especially in our West, will do again today.

And together we called on our past to light up the dawn.

And in doing so we rediscovered a deep truth about who we are - our strength is found in each other. When we are threatened, when our peace and our safety and our security are imperiled, in these moments, our differences fade away.

On this Anzac dawn we remind ourselves of the sacrifices, the courage, the selflessness which helped make our country what it is today.

Some might think that our Anzac story began on this morning 106 years ago, as quiet rowboats waited just off the peninsula at Gallipoli.

Now that is true, that’s when we entered our first conflict as one people.

But the story of those times - and all the times since - didn’t begin on battlefields, on land, at sea or in the sky.

It began in the homes and the farms and the towns and the suburbs across our great country.

It’s in those places that selflessness, duty, respect and responsibility were learned. Where love of family, the community and country is warmed and is kindled in the youngest hearts and the oldest minds.

It is also where the pain of loss is felt most acutely.

In the words of the poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal, who served in the Second World War, “Let us not say the past is dead, the past is all around us and within.”

Gallipoli, Villers-Bretonneux and Beersheba; Tobruk and Changi; Normandy and the Coral Sea; Kokoda and Crete; Bangka Island, Hellfire Pass; Kapyong, Borneo, Long Tan; Dili and Honiara; Kuwait, Baghdad, Tarin Kowt. These are not just places on a map, they are places that exist in the very Australian soul.

These memories are passed from one generation to the next.

They are entrusted us, to us to remember and to renew, and to remind us of who we are but also who we can be.

Sergeant Ricky Morris understands this better than most.

Ricky served in East Timor and Afghanistan.

He is a descendant of the Lovett family.

A member of the “fighting Gunditjmara”.

An Aboriginal family from western Victoria.

Proud of Country.

Proud of family.

Proud of uniform.

Men and women, in Ricky’s words, “who stood up”.

Five brothers, including Ricky’s grandfather, served in the First World War.

Four of them again served in the Second World War.

More than twenty family members have seen active service, that’s woven its way from Pozieres, Passchendaele and Amiens, to Japan, Korea, Vietnam, East Timor and Afghanistan, and with the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force.

Ricky says “every medal tells a story” - whether it's worn over the heart of a veteran or carried by one of their loved ones.

And that matters so much, especially today.

“Sometimes you feel alone … On days like today you want to be with your mates,” says Ricky.

This Anzac Day another chapter in our history is coming to a close, with the announcement last week of our departure and that of our great friend and ally, the United States, from Afghanistan.

Australia has been a steadfast contributor to the fight against terrorism.

It’s been our longest war.

The world is safer from the threat of terrorism than when the twin towers were felled almost 20 years ago. But we remain vigilant.

However, this has come at great cost.

Forty-one Australian lives lost in Afghanistan, whom we especially remember and honour this morning.

More than 39,000 Australians have served on operations in support of Australia’s mission in Afghanistan, many carrying the wounds and scars of war, seen and unseen.

They are the bravest of this generation.

Sergeant Andrew Russell served in Iraq, Kuwait and East Timor, before being deployed to Afghanistan.

He was the first Australian killed there, when his patrol vehicle struck an anti-vehicle mine.

He was 33.

He left behind his wife Kylie and his 11-day-old daughter Leisa.

Leisa is now 19 and studying criminology.

Kylie says she is, in so many ways, just like her Dad - she lives with a strong sense of duty.

Duty, that sense of self that seeks to build a better world. Expressed in courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice.

The duty of Sergeant Andrew Russell is part of our national story, as is the duty of Sergeant Brett Till.

Brett was killed in Afghanistan while trying to disarm an improvised explosive device.

He joined the Army after the 9/11 terror attacks.

His wife Bree, who Jenny and I have come to know well, says Brett “was good, humble and honourable, with unequivocal, uncomplicated intentions”.

He and his wife Bree were expecting their first child together, to join their wonderful family with Brett’s older children Taleah and Jacob.

Their child Ziggy will be in high school next year, and I know Brett would be so proud of all his three children and the amazing job Bree has done to raise them.

Today we also honour the children, spouses, partners, parents and loved ones of the men and women who have served our nation in Afghanistan, and all the families of all who served at home and abroad.

Their love, encouragement and prayers have sustained our soldiers, sailors, aviators, nurses, padres and peacekeepers.

They have helped shoulder the burdens that follow service too.

Fellow Australians, shortly the bugle will sound again.

That sound is much a part of the Australian landscape as the birds we hear awakening at this dawn underneath our great Southern Cross.

Our Anzac Reveille, in the words of Her Majesty The Queen, is our “call awakening and rededication”,  our reminder “of the standards for which we should all strive when we are called upon to do our duty”.

May we continue to be strengthened by the duty and example and memory of all who have served and continue to serve.

Lest we forget.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43338

Remarks, Leaders Summit on Climate

22 April 2021

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison: Well thank you, Mr President, and very much to you for leading this Summit and can I also acknowledge you Mr Secretary as well as Special Envoy Kerry.

It’s right to speak to our ambitions at this Summit, it’s also right to focus on performance.

Australia has a strong track record of setting, achieving and exceeding our commitments to responsibly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and playing our part to keep the 1.5 degrees within reach.

We have met and exceeded our 2020 Kyoto commitments and we are transparent about our progress through our annual projection updates and quarterly carbon reporting.

We are well on the way to meet and beat our Paris commitments and will update our Long Term Emissions Reduction Strategy for Glasgow.

Achieving our 2030 target will see emissions per capita fall by almost half, of our emissions per unit of GDP by 70 per cent.

Already we have reduced our emissions by 19 per cent on 2019- on 2005 levels I should say, more than most other similar economies - and by 36% when you exclude exports.

We are deploying renewable energy ten times faster than the global average per person. We have the highest uptake of rooftop solar in the world.

Australia is on the pathway to net zero. Our goal is to get there as soon as we possibly can, through technology that enables and transforms our industries, not taxes that eliminate them and the jobs and livelihoods they support and create, especially in our regions.

For Australia, it is not a question of if or even by when for net zero, but importantly how.

That is why we are investing in priority new technology solutions, through our Technology Investment Roadmap initiative.

We are investing around $20 billion to achieve ambitious goals that will bring the cost of clean hydrogen, green steel, energy storage and carbon capture to commercial parity. We expect this to leverage more than $80 billion in investment in the decade ahead.

In Australia our ambition is to produce the cheapest clean hydrogen in the world, at $2 per kilogram Australian.

Mr President, in the United States you have the Silicon Valley. Here in Australia we are creating our own ‘Hydrogen Valleys’. Where we will transform our transport industries, our mining and resource sectors, our manufacturing, our fuel and energy production.

In Australia our journey to net zero is being led by world class pioneering Australian companies like Fortescue, led by Dr Andrew Forrest, Visy, BHP, Rio Tinto, AGL and so many more of all sizes.

It is also being pioneered by our agricultural and marine sectors through soil science and sustainable fisheries.

Marine protected areas in Australia are approaching 40 per cent of our waters.

We have already funded over 100 cutting-edge projects to safeguard our global treasure, the Great Barrier Reef, and are committing a further $100 million to protect our oceans, coastal ecosystems and pioneer blue carbon initiatives to mitigate climate change.

We are also providing $1.5 billion in practical climate finance focusing on our blue Pacific family partners in our region.

Mr President, we want to work with others on the ‘how’, through our new international technology partnerships programme, led by Australia’s former Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel.

My Government is committed to playing its part in making COP26 a success in Glasgow, and you can always be sure that the commitments Australia makes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are bankable.

We have proven performance, transparent emissions accounting and transformative technology targets to unlock pathways to net zero.

Future generations, my colleagues and Excellencies, will thank us not for what we have promised, but what we deliver. And on that score Australia can always be relied upon. Thank you for your kind attention.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43335

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

22 April 2021

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PRIME MINISTER: Well, thank you for joining us this afternoon. It’s been another very positive meeting of the National Cabinet today. We've made a lot of progress over the course of this week in putting together the new recalibrated arrangements for the vaccination program, which I'll ask Professor Murphy to speak to. Professor Kelly is available to answer questions on any of these matters. But let me begin by telling you today, if I can have the first slide, these are today's numbers. Just under 1.8 million Australians have now been vaccinated and I can tell you one of them is my mum. She was vaccinated today. She went down to her GP on the regular Thursday clinic and she has had her vaccination today. Some 67,591 Australians were vaccinated in that previous 24-hour period. And we're pleased to see that those numbers have been staying in those mid sort of 60,000 each day and that's good to see. It's also important to note that over half now, over half of the vaccinations that have been done in Australia have now been done by our general practitioners. If I go to the next slide, you can see since the general practitioners came on board, we have seen the vaccination program reach the levels that it has now, just less than 1.8 million.

If I can have the next slide, what you can see now is Australia which is here, has been steadily moving up the board. We are now at 7 per 100, which puts us ahead of the European Union, ahead of countries like Belgium and France and Italy and of course, countries like New Zealand and Canada at the same time of their vaccination rollout. And I want to say a big thank you to Australians, particularly those aged over 70 including my mum who have been out there, heeding that call to importantly go and ensure that they are getting vaccinated because that population in particular aged over 70, is the most vulnerable when it comes to there being any potential outbreak.

Today, National Cabinet agreed the following and I'll ask Professor Murphy to go through this in more detail. Once again, we enforce that Pfizer would be prioritised, the doses available for those under 50 in those 1A and 1B groups. They will also be prioritised to those in residential aged care facilities and disability care, in remote and very remote locations, and for quarantine and those essential front-line workers who are working in those areas which are vaccinated by the states and territories. We also agreed to bring forward for over 50s, so outside 1A and 1B, over 50 Australians. This would be vaccination for AstraZeneca and that would be brought forward for the GP respiratory clinics and state and territories from the 3rd of May. And from 17th of May, for GPs, in the broader GP clinics that are available, just like the one my mother went to today. That will give them ample time for them to gear up for that and it’ll also give them more time for those GPs to focus continually on that over 70 population where they're working through very effectively this time and we thank them for that. State and territory Pfizer vaccine rollouts, which are currently being done, will also be available to workforce in residential aged care facilities, as well as disability care. Now, that's not for disability care residents with complex, highly complex needs. They will continue to be vaccinated through the in-reach services that are provided by the Commonwealth. And once again, National Cabinet affirmed the importance of GPs being the principal way in which we're seeking to vaccinate the country and the fact they've already done half that job and that it is only continuing to grow, I think underscores that.

We also considered today another emerging and important issue and that is dealing with returning Australian residents and citizens from high-risk countries. Now, as time goes on and the pandemic continues to rage, there are countries that are frankly of greater risk than others. And we've seen in particular most recently an increase in the rate of cases in our quarantine system at a state and territory level for arrivals from India. What we have agreed to do, and this particularly relates to the chartered services we're running into the Northern Territory, we will be reducing by some 30 per cent the numbers coming through our chartered services in the months ahead. We will also be limiting the departure exceptions for Australians travelling to high-risk countries and the one we're nominating at the moment and there will be others and we'll be working through that over the course of the next week to India. So those who may have been going for, sadly family events such as weddings or sadly funerals, these were things that were restricted in Australia for Australians in this country. So regrettably, there are some exemptions that are provided in these circumstances and we'll be instructing the Border Force to ensure that only in very urgent circumstances would an exemption be permitted for someone to travel to a high-risk country. To give you an idea about high-risk countries, the United Kingdom, who allows people to enter have got a list of red list countries that only residents, sorry, only citizens can return from. While we're not adopting that list, that gives you somewhat of an idea of the type of approach we'll be seeking to put in place from those high-risk countries and the Chief Medical Officer working with others and DFAT will be seeking to put a list of high-risk countries in place.

We will also be reducing by 30 per cent over the course of this week and we'll be advising that on a later date, just to flag, the reduction in volumes in direct flights from India into Australia. There are only direct flights into Sydney. So that would be a 30 per cent reduction and we will announce once we're in a position to do so, which shouldn't be before too long, to advise when that will take effect from. We will also be looking to put in place for high-risk countries and we'll work through that over the course of this week coming. An arrangement whereby if you have been in a high-risk country in the previous 14 days before getting on your last point of embarkation to Australia, then you would need to have had a PCR test 72 hours before leaving that last point of embarkation. So, if you had been, this would apply to India. If you had been in India when you had arrived in say, Kuala Lumpur or Doha or Singapore or some place like that, in those countries and we have to work through the arrangements with officials and others before we put this in place but in the interests of transparency, what we're saying in that last point of embarkation which would be Doha or Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, you would need to have had a PCR test 72 hours before getting on that plane. That deals with the problem, I should say the issue, that is being addressed in places like South Australia and Western Australia, to a lesser extent Victoria and Queensland, where they don't have direct flights. No what this will do is ensure that in those places, that those seats would then be taken up by other Australian residents and citizens seeking to return who won't be coming from high-risk countries. These are difficult decisions we've had to make but the increasing risk that we've seen from some countries, we believe necessitates managing that risk in the best way possible. But also maintaining the volumes of those who can come under the cap arrangements we currently have. With that, I'll pass you over to Professor Murphy.

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thanks, Prime Minister. Could I have the next slide, please. So I’m just going to go over the recalibration of the vaccine program and first it's important to re-emphasise the principles upon which this recalibration has been undertaken by the states and territories and the Commonwealth officials, working very closely over the last week. So the major driver of this is clearly the ATAGI advice in relation to this rare but significant adverse effect, thrombosis, with thrombocytopenia, which occurs more commonly in younger people and for whom the risk benefit of vaccination is different at different ages. And ATAGI advice to recall, is that Pfizer is now the preferred vaccine for those under 50. So that means that we really have two vaccines divided by age with some exceptions. A bit like how we have two flu vaccines. One group for 65 and over, and one group for under 65. So that's made a big, significant impact on our program as we have previously outlined.

The other principle is we that must continue our course to protect the most vulnerable to severe COVID as soon as possible and our goal to protect them by the middle of the year is unchanged. People like the Prime Minister's mother. Age is the single biggest risk factor for severe COVID but we know there are others and that group is our priority at the moment. To get them vaccinated as soon as possible. In doing so, we have to maximise the vaccine doses we have available at this time. And obviously at this time we have more Pfizer, more AstraZeneca I should say, coming online from CSL, but still steady but hopefully increasing doses of Pfizer. So we have to plan the program to maximally use those vaccines we have available. Clearly we have to encourage Australians to get vaccinated. We have to make sure that we have a program that is credible. We have communication that gets out to the population, to make sure that people understand the importance of vaccination, to make sure that we understand that we are in still a very dangerous world. There are many countries in the world, the Prime Minister was talking about India, that are in very serious situations with COVID and the risk of COVID importation and outbreak in Australia is ever present. We cannot be complacent.

Clearly, the other principle is this huge logistic program must be collaborative and it's been so the whole way through. It has been very collaborative in the last week as we've sought to recalibrate the program. The next slide up. So what are the key principles or the key changes. So as I've said, Pfizer vaccine is the vaccine for those under 50, with a few agreed exceptions. We have to finish off residential aged care. It's nearly finished. Only a few more weeks to go and we have very, very efficient teams going in there giving Pfizer to our aged care residents. We will soon have them completely protected and they are the single most high-risk group in this country and all around the world from COVID. There are some other exceptions that the Prime Minister talked about disability care, where most people are under 50, in a small disability home. We wouldn't want to go in with two types of vaccine for only four or five people. There are some border and quarantine workers who need to be protected, to be able to go to work and that protection for two doses three weeks apart is much easier to achieve with Pfizer. But with a few exceptions, Pfizer is now restricted to those under 50. Until we get more Pfizer supplies later in the year, so for those people who may choose not to have AstraZeneca, as the Prime Minister has always said, it is a choice. We recommend that AstraZeneca, the risk benefit for over 50 is vastly in favour of being vaccinated. But people always have a choice and more Pfizer will be available later in the year. But at this stage we will not be making Pfizer available to those 50 and over.

We need to ensure, because of this new age split that a range of people under 50 who are eligible at the moment, such as aged care workers, disability care workers, those people with underlying chronic medical conditions, emergency service workers and broader healthcare workers from all settings, can have access to Pfizer at the state Pfizer clinic. So they will now, the first Ministers have agreed, they will open up all of their state Pfizer clinics equally to every single Australian currently eligible, it's only in those groups in 1A and 1B at the moment to access Pfizer in those Pfizer clinics. That increased demand on the Pfizer clinics to cover that whole population essentially under 50 will require an expansion in those Pfizer clinics in the states. That will need to expand both in geography and size, depending on the available Pfizer doses which are coming in and which we hope to increase in coming weeks. We will also down the track consider further expansion of other state Pfizer points of presence and potentially when we get more supplies of a Commonwealth Pfizer points of presence. The AstraZeneca vaccine is the vaccine for people 50 years and over. Because the states and territories will be no longer providing AstraZeneca to under 50s in their clinics, that will free up more AstraZeneca to go to primary care sites. And they will be able to increase many of the GP sites who as the Prime Minister said, have been vaccinating very efficiently, many of our over 70s say they can do more. We'll be able to increase their dose supply in coming weeks and we'll be able to also make sure that the states and territory clinics focus on their core over 50 groups in their AstraZeneca clinics but they may well pivot from AstraZeneca clinics in the states and territory to doing more Pfizer because that's been their primary role.

As the Prime Minister said, we also now have the capacity, because we're not giving under 50s AstraZeneca in the GP clinics and in some of the state clinics, we have the capacity now to bring forward some of the other people in phase 2A who would have access to AstraZeneca, those between 50 and 70, for people 50 and over can get access to AstraZeneca in coming weeks. As the Prime Minister said, that will globally take place from the 17th of May but earlier from the 3rd of May in state and territory clinics and the GP respiratory clinics.

So that's essentially the program recalibration and I just say again, it has been a significant reset. It's been very collaboratively worked through and we hope that Australians heed the call to come out and get vaccinated.

PRIME MINISTER: So we'll meet again next Friday. There isn't a need to meet earlier than that. If an issue another emerges then of course, we will. But the progress we’ve made this week, and I want to thank all the Premiers and Chief Ministers but also the health ministers in each of the states and territories, the officials. A lot has got done over the course of this week and has put us in this place and we'll review progress and implementation against all of that next Friday. Questions. Rosie.

JOURNALIST: Changes to high-risk countries. When will they actually take effect? So if you're in India now, what's the message to returning Australians there? How quickly do they need to try and get home? Can we also get your response to two pretty shocking cases of domestic violence in recent days? Kelly Wilkinson, who was burnt to death by her estranged husband, and now it looks as though a young baby who has been taken to her death by her father. What's your response to those incidents and you've got a Women's Safety Summit in the middle of the year. Would you commit the Commonwealth working with the states to look at how states are responding to AVOs and showing some sort of national leadership on that issue?

PRIME MINISTER: Of course. Of course. My response is one of profound sorrow, like it would be for all Australians. These are horrific and sadly they're not the first of these sorts of terrible and awful events that have taken place. And already, up until this point particularly for protecting women against violence, the national plan that was put in train by Prime Minister Gillard a decade ago continues on, a billion dollars of investment made into that program and there will be more. You'll see more investment in the Budget and you will see more initiatives coming from that Summit that is occurring in July and that work continues. There has been tremendous work done across all levels of government but these events once again tell us shockingly that whatever efforts we have been making, they can only be further increased. And that's what I believe would be the response of all governments in this country. It is truly awful. And my heart is just profoundly sad at this terrible event and of the impact on the families that are involved, the friends. The trauma of this will be unspeakable. And we must continue to just further increase our efforts to do all we can in these circumstances. The events that lead to this is hard to understand and how people can take these such violent and appalling acts, but it is something our society has been sadly living with for too long. So we’ll continue to do all we can to try and prevent it and I think the work that's done in the community is so important to that end. There are people who work in this area, whether they're on the end of phone lines with 1800RESPECT or they are working in the community, these services are incredibly important. And there are so many contributing factors. They are incredibly complex issues and we must continue to commit ourselves to the actions that are necessary there.

In relation to the, I wouldn't be suggesting anyone from a high-risk country be rushing back to Australia. And we will be looking to put this in place very soon. But we do need to work particularly on the PCR tests that would be required within three days in those transit countries. We just need to work through some details through our officials to put that in place. We wanted to announce it today to be very transparent about the actions we are taking, but the reductions in relation to those charter flights, those actions were already put in place because they're obviously directly within the remit of the Commonwealth because we're arranging those flights. But you can expect a decision in the very near future in relation to those direct flights into New South Wales and I would expect that will occur in 24 hours.

JOURNALIST: What do you say to Australians who are stranded in India right now and going through this crisis who might look upon this decision as one that their own country has abandoned them? And does this decision today reflect a lack of confidence in the hotel quarantine system which is built on the presumption that people with COVID might be returning?

PRIME MINISTER: No, it doesn't reflect any lack of confidence in that at all. It reflects the fact that we're in the middle of a global pandemic that is raging. And Australia has been successful throughout this pandemic, working together with the states and territories, to have very effective border arrangements. Countries that didn't follow that practice have found themselves in the situation they're in. Australians are living like few others anywhere else in the world and we take those border arrangements very seriously. So this is a way of managing that risk. We have seen the proportion of total cases from that one particular cohort rise from about 10 per cent to 40 per cent of cases. That's not something we could ignore and so we have to take actions to mitigate that risk on behalf of all Australians. We have been working hard to get Australians home, particularly since last September, and we've seen hundreds of thousands of Australians return home. Through assisted flights, through tens of millions of dollars the Commonwealth has put in place to support the most vulnerable. So we will continue to do that and there will continue to be the opportunity for those to return from places like India but in very controlled circumstances.

JOURNALIST: PM, can I ask about your message to the Summit in the US. What will be the core of your message to that gathering and will it include any commitment to up short-term or medium-term targets?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, my key message is that Australia is committed and Australia is performing. I mean, we've had a 19 per cent reduction in our emissions since 2005, and that betters many of the countries that are appearing tonight. We set commitments and we meet them and we beat them. Many countries make commitments but none of them I think, can claim the same record of achievement that Australia consistently has, whether it's across Kyoto and where we're tracking in terms of our commitments to Paris. And already we've seen, when you exclude exports, Australia have a reduction in our domestic emissions of some 36 per cent. Our targets for Paris are a 70 per cent reduction in emissions when measured in respect to our size of our economy, so that intensity measure. So Australia has serious commitments and we're meeting them and will beat them. We're keen to ensure that there's a transparency. Australia is one of the few countries in the world where we actually report our emissions every single year. We update it every year. The reason I can only tell you that we're doing better than Canada, New Zealand, Japan and the United States from 2018 is because other countries don't update their figures like Australia does. And so we're very transparent about our performance and performance matters. But the most important message is this, when is not the question anymore. How is the question. Our commitment to ensure that we develop the technologies, for example, that can see hydrogen produced at $2 a kilo Australian, that is what gets you to a net zero economy. Unless you're committed and committed to working together with whether developing or developed countries, to put in place the commercial technology that achieves net zero, then these are just media statements. And Australia is backing up our commitments with the serious investment. You've seen just in this last 48 hours, over a billion dollars worth of investments going into building the hydrogen valleys of the future, the hydrogen hubs, the carbon capture and storage. Over half a billion that's been put into the technology partnerships with many of those who I'll be joining tonight. The $18 billion we have committed over the next 10 years which will leverage some $70 billion to $80 billion of investment. It's exciting to see our biggest industrialists putting in place the technology and the research and the science that's needed to transform their sectors. And I think that is going to send a big message around the world over the next decade that Australia, through particularly our resources industries and our manufacturing industries, demonstrating to the world how you do this. And so I think Australia's got a very strong story to tell and what we have achieved so far sets us well ahead of so many others. I mean, and in addition to that, the ambitions that we have, our ambitions we know we'll achieve and beat.

JOURNALIST: Do you agree that by not extending the low and middle income tax offset that you'll be leaving millions of Australians worse off, particularly at a time when they're already doing it tough?

PRIME MINISTER: I believe that the Liberals and Nationals are the party of lower taxes and the Budget is in May.

JOURNALIST: Mark McGowan was talking about a pause on travel from India, a complete pause. We’re talking about a scaling back.

PRIME MINISTER: Mark McGowan was fully supportive of the arrangements we put in place today and welcomed our suggestion in particular, that the Commonwealth brought today about having these transit country PCR test arrangements put in place because that's what actually is needed to address the situation in Western Australia. There are no direct flights to Western Australia. So it needed an innovative way of dealing with that and the Premier was very appreciative of us addressing that issue. Yes, Kath?

JOURNALIST: Ahead of tonight, a Biden administration official has described Australia's abatement trajectory, sorry, I can't speak, I have become frozen, as insufficient. That's a direct quote. So I'll repeat Phil's question to you which you didn't answer.

PRIME MINISTER: No, I did answer it.

JOURNALIST: No, no, you didn't answer the direct question.

PRIME MINISTER: Sorry, I did. I was asked what my main messages were and I told you what they were.

JOURNALIST: He also asked you whether Australia would update its targets for 2030 either tonight, and I’ll add a couple, either tonight, at the G7 or at COP?

PRIME MINISTER: Well what we do later in the year we'll address those at that point. We won't be doing as you've said, this evening. That was not our plan to do that this evening. We're making a range of commitments that we have already announced in terms of our investments in critical technologies and partnerships which we’ve been discussing in particular with the United States. The last discussion I had with former Secretary Kerry the Special Envoy, was about the partnerships we were putting together with the United States on energy technology. That’s what they’d been seeking to put in place with Australia, and we’re very keen to pursue that. But I'd make this one comment on the anonymous report, and that is the trajectory to any net zero outcome is not linear, and anyone who thinks it is I think doesn't get it. The way technology works is there is a long lead time into its development and commercialisation and once the technology is in place you can see a massive transformation. And so your achievement of net zero over time has more of that type of a curve, not that type of a curve. And if you think it's linear, then that just doesn't, that isn't supported I think by the science or the research.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, today New South Wales reported 80 per cent of their appointments for vaccines have been cancelled in the last couple of weeks for Phase 1B. For Australians that are 51, 52, 53 years old, that are in that priority cohort, what is your message to reassure them that a few years either side of 50 makes AstraZeneca safe for them? And if I can Professor Murphy, do we have any idea on what the numbers of Pfizer and AstraZeneca are going, doses coming in each week for the next few weeks is going to look like?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the best people to assure people about these things are our medical experts who advise me. So I'll leave it to Professor Kelly and Professor Murphy.

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So, I’ll just start. Look, I think those cancellations have not been seen to the same extent in primary care, where I think the state clinics were doing a lot of health care workers and a lot of younger people. And we’re seeing pretty stable uptake in primary care. The, I think our over 70s are getting the message that the risk of COVID is far, far, far, far greater than this very rare condition. But I think the message I would give is that we have a very good expert panel, ATAGI, who are constantly evaluating the risk. And they have currently said that the risk benefit is such that over 50, or 50 and over, the risk benefit, or the benefit risk ratio I should say, is vastly in favour of getting vaccinated. All the three suspected or confirmed cases likely, or confirmed cases in Australia, have been under 50. But, as I said before, people who for one reason or another don't feel like having AstraZeneca and I think they should, I've had it and I feel quite comfortable about having it. But people will have access to Pfizer later in the year. But those who are absolutely at the front-line, the border and quarantine people, the people in the COVID wards, they are still getting access to Pfizer to protect them.

JOURNALIST: The numbers?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: The numbers, sorry, the numbers, those numbers are reviewed on a weekly basis. We have to be very careful about these forward projections. But what I can say is we're very confident that the Pfizer doses will continue to increase month by month in future months. But I'm not going to give you an exact prediction because they are confirmed almost every week by the company.

JOURNALIST: Your Government has torn up Victoria’s Belt and Road deal, why did you think it's an important thing to do and why do it now?

PRIME MINISTER: Australia under our Government, will always protect Australia's national interests. It is our job as a Commonwealth Government to ensure we protect those national interests. And that there is one foreign policy of this country. And the Foreign Relations Act that our Government put in place was designed to protect our national interests by ensuring that there were no other agreements entered in to by any other level of government that would conflict with Australia's national interest. So what we have done is we have followed through. And there have been four agreements that the Foreign Minister has terminated in line with that Foreign Relations Act, that power that we were able to attract from the Parliament. And so we will always act in Australia's national interest to protect Australia, but to also ensure that we can advance our national interests of a free and open Indo-Pacific and a world that seeks a balance in favour of freedom. And that's what our national interest policies are about and that’s what today's decision has ensured that we have done because we ensure that our national interest foreign policies are consistent across the country and it is the Commonwealth Government and my Government that has ensured that we have protected that arrangement.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on the vaccinations for remote communities, we have been told that in the Torres Strait, vaccinations will be on hold until at least June. They're very concerned that is going to increase hesitancy in that population, especially given the community's vulnerabilities and their proximity to PNG. What is the Federal Government doing to assist them in the vaccinations?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'll ask Professor Murphy and Professor Kelly to address this. But the Queensland Government has been vaccinating, has been vaccinating, people in the Torres Strait and this in fact is one of our key priorities very recently because of the ring of containment we're seeking to put around the Torres Strait, especially because of the challenges that we're currently facing in Papua New Guinea. But I'll ask Professor Murphy and Professor Kelly to add.

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thanks for the question. So there has been extensive vaccination in the Torres Strait using AstraZeneca. So obviously the announcement on 8th of April has caused us to recalibrate that but I don't have any up to date information on that. I’ll take that up with the Queensland Government.

PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43334

Press Conference - Berkeley Vale, NSW

21 April 2021

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LUCY WICKS MP, MEMBER FOR ROBERTSON: It’s always great when I’m able to welcome the Prime Minister of Australia to the Central Coast, and this afternoon has been a really exciting opportunity. I’d like to welcome the Prime Minister, I’d like to welcome the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. I’d particularly like to thank Star Scientific for hosting us here today, to acknowledge the Chairman Andrew Horvath, but also to acknowledge the incredible work that a business based here on the Central Coast is doing in such an emerging industry such as hydrogen. This is really exciting technology, we are seeing investment like there’s no tomorrow in an organisation like this. And one of the exciting things that I heard today was that this company is growing from 25 employees to close to another 200 employees by the end of the year. This is an exciting newsday for the Central Coast in terms of an announcement from the Federal Government. But what I'm really excited to see is that it’s organisations and businesses here on the Central Coast that are really driving the innovation that is going to help us to deliver cleaner energy sources, more reliable, affordable energy and also making sure that we do continue to drive economic growth in terms of jobs here on the Central Coast, as well as of course ensuring that we do have a better environment tomorrow than what we have today. So this is exciting, it is wonderful to have the Prime Minister and the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reductions here today. And I’ll invite the Prime Minister to make the formal announcement.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much, Lucy. It’s good to be here with Angus and you, Andrew, and all of your team here. It was great to meet you. Lucy, I know you must be very excited to see what’s happening here on the Central Coast. It's great to be here on the Central Coast. We are seeing people commuting to the Central Coast for the jobs that are being created in these wonderful businesses and these innovative businesses that are actually pioneering where energy is going into the future. Australia has always played a huge role in meeting the energy needs of our region. That’s what Australia's economy has been known for, for a very, very long time. And we’re committed to ensuring that Australia continues to be doing that into the future. The world is moving to a new energy economy. A net zero economy when it comes to energy. And Australia will play a huge part in that, and the way we're going to play a huge part in that is ensuring that we are backing in the best scientists, the best entrepreneurs, the best pioneers and those who are doing that in our heaviest industries. See, there’s a myth out there which says that you can't use the sorts of things that are being done in a business like this to power major industry. See this is the exciting challenge that we have in Australia, that we get to solve for the net zero energy future what that means for heavy industry, for manufacturing, for what’s going to spin those massive turbines, for what’s going to power those enormous resource trucks up in the Pilbara or in other places, what’s going to fire up the recycling glass plants around the country, what’s going to protect and support the jobs in Gladstone to Bell Bay, to over the Pilbara, up here in the Central Coast and the Hunter. All of those jobs are going to be supported and they’re going to grow even more in the new energy economy because of the investments and because of the science and the technology, the energy technology, that is being delivered right here in Australia. And it’s our Government's plan to ensure that we’re meeting that challenge through technology, not taxes. We're not going to tax our way into the new energy economy, we are going to ensure that we achieve it through our investments, our smart investments in the energy technology that will power up Australian industry well into the future. And a huge part of that has been the technology roadmap which Angus Taylor has been leading, supported by Australia's best scientists, people like Alan Finkel, who used to be our Chief Scientist, and others, and Alan is now continually involved in this project going forward.

There are two elements of this energy technology that are so essential for Australia's future. One is the development of hydrogen. I want Australia and hydrogen technology to be synonymous around the world. And it’s a key point I’ll be making at the Climate Summit over the next few days, that Australia is really putting the flag right out there when it comes to ensuring that we lead the world in hydrogen technology. The hydrogen that can fire up furnaces that used to be done by other forms of fossil fuels, that can run those trucks, that can run long-distance transport, and do all of the things we need it to do, solving for these problems. So today we are announcing $275 million thereabouts in additional investment in four new hubs for hydrogen hubs. And Angus will tell you a bit more about how that works but what it basically is is bringing together, in particular parts of the country where there’s the ability to generate the hydrogen, to use the hydrogen, to innovate around the hydrogen and you create, and hydrogen it’s, what it is it’s zero emissions gas. That’s what it is. Hydrogen is zero emissions gas. And ensuring that that, in those ecosystems as you might call them, those communities if you like, those industrial communities, whether it’s in Gladstone or whether it’s say in the Hunter or other places, that’s what this does. It’s creating that. You wonder how Silicon Valley started, it started by creating a community of people who are innovating in technology and using technology and changing the world. That’s what these hubs are and we’re investing in creating more of them, after the investments were made in the last Budget.

Now the other announcement we’re making today is some $267 million in carbon capture use and storage. In a net zero future, there will still be carbon emissions that come from particular industries. Planes will still fly, I don't know anyone yet who’s going to get on a plane that is not being flown with fuel. And so there will be emissions in the future and there will be in 2050. And carbon capture use and storage is essential to ensure that that can be accommodated. Up there in the Gorgon Project, Angus can talk more about that, but that is one of the world's largest sites for carbon capture use and storage, with some four million tonnes, I think it is, already. A real project, actually happening. And so Australia has to pioneer both of these technologies and be right out there in front. That’s how you get there, that’s how we achieve what we’re all trying to achieve. A lower emissions future, sure, but not at the price of taxing our heavy industries off the planet. Not at the price of taking away the jobs that I’ve seen right here. You know, in this very  plant what we're seeing is people bringing all sorts of skills together. People who make things, people who research things, people who administer things, all making this happen in this amazingly innovative business, with some of the most amazing, innovative technology that is going to make a big difference. So I’m very proud Andrew of what you’re achieving here, and our plan through the technology roadmap is to ensure that we get there through technology, not taxes. And I’ll allow Angus to fill you in more.

THE HON. ANGUS TAYLOR MP, MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION: Thanks, PM. It’s great to be with you here Lucy on the Central Coast with the Prime Minister and with Andrew and his team of world beaters, because that’s what this organisation is, and like so many across Australia, we have world leaders in energy technology and we always have had. We always have had. We’ve built some of the greatest energy supply chains and industries, exports, in the world and we will continue to do that, exactly as we’re seeing here today. Now, the face of bringing down emissions and delivering affordable, reliable energy in Australia, and around the world, is what we see here today. It’s entrepreneurs, it’s innovators, it’s not tax collectors. And this is the key. It’s not about imposing taxes, it’s not about eliminating industries, it’s about creating jobs and it’s about harnessing the smarts, the capability, and the skills of Australians right across this great country. In the technology investment roadmap, we committed to five priority technologies and they include technologies where Australia has the potential, or is already a world beater. Whether it’s soil carbon, or indeed in aluminium and steel, low emissions aluminium and steel stored energy. The two in particular that we’re focused on today, investing $539 million in total, of course are hydrogen and carbon capture and storage. And as the Prime Minister has said, hydrogen is a fuel that already is used today but has enormous potential in bringing down emissions and delivering that affordable reliable energy we need, and not just energy for production of electricity where it will play a huge role, as we’ve seen here today, but also in production of heat and as an industrial feedstock for critical products like fertiliser that puts food on our tables every day. 

Low-cost, clean hydrogen is where Australia has the potential to be a world leader in energy, just as we have been and continue to be in LNG, in coal, in other crucial resource industries. That’s where our future lies, alongside those fantastic industries that we’ve built over such a long period of time. This commitment will focus in particular on creating hydrogen hubs and carbon capture and storage hubs, and hubs are a collection of businesses that work with each other to bring down the costs, make those industries efficient, build those supply chains across the world and most importantly create jobs and drive investment. Whether it’s in hydrogen hubs that collect together manufacturers using the energy from the hydrogen and the feedstock from the hydrogen, producers of the hydrogen, and producers of the heat from the hydrogen. Those collections of businesses are how we will build hubs and build competitive advantage in this industry, as not only a user in Australia of hydrogen but also as an exporter of hydrogen and related products to the world. And carbon capture and storage, as the Prime Minister has said, enormous opportunity for Australia. We have the biggest project in the world right here in Australia, 60 projects going across the world but we are a world leader. And across all of these technologies we’re a world leader which gives us a privileged position, not just to bring down our own emissions but to help bring down emissions across our region and across the world. Australia has a special role to play in this, and in doing that we will create jobs and opportunities for great people like we see in this business here today. Thanks.

ANDREW HORVATH, CEO, STAR SCIENTIFIC: I’m very, very proud to have the Prime Minister, the Minister and Lucy Wicks here today with us. On behalf of myself and my team it’s been a pleasure to show them the next innovation in hydrogen. The HERO system produces a great deal of heat, and it’s little-known but heat is about 60 per cent of the CO2 problem. It’s not just power, it’s heat in industry and HERO can cater for both. The announcements that have been made today are revolutionary because they place Australia at the cusp of having hydrogen hubs and hydrogen intensive communities that allow businesses like us to interact with other businesses, much like we do with the University of Newcastle now, and other businesses in the area. This is really important and I really back the Prime Minister and the Minister when they say this is technology driven. It really is technology driven. Hydrogen is now, hydrogen will be the future fuel. It’s inexhaustible, it will dramatically drop in price and it will become the base fuel of the planet. So once again, very, very proud to have you all here. On behalf of myself and my team, thank you.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you. Happy to take some questions. Why don’t we start with the announcement first and then move ...

JOURNALIST: Obviously what you’ve seen here today is on a smaller scale. Is there a timeframe that you would like to see hydrogen being used, as you said, to power heavy industry?

PRIME MINISTER: Of course, and this is already occurring. When I was up in the Pilbara last week they’re already looking to have hydrogen powering their trucks as little as the next half of this year. So this is a reality, this is already occurring. It’s already occurring in many places, but what’s exciting about the technology here is, as Andrew was saying, you need heat to make things. You need heat to drive turbines because it needs to create the steam that drive the turbines. I mean, the technology that is being developed here means you can plug this in to what is currently a coal-fired power station and drive the same turbines, so just think about the implications of that. But you’ve got to get it to scale, and the way you get things to scale is you create these communities. The Central Coast hub could become like you have a Silicon Valley, you’ve got a hydrogen valley, in bringing together the expertise, the entrepreneurialism, the resource, and the use, significantly the use of the heavy industry. That’s why it’s so exciting for regions in Australia, because it sees their regions not just propelled, but transformed along the way. So, yeah, we want to see that happening as soon as possible, the whole world does, because it’s a huge part of the solve, it’s a huge part of the answer to the question we’re all trying to ensure that we can address. That’s what I’ll be joining President Biden and many other world leaders over the next couple of days, and where I'm seeking to focus that conversation, it’s now about the how, there has been enough conversations about the when, it’s about the how, now. And Andrew and his team here, they’re delivering on the how, and what we’re delivering on is on the how, and that’s the technology and scaling it up. The challenge is to scale it up, because when you scale it up, and you get the demand for that, then you can drive down the price. The more you drive down the price, that means in countries not far from here, whether it’s in Indonesia or Malaysia or India or indeed China, if you want to deal with global emissions, then you need technology that’s commercial, and that developing nations around the world will adopt, which means that they can get the same jobs, which is a fair ask on their part. They want the technology that enables them to create jobs in their economies and we want them to have that too, and the way you achieve that is by improving it, making it right, and that’s what these hubs achieve.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] One of the issues still pending is the PEP-11 licence. I think the Central Coast community is really anxiously awaiting a decision. Can you have a bit of light on when that will be, and how you feel about that?

PRIME MINISTER: I think I made it  pretty clear what my Government's view was about that. I mean that will go through processes, but I’ve made it absolutely crystal clear that that’s not something I support, and you can expect my view on that to be rock solid.

JOURNALIST: And is there enough room now for a Central Coast University? You talked about research and development as very important. There’s been a lot of growing interest in a Central Coast University. Have you heard about University of Newcastle, but it’s Newcastle, we’re not Newcastle.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, look, I’m going to ask Lucy to speak about that because the truth is Newcastle University is a regional university that is reaching right across this region, and not just in the areas we're talking about here in this ecosystem but also I know in the health space as well. Lucy has been doing amazing work here for years to create health hubs here, and health science hubs, in the work that she’s been doing with the universities, but Lucy you might want to comment on that.

LUCY WICKS MP, MEMBER FOR ROBERTSON: Thanks PM. The University of Newcastle is strongly committed to the Central Coast region and has been for a number of years. But it’s also strongly committed to the importance of the Central Coast having its own voice, and that’s why our Central Coast Medical School is going to be called exactly that, Central Coast Medical School, with the first intake of students coming in in July of this year. A world-class medical institution, and medical research institution, right here in Gosford, available for students on the Central Coast, students around Australia, students to be able to come and study and gain access to the best possible education in terms of health care and the best possible opportunities for their future. We’re not stopping there. The Prime Minister knows this, that, you know, we do have a dream to see university, university campus expand, a dream to see young people who choose to study an education degree of their choice, have the opportunity to do so right here where they live. Not to have to go to Sydney or Newcastle or London or New York or anywhere else they may wish to, that they may need to go, but to at least have the choice to be able to study where they live. For too long, people here on the Central Coast have not had that choice, but that is changing. It’s changing not just in education can I say, it’s also changing in terms of job opportunities and we are seeing that, a great example of that with Star Scientific here, a great example of an investment in hydrogen, in the technology around hydrogen, in the hydrogen economy, and this is great news for the Central Coast and Hunter region.

JOURNALIST: Obviously the hubs that you mentioned that are going to be developed, a competitive process on that. Do you think that the Hunter or the Hunter Central Coast region is a frontrunner in that? You’ve heard the links with the university here, obviously we have the CSIRO in Newcastle, and the port. Are we a frontrunner?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think you’re a very, very strong contender. I mean, I don’t want to, you know, intervene in the proper process that is going through, but what’s exciting about, I think, the places that are obvious candidates, I mean the reason we are expanding is I think there’s more than one, there’s a lot more. Whether it’s Bell Bay down in Tasmania or it’s the Pilbara as I’ve said, or up around Gladstone, or here in the Hunter, or there are many other parts of the country which are well-suited to that, and what Angus has done in bringing this forward, and I will ask him to comment on this, is that he’s enabling more of these hydrogen valleys, these carbon capture use and storage valleys, to be all around the country. But, Angus ...

THE HON. ANGUS TAYLOR MP, MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION: Thanks, PM. We announced some months ago the first hydrogen hub, [inaudible] what struck us very quickly is how much potential there is in Australia to build these hubs. On the back of a hydrogen industry that already exists, the Hunter Valley already uses hydrogen to produce fertiliser for instance, to help put food on the plate of Australians. So the potential there is enormous. That’s why we expanded from a single hub out to five hubs, and in addition to that, carbon capture and storage hubs, where, indeed, the Hunter Valley and this region is playing a very significant role already developing technology for carbon capture use and storage, which are world leading, just like the technologies we have seen here today. In terms of the process, it will be a competitive grant process that will open in the coming months, and we are looking to make announcements in the first part of next year.

JOURNALIST: What’s part of that process, what do they need to do to prove ...

THE HON. ANGUS TAYLOR MP, MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION: We very much want to see great projects brought forward, and great projects involve collections of organisations working together, the hydrogen producers, the hydrogen users, the energy generators, all of those different parts of the hub, as well as the potential for the right skills to be brought to bear, all of those components that make a successful hub, coming forward in the proposals. Ultimately it’s a competitive process, but the fact that we are now going to award five, not just one, says to you, says to everybody, that Australia is a place where we can really lead the world on this, and Australia has technology, skills, and indeed the existing energy hubs which form the foundation of what will be, we think, fantastic hydrogen hubs for Australia and for the world.
JOURNALIST: Is there any specific announcement designated for the Central Coast or is it Australia wide?

PRIME MINISTER: It’s Australia wide, and it goes to those hubs, the Central Coast, Hunter, we encourage them to be involved. I think it can be transformational here, and you’ve clearly got the base to do it from, so I think there’s a very exciting opportunity there.

JOURNALIST: Do you believe that Australia can make hydrogen at a commercial international level without emitting greenhouse gases?

PRIME MINISTER: Yes, yes I do. I do. We have got to do it at the right price. We have got to get hydrogen being able to be produced at $2 per kilo. That is actually going to change things dramatically around the world. I know that with Fortescue Future Industries who I was with last week, Andrew Forrest, his organisation is working on those challenges, not just here but in other parts of the world. They have a similar target, in fact even more ambitious than that, which is very much like Andrew, so you have not only got to be able to master the science and the technology, which is what Andrew and the team here are demonstrating, you’ve then got to master the price. That is why those technology targets, those energy technology targets, the hydrogen technology target, are the targets that actually bring about the change. That is what actually deals with the challenges around climate change, that is what actually deals with how that impacts on industries, particularly in regions, and that is why we are so focused on that. That is why we're talking about energy technologies all the time, because we know that is the ticket to the jobs, that is the ticket for the heavy industries that are so important to our regions, that is the ticket for Australia to be able to lead.
JOURNALIST: Just on another topic, Brittany Higgins has this afternoon tweeted saying that she has not heard from your office since they initially made contact on the 6th of April. Why hasn’t a meeting been set?

PRIME MINISTER: That is in process, we heard from Brittany last week. It is an important meeting, I’m looking forward to having it, and we’ve been obviously following up on that now, and I look forward to having that meeting arranged soon.
JOURNALIST: Vaccines, I’ll move to another subject. Will the Government commit to ensuring there’s a mRNA facility in Australia, and if so what is the earliest date that could happen?

PRIME MINISTER: This is exciting technology as well, and I welcome states and territories, as well as the Commonwealth also, will be moving in this area. mRNA, no one is going to be in a position to be able to manufacture through mRNA to deal with the needs we have this year. That is not the discussion. A year ago, mRNA vaccines were a theory, largely, around the world, but COVID and the vaccine of mRNA production has made that a reality now. And mRNA vaccines will be important for vaccine development in the future. And Australia’s going to be part of that. And my Government’s going to be part of that. State governments are going to be part of that. So we welcome that. This is about establishing that manufacturing capability here, not so much specifically to deal with COVID, although, because I think COVID will continue to be with us for some time, and there will be further evolutions of vaccines in that area, so we will move to do that, but more importantly, in terms of vaccine production, as a manufacturing capability in Australia, to be able to do what was only theory last year and to bring that into reality here in Australia, at present you can only do mRNA vaccines in the United States and certain parts of Europe, so it is a very new area of science when it comes to vaccines. So whether it is there, or the sorts of things we’re talking about today, our modern manufacturing strategy is about ensuring that Australia has a lead in those core areas that we think we can be successful in, and in the medical area that is certainly one.

JOURNALIST: Do you support Victoria's decision to commit $50 million to try and set up a local ...

PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely, I think it is great. I mean, I think it’s great. That is not done in place of the Commonwealth, it is done, and I'm sure as other states will look to establish this capability as well, that’s what state governments do, that is part of their job. Certainly the Commonwealth will be seeking to support what we can do in this area as well. It was the Commonwealth who were able to ensure that CSL was able to produce and be one of the only countries in the world, only about 20 of us who actually can produce COVID-19 vaccines. We are one of a handful of countries that can do that. So I think that as a Commonwealth, as a Government, we have already demonstrated our capacity to move, we did that last August for an adenovirus vaccine. The mRNA is a much more complicated set up, and so we moved on the one that could be done most swiftly, and certainly with mRNA vaccines that is a competency and a capability that I want Australia to have.

JOURNALIST: A Central Coast woman passed away [inaudible] blood clot. What about the security and safety of these vaccines? [Inaudible]

PRIME MINISTER: This is the constant focus of our medical advisors and the TGA, and the many other expert groups that advise the Commonwealth Government, and of course state and territory governments. So we have been informed by the advice all the way through managing COVID-19. I have to, every time, we reflect on these things, Australia proceeded very carefully to go through the approval phases of our vaccines. This was important, whether it was Pfizer or AstraZeneca, there were others who were saying that we should rush, there were others who thought that we should just go into emergency type approvals of our vaccines, and we chose not to do that. We chose to stick with the very careful and tested process of approving vaccines in this country. We didn’t cut any corners, we made sure we ticked every box. We made sure we got hold of the evidence and the information that enabled, I believe, the best regulators, if not the best regulators in the world to make their decisions on the vaccines that are being used in Australia.

Other countries were not able to do that. Other countries, like we see in the United States with 1,000 people dying every day, every single day, Australia, our relative success in ensuring that we suppress the virus meant we could get the process right, and we followed that advice and so therefore the vaccines that are available here in Australia, particularly those being administered to over 50s for AstraZeneca, and the most important population of those over 70s currently, and I'm pleased to see that the number of vaccinations each day staying well above north of 60,000 a day, and the general practitioners who are administering those doses are talking to their patients and giving them that confidence. I want to continue to encourage, particularly those aged over 70 at the moment, to make that appointment, go and see your GP and the GP practices that are administering the vaccine, and ensure you do that, because if there is a COVID outbreak in Australia, you’re in those vulnerable groups and you are at great risk from COVID. We saw that with the second wave in Victoria. Over 600 Victorians died who were in those vulnerable groups when the second wave went through. I do not want to see that here in Australia again, and the protection against that is the vaccine, the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is safe and effective for those over 50. That is the clear medical advice that we have received, and particularly for those aged over 70, it is important for your public health, for your health, that you take those vaccines, so I encourage you to do that. Thank you all very much for your time today.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43332

Address, Business Council of Australia Annual Dinner - Sydney, NSW

19 April 2021

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PRIME MINISTER: Well, g’day everyone, or should I say kia ora because today the Tasman is open. In a few weeks’ time, maybe a little later than that, I’ll be going across the Tasman for my second international visit this year, after visiting Western Australia last week. Now all the Western Australians in the room, I told that joke in Western Australia last week, as well. I say the same thing on one side of the country as I do on the other.

It’s a great privilege to be here with all of you tonight and seeing so many of you here, and I want to join with Tim, and thank you Tim for that introduction and Jennifer for the great work that is done here, in, for saying thank you for the wonderful job that businesses across Australia have done, particularly over the course of these last 18 months.

Before I go further, can I also acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and thank you very much for the welcome to country this evening. Can I acknowledge their elders past, present and emerging.

Can I also, particularly this day, when I have announced our intention to call a Royal Commission into defence and veterans’ suicide, acknowledge any servicemen and women who are with us here tonight, or perhaps looking on, but any veterans who are here tonight, and simply say to you on behalf of a very grateful nation, thank you for your service.

To Tim and to Jennifer, and Jennifer thank you for moving the flowers, they would have gone in about the first 30 seconds I think, so good call.

To all of my Ministerial colleagues who are here, my very good friend Josh Frydenberg, who joins us here tonight. Josh and I, together with Birmo and a range of the ERC Ministers are very heavily involved in the final stages of the Budget preparations, and so we will be meeting again in the morning, as we have been so regularly. And thank you Josh for your leadership, in particular, of our economy over the last 18 months. It has been a great team effort from my team, so many of whom are here with me this evening, but Josh you have led that from the front as Treasurer. I know a bit about that job, and you have been doing an outstanding job.

Senator Marise Payne who’s with us here, our senior NSW member, amongst many other great accomplishments of Marise. It’s wonderful to be here with you. To Stuart Robert who’s here, Jane Hume is here as well, of course Angus Taylor who I’ll speak a little bit more about. We were in South Australia together yesterday. Senator Zed Seselja is here tonight, as is Ben Morton. And I want to thank all of you colleagues for joining me here this evening. To any other parliamentary colleagues, I saw Trent on the way in here, I’m sure there are many others.

Can I particularly acknowledge here tonight the former Governor-General Sir Peter and Lady Cosgrove. Peter and Lynne, and I’m sure they don’t mind me referring to those in those ways, they have served our country so famously. They are both friends and former neighbours of mine, over in Kirribilli, and I’m so pleased the service that they have continued with after leaving that high office, and they are tremendous friends and they are great Australians and they give us all tremendous encouragement.

Many members of the Reserve Bank Board who are here this evening, my favourite Dr Phil is here tonight, Dr Lowe, it’s good to see you here, as well as so many great and distinguished guests who gather.

Tonight I want to touch on what we have achieved as a country in what has been the most challenging of circumstances that we’ve seen in our country in some 75 years. And I also want to draw attention to some of the key areas of policy focus as we embark on, in the Budget, the second phase of our economic recovery plan. Now the Treasurer, of course, Josh will have much more to say about that on 11th of May in the Budget, and I don’t want to steal his thunder too much this evening.

The world is in the grip, still, of a raging global COVID-19 pandemic. Sometimes hard for us here in Australia, I think, to appreciate the scale of that. It’s raging around the world. More than three million people have lost their lives. Right now there are an average of 750,000 cases of COVID every single day.

That is not Australia’s experience today. If Australia had experienced over the course of this past year the same fatality rate from COVID-19 as the average of the OECD, sadly we lost 910 Australians during this time. If we had had the average of the OECD, 30,000 more Australians would have died. Just let that sink in.

In most other countries they don’t talk about someone they know who might know someone who had COVID. They talk about someone they know who has died of COVID. That has not been Australia's experience. Australia is leading the world out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global recession it has caused. That is a sobering achievement. In a global pandemic, there is nothing to celebrate, I think, because the loss is so great. There are achievements to acknowledge, and I look forward to you doing that this evening.

But this state that Australia has arrived in has not been the product of luck. It was not luck that meant we entered this unprecedented crisis from a position of fiscal strength, with the Budget back in balance in the first time in 11 years. It wasn’t luck that saw Australia be among the first countries to close our border to mainland China, under great criticism including here. It wasn’t luck that saw Australia call the pandemic early, some two weeks before the rest of the world. It wasn’t luck that led our federation to come together and respond decisively – and I remain to this day very proud of the work of the National Cabinet, as indeed I know all the members of the National Government, as heads of Government, do feel that confidence in the work that they continue to do and the shared purposes that they have demonstrated, and I thank them each for that, and the cooperation we’ve had and continue now to protect Australians in a time of crisis. It wasn’t luck that saw our Government, together with the Reserve Bank and the business community collectively step up to the task, firstly of economic survival, followed so quickly by economic recovery. And as Dr Lowe and I were discussing before, a lot of those charts I’m looking at at the moment Josh, they look like v’s to me. It wasn’t luck that resulted in world-leading policies, Liberal Coalition policies like JobKeeper, that actually brought together Government, business, employers and banks together, to save the livelihoods of over three million people. That was innovation, and alongside the critical fiscal supports where Australia has invested heavily to preserve the fabric of our economy through its most significant challenge. These are things that aren’t the product of luck, and it wasn’t luck that meant we kept industries operating in a COVID safe way. That was your efforts - mining, construction, manufacturing, agriculture. Or that we were able to keep those vital supply lines that Tim referred to operating, everything from supermarkets to freight.

And in that context let me acknowledge, in particular, the great work done by Nev Power, who is here with us this evening, and the National COVID-19 Advisory Commission on these very practical tasks. Nev and his colleagues answered the call when they were needed and have worked so incredibly hard to support the Government’s plans for managing the virus and to lead our economic recovery. Nev is someone who knows how to get things done, that was his reputation, and it was him that I turned to at that time as the pandemic was ravaging. And his work at Fortescue obviously and in many other projects since, a great Western Australian and a great Australian, so thank you very much Nev for your tremendous work.

Tonight I stand here with the Australian economy that has so far recovered 85 per cent of its COVID-induced fall, six months earlier and twice as fast as we might have expected in last year’s October Budget.

Jobs are now above the level they were before COVID-19 and we have continued to maintain our AAA credit rating - one of only nine countries in the world to do so. In the last 10 months alone, 947,100 Australians have gone back to work - 947,100 Australians have gone back to work. There are more Australians in work today than before when COVID hit.

Unemployment has now fallen to 5.6 per cent, down from the recent peak of 7.5 per cent in July of last year, lower than it was when we came to Government and that is after a global pandemic and recession. But we all know that figure doesn’t capture the full extent, with the effective unemployment rate hitting 15 per cent at its peak at the start of COVID. The participation rate, people are voting with their feet, has risen to a record high of 66.3 per cent. Female workforce participation, as I know my colleagues would be very pleased to hear, particularly Marise Payne, is now at a record 61.8 per cent, Jane also, above pre-COVID levels.

JobKeeper, the coronavirus supplement, the CashFlow Boost, support payments to millions of pensioners and others on income support, have helped cushion the blow, as we said, but it’s also, as Dr Lowe said at the time, helped build that bridge that we’ve been travelling across over these past 18 months to ensure that Australia’s economy now is outperforming virtually any other major advanced economy in 2020. There are some, obviously, who are in that club, but it’s a very small club. Importantly, the fiscal support we have provided does not just end suddenly. There is not just one measure. It has a long tail, as those balance sheets of households and businesses have been filled again through this support.

But the pandemic has not changed our view that the private sector should remain the primary engine of growth in our economy. Of course in the middle of a pandemic it is the task of Government to step in, as John Howard reminded Josh and I on I don’t know how many occasions, in a pandemic, in a global crisis, in a crisis there is no such thing as ideology. You do what you need to do, and that’s what we did. But we did do it in accordance with Liberal values and Coalition values.

Today, business conditions are at their highest level ever, according to the NAB index, and consumer confidence is at its highest level in a decade. And with a growth rate last quarter of 3.1 per cent, Australia continues to lead the world out of the global COVID recession. But there is no room for complacency or even congratulation, as I said before. None. And my Government is a humble Government and we don’t think that way. There remains much more to do.

We have a long way still to go to deliver the jobs, to guarantee the services that Australians rely on and keep Australians safe, both  now and into the future. And our economic recovery plan, the second phase of that which will be in the Treasurer’s Budget, is geared to keeping our economy on that right track. To protect and preserve those lives and livelihoods, but also to build a strong and durable recovery for the future. Not one that depends on the taxpayers’ continued subsidy, but one that is based on a robust, vibrant, business-led economy that can stand on its own two feet. Stage Two of our National Economic Recovery Plan will be in that Budget in a few weeks’ time, and it builds on the strong foundations laid in last year’s October Budget.

A plan that retains a clear focus on lower taxes, competitive policy settings for Australian industry, sensible industrial relations settings, deregulation, open trade, open markets. A plan that does not sacrifice our traditional industries in regional Australia by seeking to tax our way to lower emissions and a net zero economy. A plan that invests in our people and new technologies – whether it be in our manufacturing plan, our plan to become one of the world’s leading digital economies by 2030, and our plan to take full advantage of the big global energy transition that is taking place around the world. A plan that very much puts business and the private sector in the driver’s seat for a durable and strong economic recovery.

Now let me illustrate what I mean in just a few key areas in the time we have remaining. I’ve spoken in many forums about the nation’s workforce challenge. I consider this the single greatest economic challenge that Australia faces to date - workforce, workforce, workforce - and the particular trends coming out of COVID-19 that we need to respond to in relation to workforce.

To make the obvious point, the way you approach this challenge is critical to your capacity to meet it, and from the outset, going right back to when we commissioned the Joyce review - prior to the last election - into vocational education and training back in 2018, we have made it plain that our Government is prepared to invest more, as we have, particularly during COVID but not just then, in skills and training, in a better system. Not the same broken system. I’m not going to pour money into a dud system that hasn’t been working the way we wanted. We’ve got to fix the system and we will invest more in it, as we’ve already demonstrated our willingness to do. To fund a responsive model, not a unresponsive, supply-driven model geared to providers rather than the needs of employers and the employees who need the skills to work in those businesses. That’s why we’re determined to make our VET system more responsive to the needs of employers and employees, so it meets their needs.

The new Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business Stuart Robert has taken that mantle now from Michaelia Cash, who is now our Attorney, and he is working to deliver a new National Skills Agreement that reflects the needs of employers and employees.

Initiatives that in just a five short month period, through our apprenticeship scheme, saw 100,000 apprentices and trainees get a job in five months. 100,000 apprentices and trainees got a job in the middle of a global pandemic coming out of a recession in five months. We thought it’d take 12 months. Jennifer’s always been a passionate advocate for skills in the workplace, and BCA’s advocacy on this did not fall on deaf ears in this government. And I’m so pleased, as I’m sure Jennifer is too, to see just how strongly the economy responded to those messages. My worst fear at the outset of the pandemic before it had really materialised in its most horrendous forms, is that we would see apprentices and trainees lost, those who’d spent two, three years already in training, the first to go as the storm hit. We kept them with the retaining apprentices initiative and then got 100,000 more and we’ve extended that program out for the full year.

Now, at the same time, Stuart’s working to finalise a new Employment Services model better tailored to the needs of jobseekers. This is about making our institutions more responsive to what’s needed, the demand that’s there out of employers rather than focusing on the needs of suppliers.

Now under the leadership of Senator Jane Hume, working with other Ministers and the private sector, Jane’s here tonight, we are delivering on our strategy to make Australia a leading digital economy and society by 2030. Now we’ll have more to say about that between now and the Budget but tonight I just want to say COVID-19 we know accelerated the take up of digital technology and highlighted the role it can play to support and enhance business operations and the delivery of government services.

And the Budget again will go further. The next phase of our plan, building on the $4.5 billion invested in upgrading the NBN, our $1.7 billion in our Cyber Security Strategy and our $800 million following through on the commitment I gave at this very platform several years ago after the election saying the digital economy we wanted to lead in, that plan was delivered in last year’s Budget and prior to that. $800 million and there’ll be more to come.

This is in addition to the significant investment the Government is making in digital skills. Digital jobs have been identified by the National Skills Commission in the top 25 emerging occupations and it will be critical that we continue to deliver the skilled workforce that can fill those jobs.

The JobTrainer Fund, together with the states and territories $1 billion, support for apprentices and trainees, together with the Advanced Apprenticeship program, additional university places – 30,000 there, 300,000 on the JobTrainer program - short courses upskilling the current workforce.

The next Skills Agreement will ensure we continue to deliver the skills for the future workforce, together helping businesses develop the skills they need to engage in the digital economy.

On energy, Angus Taylor’s here tonight and I want to commend Angus for the great job he’s been doing on energy and emissions reduction. Major climate summit occurring this week, I’ll be joining with President Biden. Now as a Government, we are also charting our own course to ensure Australia is well placed to prosper through the great energy transition of our time, consistent with the strong action on climate change. To ensure we can get to that net zero economy as I said as quickly as possible and preferably by 2050 and I’m increasing in confidence with the plan that we’re developing to achieve that. 

The key to meeting our climate change ambitions is commercialisation of low emissions technology. We are not going to meet our climate change targets through punishing taxes. I am not going to tax our industries off the planet. We are going to meet our ambitions with the smartest minds, the best technology and the animal spirits of our business community.

We need to change our energy mix over the next 30 years on that road to net zero emissions. Last week I was in Western Australia and saw first-hand the ground breaking work that Andrew Forrest and Fortescue are doing as part of our energy transition as a way of sustaining jobs in the resources sector.

The work that’s being done on green hydrogen is already attracting considerable interest from many countries. I spoke with Ken McKenzie earlier today, here this evening, about the work that BHP is doing to unlock the potential of CCS and introduce emission-free surface mining vehicles in their fleet. Have no doubt Rio Tinto when we meet soon will be telling me similar stories.

We’re seeing AGL and Idemitsu Australia Resources near completion on an early study for a pumped hydro energy storage facility in a former coal mine in the upper Hunter, ensuring these sites can continue to generate investment and jobs.

We’re not going to achieve net zero in the cafes, dinner parties and wine bars of our inner cities. It will not be achieved by taxing our industries that provide livelihoods for millions of Australians off the planet, as our political opponents sought to do when they were given the chance.

It will be achieved by the pioneering entrepreneurialism and innovation of Australia’s industrial workhorses, farmers and scientists.

It will be won in places like the Pilbara, the Hunter, Gladstone, Portland, Whyalla, Bell Bay, the Riverina. In the factories of our regional towns and outer suburbs. In the labs of our best research institutes and scientists. It will be won in our energy sector. In our industrial sector. In our ag sector. In our manufacturing sector. That’s how you get to net zero. 

That’s where the road to net zero is being paved in Australia. And those industries and all those who work in those places, will reap the great benefits of the changes they are making to the businesses they work in and that they are pioneering.

We are seeing creative solutions already being put in place in so many industries. The combination of our natural resources and the strength of industries presents a huge opportunity to capitalise on the new energy economy.

Through our Technology Investment Roadmap, that Angus has driven so well, we are helping drive down the cost and accelerate the deployment of low emissions technologies.

And let’s not forget that Australia already produces many of the products that will be in growing demand as part of a low carbon future – from copper to lithium.

It is this practical approach of making new technologies commercial that will see not only us achieve our goals, but those we work with around the world, in the developing economies of the world. And without taxing the life out of industries that are a source of high wage jobs to so many Australians, especially in regional areas. And we are making real progress. We have met and exceeded our emissions reductions targets for Kyoto in 2020, we are well advanced on meeting and exceeding our targets for 2030.

Our current target will see Australia – this is for 2030 - reduce our emissions by 70 per cent per unit of GDP on 2005 levels, and halve it when considered in per capita emissions.

Already total emissions in Australia are 19 per cent lower at the end of 2020 than they were in 2005. 19 per cent. That’s a further improvement on the 13 per cent reduction by 2018. How does that compare? Well in Canada it was zero, in New Zealand it was eight (sic: 1%) per cent, and Germany, Japan and the United States it was 10 per cent over that same period. So don’t let it be said by those who want to talk Australia down in what we’re doing on emissions that we’re not carrying our load. We are, and we are leading the way. Our domestic emissions have already fallen by 36% from 2005 levels. That sounds to me like Australia doing its heavy lifting in our part of the world.

Australia has deployed renewable energy ten times faster than the global average and four times faster in Europe and the United States. One in four rooftops have solar, more than anywhere else in the world. We take our emission reductions targets very seriously. They aren’t proclamations, they are commitments. And we don’t make commitments lightly in this country. We prepare our plan to achieve them and then we follow through. And we meet them, and we beat them. That is how we are addressing the challenge of the future net zero carbon economy which of course is coming. And we will be ready for it, and we will succeed in it.

Now the other area I wanted to talk about tonight was deregulation. A pillar of our recovery plan, again with its core of how we do things as a government, as a Liberal National Government. It’s led by Assistant Minister to myself Ben Morton, who’s also here.

From well before COVID, deregulation has been an integral part of our economic plan. I’m tempted to say this is not a topic that excites many, including our political opponents, but it is one that our Government believes in very deeply because we know how important it is to businesses doing business every day. We are determined to take unnecessary regulatory burdens off business, off employers, to unlock investment and to create jobs.

Our Deregulation Taskforce has produced initiatives to make it easier for small businesses to do the following - put on their first employee; bust congestion for agricultural exporters; modernise Australian business registers; establish a 21st century environmental approvals process, in the first instance in partnership with the Western Australian state government in WA; and to establish a modern export documentation system and a new trade information service.

In taking this agenda forward, I’ve asked Ben to really get under the bonnet on this, working across Government with all Ministers, with my authority, to come up with solutions in a very granular way. You’ve heard plenty of people talk to you about deregulation and cutting red tape, that’s fine, but you need to have the detailed plan of what you have to change. And to my mind, there is no real substitute for that.

You can have all the lofty communiques about regulatory reform you like, but ultimately it means working through the detail with those who have to live with this depressing level of regulation that prevents you from employing more Australians. Obstacles that need to be stripped away in order for you to grow your business.

And so, a few examples. In the Budget, $120 million will be invested in a deregulation package that I am announcing tonight.

The benefits to businesses, individuals and not-for-profits in reduced compliance costs under this package are estimated to average some $430 million annually.

As part of reducing the regulatory burden for business interactions with government, we’re streamlining reporting under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme. This will dramatically reduce time spent preparing reports in some cases by around 70 per cent, benefiting more than 900 companies reporting on 7,500 facilities every single year.

We’re also streamlining digital services in the health sector. This will reduce the regulatory burden on around 400 companies that currently lodge 2,000 applications annually in the pharmaceutical, medical technology services and medical software industries.

We’re helping an estimated 1,220 commercial fishing businesses meet data provision requirements to enable more informed decision making. And at the same time, we’re improving electronic monitoring systems that will assist around 610 fishing businesses to more efficiently meet their regulatory requirements.

One that I know sounds dreadfully technocratic, but that is very meaningful to people in this room, we are improving the technology neutrality of the Treasury portfolio legislation. Regulated entities across banking, insurance, superannuation and capital markets will benefit through increased flexibility for regulators to obtain information without prescribing the method of communication.

We’re also making it easier for business to get Australians into jobs, including providing additional assistance to small businesses with RegTech solutions to help them comply with modern awards, cutting costs and improving compliance.

A further measure vital to our recovery in supporting the implementation of Automatic Mutual Recognition. This will mean ultimately, if we get this right, that around 124,000 Australians who currently require multiple occupational licences – so you need a license to be an electrician in Queanbeyan and then you need another license to be an electrician about 100 metres or a kilometre down the road in the ACT. Go figure. That will no longer be required, and a further 44,000 individuals are now likely to work interstate who would not have done so otherwise. That’s going to help portability of skills, that’s going to make a big difference.

These are granular things, but they make a big difference to the operations of business which means you can invest more confidently and you can employ more confidently.

Now of course our economic plan is working in tandem with our plan to stay on top of the virus to rollout vaccines. We continue to work in partnership with the states and territories on this critical task and this afternoon – I won’t delay us all tonight by running over all of that, it’s been reported – we met again and we remain fully aligned on that task of vaccinating the most vulnerable members of our community as a priority.

The medical advice remains – and this is important - that AstraZeneca is a safe and recommended vaccine for Australians over 50 and today National Cabinet further agreed in-principle to a series of changes to the Strategy that will be put forward for approval at the next meeting of National Cabinet. This includes options to bring forward the commencement of vaccinations for over 50s under priority group 2a, and to establish readiness the states and territories to operate - vaccination sites from additional sites to mass vaccination sites as we move through the year.

National Cabinet reinforced that general practice will continue to be the primary model of rolling out vaccinations for Australians over 50 years of age, and with states and territories to consider options to supplement roll out through expanded state vaccination centres.

Our vaccination strategy is being delivered at the same time, we continue to implement our national health response and our successful suppression strategy across the country in partnership with the states and territories that have continued to keep Australians safe during this pandemic.

So ladies and gentleman, Australia’s comeback is well under way but there’s further distance to travel. From the depths of pandemic despair a year ago, here we are, fighting our way back. Fighting our way back.

The Budget next month will lay out the next phase of Australia’s economic recovery plan, to grow our economy so we can deliver the jobs and guarantee the essential services that Australians rely on, and continue to keep Australians safe.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43330

Press Conference - Sydney, NSW

19 April 2021

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PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon, everyone. I’m joined by Darren Chester, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. Before I come to the first day’s announcement, today is another major milestone. The Tasman is open. It's been six months since Australia first opened up to New Zealand and in time for Anzac Day. We've seen the Tasman open up and we welcome that, and the Prime Minister of New Zealand and I issued a statement earlier today in that spirit of trans-Tasman cooperation, and we look forward to the operational side of that arrangement continuing to be successful. It's a win-win for Australia and New Zealand and I think this is going to be very important for the tourism and travel industry on both sides of the Tasman, as well the very practical issues of families being able to reconnect. There are so many connections between ourselves and our Kiwi cousins. And so that is a welcome next development. 

But as I said, it's in time for Anzac Day. As you would know, on every occasion that I come and speak before Australians, particularly when I am speaking formally, I do two things. I, of course, acknowledge, as has been our practice for some time now, to acknowledge Indigenous Australians as we should. Their elders, past present and future. But it has also been my custom to acknowledge the serving members of our Defence Forces and any veterans and to simply say on behalf of Australians thank you for your service. Every single day, the service of our veterans is something that has pressed on my mind because the very fact that we can live in a country that we can live in here in Australia is as a result of their sacrifice. It's as a result of their service. It's as a result of the decision they took to join the Defence Forces and to serve and to defend our values. To stand up for what Australia believes in and to ensure that Australians can be kept safe. Their service finds themselves in many theatres. As I announced last week, it has seen them for the last 20 years serving in Afghanistan, and so many other places. The humanitarian effort equally has been extraordinary. Most recently when it came to cyclones throughout the Pacific, including right now, supporting with COVID in places like Papua New Guinea. Our servicemen and women do an amazing job. And when we commit to major deployments, particularly as we've seen in Afghanistan and Iraq over these past two decades, when those decisions are taken, of course, we consider, as governments must on both sides of politics when we've made those decisions, we understand what the cost of those deployments can be in terms of putting those boots on the ground where we do and the planes in the air and the ships to sea. 

But there is a far greater cost that is borne beyond those deployments and that is the mental toll taken on our veterans after they return. And that is something that I think governments in the future must be increasingly cognisant of at the time of making the decisions they do about the deployment of our Defence Forces. It's not just about the great risk that our Defence Force personnel are put at when they engage in those deployments. That immediate risk that is there, that is rightfully and well considered when those decisions are sensibly made and wisely made, we hope, by governments at the those times. But increasingly, we must also understand the long tail of cost, and I just don't mean the financial cost. More importantly, I mean the human cost. And that cost is most significant when we see it in the death by suicide of our veterans. We have been taking many steps as a Government, as governments before us have as well, to address this very serious issue of death by suicide of our veterans and our serving Defence Force personnel. There have been many initiatives but the problem is still with us. The grief of the families, the hardship of the comrades, as they have fought together and then have to deal with the aftermath of the fight when they return here to this country and they find it so hard to adjust. I've heard those stories directly from men and women in my own electorate. The work of 2nd Commando is without peer anywhere in the country in terms of the effort that they've put in place, particularly in relation to Afghanistan, and the toll has been great. There's no politics in this. I think that there is a genuine will and commitment from all members of the Parliament, from all sides of politics. We all want to do what is right for our veterans. We all want to assist them in the transition that they make, whether it's into civilian life, or even just transitioning back from an overseas deployment back home as they re-engage with their families, which they can find so often very, very difficult. And the hardship and stress that puts on families is extraordinary. 

Earlier this year, we sought to have legislated in the Parliament a National Commissioner. Now, this was an important reform and it remains an important reform to ensure that on an ongoing, permanent basis, that we have all the powers of a standing Royal Commission legislated by our Parliament to ensure that every single time that, regrettably, there may be such a case of death by suicide of a veteran or a serving member of the Defence Forces, that every single case is acknowledged, every single case is understood, every single case ensures that learnings are made. But there is equally the task of dealing with the many, many deaths by suicides that have occurred. We've sought to do that through the National Commission and haven’t been able to see that supported in that form. So as a result, having worked through and listened carefully, worked with veterans groups, and particularly listening carefully to the veterans who serve in our Parliament, those veterans who have served overseas, we have listened carefully to them. And I do not want to see there to be any delay in moving ahead with examining these issues. But also putting in place the permanent arrangements that are necessary. 

That is why, today, we are announcing that I intend to convene and recommend to the Governor-General a Royal Commission into death by suicide of veterans. We will be releasing a draft terms of reference today that we will consult on over the course of the next four weeks, in particular with the states and territories but of course with the veteran community. Such a Royal Commission will need the support of joint letters patent by the state and territory governments, because naturally, the services and supports that are provided to veterans in our community go well beyond the Federal Government and, of course, involve the work of state and territory governments. We want this to be comprehensive and I have no doubt that that will get supported. I've already informed the state and territory premiers and chief ministers today and it will be noted, I'm sure, later today at the National Cabinet meeting. But we will work as we have on other Royal Commissions where we've been able to get agreement on joint letters patent on other very serious issues that have been the subject of a Royal Commission. 

The Royal Commission will have a mandate to examine the systemic issues and any common themes and past deaths by suicide of Australian Defence Force members and veterans and the experience of members and veterans who may continue to be at risk of suicide. It will examine all aspects of service in the Australian Defence Force and the experience of those transitioning from active service, the availability and quality of health and support services, the pre-service and post-service issues for members and veterans. Members and veterans, social and family contexts such as family breakdown, as well as housing and employment issues for members and veterans. The Royal Commission will have regard to and build on the valuable work already done in this space, such as the Productivity Commission's report on a better way to support veterans inquiry from 2019, matters that also continue to be addressed through the Budget context. The Government will also seek, as I said, the support of joint letters patent from the states and territories. We understand and recognise that some families and others, many, may not wish to share their experiences and the inquiry will be respectful of that. And given the sensitive and personal nature of the issues that witnesses may face, the Royal Commission will be authorised to hold private sessions. The inquiry will not be about making findings of civil or criminal wrongdoing, and it will not make findings on the manner or cause of death in relation of a particular death by suicide. The Commission will have the full range of compulsory powers available to it to summon witnesses, hold public hearings, take evidence on oath or affirmation, compel the production of documents and witness statements and receive information in evidence in private session, similar powers to what was to be established under the National Commissioner. I've asked Minister Chester to lead that consultation process, which he will do. I also note that the Government intends that the Royal Commission and the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention will be established together. That is the Government's intent and we will be bringing forward amendments to the Bill that is currently before the Parliament to ensure that these two initiatives work together, established together, to operate in a complimentary way.  

The Royal Commission will look at past deaths by suicide, including suspected suicides and lived experience of suicide risks from a systemic point of view, while the National Commissioner will have a forward looking role, including overseeing the implementation of the Royal Commission's recommendations. That is, indeed, something that I have not seen before when it comes to a Royal Commission of that nature. Establishing a statutory, National Commissioner, to take up the recommendations of a Royal Commission and to ensure that is put in place in advance. The Royal Commission will be able to consider any past death, as I've said. While the Royal Commission is ongoing, the National Commissioner will retain those functions as provided for in the Government's Bills. This will be an important process for the families, I believe, to be able to come and to put their case in whatever form the royal commission provides for. I think and I hope it will be a healing process. I hope it will be a process by which veterans and families can find some comfort, but it obviously can't replace the loss. We understand that. I think this will be a process that will assist in the comfort that those families have been seeking. And I understand, from listening, that that is a key objective, a key reason why they have sought such a Commission to be established. 

I'll pass you over now to the Minister to go through some further matters relating to the Royal Commission but I also want to give this commitment to veterans. The Royal Commission will not be done to replace the need for ongoing work. The ongoing work must continue. We can't stop the changes and the investments that we're making pending waiting for action some 18 months to two years from now when the Royal Commission will bring back its recommendations. We must continue to act now on death by suicide of serving members of the Defence Forces and, in particular, for veterans for whom the rate of suicide, death by suicide, is much higher. So we will continue to take those actions. $11.5 billion a year the Government commits to support veterans and their families every single year. As a Government, we've extended free mental health care, uncapped and demand-driven. In the last Budget, a further $101.7 million was dedicated to bolster mental health support for veterans. $30 million was put in place to establish six veteran wellbeing centres across the nation, in partnership with ex-service organisations.  We continue to support organisations like SoldierOn and work closely with the groups like the RSL and the work they do across the veteran community. We've established the Joint Transition Authority, almost $20 million, to do that with Defence. One of the key changes that has already been made is from the day a person signs up and pulls on that uniform with our Defence Forces, that is the day our Defence Forces begin the work of assisting them for transmission for the time that comes ultimately when they leave the Defence Forces. That is not something that has happened in the past. That is something that has been put in place by our Government. Preparing our veterans for life after their service from the day they commence their service and ensuring there is a seamlessness in that support that is put in place. Of course, there's the veterans' employment program, the new veteran's family advocate that has been established, the veterans' card and there will be many further initiatives that will be put in place as we move into this next Budget. The work of supporting our veterans never ceases because their commitment to this country and the service they put in place was without reserve. With that, I will pass over to the Minister.

THE HON. DARREN CHESTER MP, MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE PERSONNEL: Thank you, Prime Minister. Can I also begin by recognising any veterans in the room today but also any veterans or current serving personnel who are listening at home and say to you thank you for your service. In particular, can I acknowledge the members of the House of Reps and the Senate who have served in uniform and thank them, Prime Minister, for their often robust advice they provide to both you and me. It was very important in terms of informing our decisions in the veterans portfolio. I thank you, Prime Minister for your announcement today. This Royal Commission I believe, is an opportunity for our veterans to grab with both hands and to work together on our common aims. We’ve often said in the community that the things that unite us are greater than the things that divide us and today really is an opportunity for us and the veteran community to reset the agenda and unite the veterans community in what has been a very difficult, sensitive and incredibly complex issue for our veterans and their families. This announcement of a Royal Commission is another step in our ongoing efforts to build confidence, to build trust, but perhaps most importantly, to restore hope for those who've suffered or are still suffering today. We do understand and we do understand that some people in our veteran community and their families will not heal until we have this Royal Commission. 

I need to stress, Prime Minister, and you've heard me say this many times before, that service in the Australian Defence Force for the overwhelming majority of people is a very positive experience. They develop values and skills in mateship, mission focus, problem solving, leadership, teamwork, their resilience. They're all skills that help them transition well to civilian life. But there is no question, there is a risk of physical injury but also the risk of impacts on their mental health and wellbeing. Australians can take comfort, Australian civilians can take comfort from your words today Prime Minister, that $11.5 billion of taxpayers' money is provided in what is a world-class system to support veterans. But there is room for improvement. The point of the Royal Commission is to help try and find that room for improvement. We have focused on mental health in recent years, more than $230 million per year provided directly for veterans' mental health. And so there is a lot of work that has already been undertaken by Liz Cosson and the team at the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the ex-service community, and I thank them for that work.

So the consultation which you have instructed me to undertake begins today. We're not starting from scratch. The work will continue with DVA and the work will continue in partnership with our ex-service community. I am confident that our ex-service community, ex-service organisations, volunteers, the state governments and the DVA itself, the work they're doing right now is already saving lives every day. We have to keep up that good work but we have to listen to the veteran community and their families and find room for improvement. As we approach Anzac Day, Prime Minister, I join with you in saying that our message to all Australians is it is all about respect, about respecting and recognising those who've served in the past, those who serve today, and the sacrifices they've made and the sacrifices their families have make. We have to instil in them some confidence, some hope and optimism for the future and for any veterans who are listening today or troubled by the conversation, I just urge to you to contact Open Arms on 1800 011 046. That’s Open Arms on 1800 011 046.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you've been dragged into this by the Parliament and your parliamentary colleagues haven't you, after Government MPs threatened to cross the floor over it. There was no other course of action for you?  

PRIME MINISTER: I just want to get things done, Andrew. We were seeking to get that done through the National Commission, which provided the same powers that are established by a Royal Commission. So we still want to get things done.  That's what's always driven me on this issue. I'm pragmatic to get the right outcomes for veterans. That's what we're doing right here. This is what's important, getting the Commission in place to address the many issues that I know families want to be able to engage with a Commission, to tell those stories, to say what happened, to share that experience. And to ensure that the Government continues to learn from each and every experience. The National Commissioner does that, the Royal Commission will do that. They will work together. That's what we're achieving here. We're combining these initiatives together. We're working together to achieve what I believe families and veterans want achieved. That's what a government should do. That's what I am doing.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on working together, Julie-Anne Finney says she feels burnt by the Government. What lessons have you learned from this in terms of the fact that a Royal Commission is being announced now so long after the families called for one?

PRIME MINISTER: I've never been opposed to one, I should stress that. That's a matter of public record. We sought to achieve exactly the same answer through the work of a National Commissioner which would have had a very similar I'd say almost identical process, for addressing these issues. I think there is a perception in the community that a Royal Commission provides that acknowledgment that I think families are seeking and I acknowledge that. And secondly, provide that process I think, for healing. That process to share their stories and experiences, which a National Commissioner would have also done. But I think by sharing that workload respectively by the National Commissioner and by undertaking the Royal Commission, we will get all of, all of that work done. We've listened carefully. It is a highly sensitive and complex people. I think people understand that. There are deep, deep emotional scars that relate to these issues. We have listened carefully and at all times sought to do what is best for veterans and their families.

JOURNALIST: Why the announcement today? When do you think hearings will take place? When’s the earliest they can take place? I guess you don’t even have a Commissioner for us yet?

PRIME MINISTER: Well Andrew, what we have to do first is consult on the Terms of Reference. I want to make sure the Terms of Reference are addressing the need. And importantly, as I've just said, that the Royal Commission must also be supported by the states and territories with joint letters patent. That's what we've achieved in other similar Royal Commissions, and you don't impose that on states and territories. You consult with them, and that's the process we're beginning today. We anticipate that that consultation period will take the next four weeks. After that period of time, they'll be drawing those consultations together and finalising a Terms of Reference and making a recommendation to the Governor-General, and at that same time putting forward a recommendation for the Commissioner or ers that would then undertake that Royal Commission. It would take the Royal Commission I anticipate, somewhere between 18 months and two years to complete. That's based on the breadth of the Terms of Reference that are before us and our experience in dealing with other Royal Commissions. We've seen it whether in disabilities or aged care in particular, this will take some time I think, to work through the many issues that I know families and veterans will want to raise, and so we're making that, we’ll be making that time available. So I would hope that this would at the latest, be able to be up and running by the start of the next, in July, and it may well be able to be established before then. The timetable for hearings and things of that nature, well they're set by the Royal Commissioners. It’s not for me to predetermine those things. That's something that they must consider in the normal way. So this is the commencement of what will be another long journey over the next couple of years as we work through those issues. But we won't be waiting two years before taking any further action. We'll be taking further action within weeks. The Budget is within weeks, and we've already taken considerable action in all of these areas and we will continue to take that action. There are many things we have already learned. There are many things we've already put in place and we'll continue to do that in the years ahead and I think the Royal Commission work will support that.

JOURNALIST: Have you been surprised when they’ve, we‘ve been having this national debate, at the trauma and damage serving in the Australian Defence Force has done to individuals and their families?

PRIME MINISTER: Sadly no, because as a Federal Member of Parliament, in a part of Sydney that has quite a number of veterans and those who have suffered the greatest losses and rotations of any of the members that have served, sadly I know too much about this, as many Australians do, but not as much as the veterans and their families know. Not as much as those who’ve served themselves with others know, and we know all too well the deep wounds that are inflicted by these deployments. And that's why I make the point that when we make decisions about deployments, I think it's very important that we have a view to the long tail of support that will be necessary for those we ask to go and serve. And I can't, I can tell you that has not, that has not been a matter that at least at a technical level has been before governments in the past, and it's certainly one I intend to be in front of should we God forbid, ever be in a position where we’d have to consider a deployment in future, that we need to understand this. I mean over the last 20 years, our deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq have seen a whole new generation of veterans. The Department of Veterans' Affairs who I pay credit to today, the RSL, I pay credit to them also, are dealing with very different set of challenges to the previous generation. Young families, widowed families, fatherless families, a whole new generation of service is now seeking that support. Now as Darren says, those who serve in the majority of cases have their experience and do make that transition and go on to have very successful lives and making great contributions, but there are some for whom the burden has proved to be overwhelming and that's where we need to take that action to support them. And we are, and we lift our work rate on this every single year.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, National Cabinet today, this ‘war footing’ as your people have described.

PRIME MINISTER: Just before we move to vaccines, I'm keen to address the issues of veterans first. Happy to move to the other issues.

JOURNALIST: Can I ask on that, then, war’s not new. So are you going to put any programs in asking people or helping people before they join the Defence Force that this could be the outcome?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, that is exactly the process I was talking about before. One of the big changes we have now made is that everybody who now serves in the Australian Defence Forces when they join, that includes the process of joining, but particularly when they join, we begin the process then of preparing them also for their life after their service. Now, that is not something that was happening 10 years ago. It was not something that was happening 20 years ago and 30 years ago. That is a new initiative of our Government, to do that. It's recognising that people will serve for a period of time and when you serve during that period of time, you will confront things and experiences that are not things that you would normally encounter in your normal civilian life. And there will be services and supports available to you, and it will assist you transition to your life after your service. Now, just while I was up in the resources industry up in the Pilbara, I met quite a few ex-service people and who have found working in that resources industry with that team and mission environment something they felt very comfortable with. That is a fairly positive transition that they find when they, defence veterans go and work in other industries, it’s much more of a change. So I think these processes are new but I think they’re quite significant. And it is our hope by making those changes that veterans in the future will lead the service far better prepared than they ever have before. You may not know this, but prior to, I think it was 2017 I think Liz, that prior to that Departments of Veterans' Affairs were not able to know who’d served. And so actually knowing who veterans in our community are has been a challenge. In many cases there are veterans who are suffering in silence because they're not known to be veterans to the Department. They will only be known as veterans when they come forward and seek support. Now that makes it a challenge to reach out to veterans, and so we've worked with the RSLs, we’ve worked through the Veterans Employment Program, with the veterans recognition programs, and that has been a way of drawing veterans in so we can engage with them and let them know the supports and services there. All of this is new, all of this is new, so I think there are a lot of positive changes here. But I  think what we're dealing with right now is we see the number of presentations increasing, the demand for veteran support increasing. Of course it’s a function of the deployments over the last 20 years and that is the challenge the Government is dealing with now and I think we're dealing with it very positively.

THE HON. DARREN CHESTER MP, MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE PERSONNEL: Just two quick points just to build on your comments, Prime Minister. It’s not well understood that the average length of service in the Australian Defence Force today is about seven or eight years. So we're talking about young Australians who serve, train, perhaps deploy and then transition to civilian life. We need to make sure that transition goes as smoothly as possible because they've still got another 40 or 50 years where they’re going to be making a contribution to the Australian community. So that's an important part of the work we’re doing in terms of transition. And the other point in terms of knowing our veterans, this year for the first time in the Census we’ll include a question on, ‘Have you ever served in the Australian Defence Force?’, and we expect that will inform our decision making after this year as well.

JOURNALIST: Just on COVID-19 vaccine rollout?

PRIME MINISTER: Nothing further on veterans?

JOURNALIST: The NSW Premier’s indicated that she’d like everyone from aged 50 up to get AstraZeneca from now. Is that actually possible? Could you put a month on when that could come into place? And on mass vaccination hubs, can we just get a bit of a who, what, when, where. So who would that involve in terms of the age groups, which type of vaccine would it be and when could those be [inaudible]?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, these are the discussions we're having right now. That’s, these are discussions we'll have this afternoon, and I don't intend to pre-empt those discussions because there is a lot of work that needs to go into how those will be planned. There are strong, strong arguments for the bringing forward of over 50s with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is a safe and effective vaccine for those aged over 50 and particularly important for those aged over 70 who are already in that priority group that we need to ensure we’re getting vaccinated across Australia, protect them, because if there is an outbreak anywhere in the country, if you're aged over 70, you are at risk. We saw that with the terrible second wave in Victoria and the terrible casualties we saw of those aged over 70 in aged care facilities and that’s why that’s our priority. But, yes, the option of bringing forward over 50s is one that is being discussed but I’m going to work that through with the premiers and chief ministers about how that can be achieved in a most orderly way. I want to stress that the role being played by GPs is central to that delivery. That is the primary, primary pathway through which we're administering vaccines to the public, particularly AstraZeneca. And that would be the case as we move into potentially those groups aged over 50 and any bring forward we had there. 

Your GP is the person or the GP who you can go to for administering that vaccine is best-placed to talk through any of the hesitancy you may have, talk through the health issues that are involved and to take you through that process. And that's why we're, that's why our GP rollout is the primary delivery method.

Now you asked about mass vaccination rollouts. That we have discussed particularly in the context of the fourth quarter of this year. That will be dependent very much on the stock of Pfizer and Novavax that we're expecting, at this stage, contracted to be made available in the fourth quarter of this year. That is where we're predominantly talking about those under 50 and that, for that age group, that would be more suited to that type of vaccination process. And so there's a lot of work to be done given that would be effectively, if we wished, a 12-week sprint to be able to do that safely and effectively, and there'd need to be plenty of planning to achieve that. Now states and territories currently, I know, I was with Premier Marshall on the weekend, and they're already moved on some of their GP clinics as well and their clinics, vaccination clinics. We welcome that. And we can work to ensure that the supplies available can get to the places where they need to. We are currently at 1.586 million vaccinations, as of the most recent information that will be released today. And as you'll see from that, the Commonwealth and, in particular, through the GP vaccination network, is what is really driving that process now.

JOURNALIST: Just on the supply then, just sorry, on the supply. So obviously it all comes down to supply of stock.

PRIME MINISTER: Yep.

JOURNALIST: So have you got an update on how many Pfizer vaccines are now in the country? There was talk that it was about 100,000 per week. When does that start ramping up?

PRIME MINISTER: Well that's lifting and that's where it was, and we'll be going through with those supply issues with the states and territories this afternoon, as we understand it right now. And that will obviously inform the other programs that we're working through together.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Gladys Berejiklian said this morning, she said, "We need to really crack on with it. I don't know how long I’ve been saying New South Wales is ready to step up. I don't agree with the comments last week even if vaccinated we can't travel." She is seeming to say there that the Federal Government’s been going too slow. Do you stand by your earlier comments on this that it's not a race and everything's fine?

PRIME MINISTER: We will vaccinate Australians safely and effectively. The rate of vaccination in Australia is at the same pace, at the same stage as the vaccination program in Europe and the European Union. It’s higher than New Zealand at that same stage, it’s better than Canada, it’s better than South Korea, it’s better than Japan, it’s better than France ...

JOURNALIST: If it’s so on track, why do we need twice-weekly National Cabinets?

PRIME MINISTER: Because we are very focused on ensuring that we’re maximising the supplies that we have available and getting them out in the most effective way, Andrew. That’s, that would seem to me a very sensible thing to do. We have had a particular shock to the system as a result of the medical advice that we’ve received from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisations. That has obviously had an impact, I’ve been very clear about that. We'll be getting further information on that today. The head of the AMA will be joining us this afternoon to be talking about the GP rollout and the importance of that distribution mechanism for the vaccination program. And we'll be moving as quickly as we can, with the supplies that we have available, and ensuring they're getting it to the priority populations that need it most urgently. 

Our vaccination program has had some early challenges but so have the vaccination programs of almost every country in the world today. Right now in Australia, we are living in a way that the rest of the world is not. Vaccination will be an important mechanism to ensure that remains the case. But I must stress this also, the international borders are also an incredibly important protection for Australians and I'm not about to relax those restrictions lightly. I'm not going to have Australia's way of life changed by an incursion of cases into the country, and seeing lockdowns occur again and see border closures happening internally, and our international borders, provided we continue to rollout the vaccination program, provided we continue to have the effective suppression mechanisms we have in place that will enable people to continue to go to restaurants, continue to go to pubs, for businesses to remain open, for hairdressers to remain open, for all of these businesses in our domestic tourism industries to be able to reap the benefits of Australians travelling at home, the opening up of the Trans- of the Tasman is another boost to that sector. We're already over, well over half of the number of the discounted tickets that we made available through our travel program. This is great news, it’s tremendous news. So we will proceed carefully and cautiously. We will keep Australians safe, and international borders are an important part of that program, and I think Australians value that safety and what it is affording to them in the way that Australians can live here. They can see what's happening overseas, Andrew. They can see, they can see the pandemic raging. More than three million people have died as a result of this pandemic and Australians don't want to see that coming to Australia. And they can be assured that I’ll be taking decisions that keep them safe.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the vulnerability of the over 70 age group. Why are we having a conversation then at National Cabinet this afternoon about opening up to over 50s? Shouldn't we remain on the plan that you've announced and put in place of getting the most vulnerable protected first? Stage 1A and B, and not even thinking about going to stage 2A yet?

PRIME MINISTER: Well what's becoming clear is that we can actually do both. And so the priority is exactly as you say, and there'll be no lessening of effort on focusing on that most important vulnerable group, as well as the frontline health workers that are part of the 1A and 1B program. But we don't want to see one vaccine that's rolling off the line and going through the approval processes and the batch testing sitting in a fridge. We want it, if there is someone over 50 who is there and wants to take that vaccine, we'll be looking at how that can be achieved today and in what type of timeframe we might commence that process. But you're absolutely right, Chris, the top objective is to vaccinate the most vulnerable, and my gaze will not shift from that group.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, [inaudible] Wallace from A Current Affair. We’ve spoken to a man whose myGov vaccination record has updated with two jabs of the Pfizer vaccine, even though he hasn't had it and doesn’t qualify. Does that concern you?

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, it does. But with 1.586 million vaccinations which also includes registrations on the program, I'm not going to say to you that in every single, 100 per cent of cases, there’s not the opportunity for something to be misentered. And so that's why Services Australia is reviewing the case that you referred to and I’d expect them to be identifying if there are any issues there that need to be addressed, then that they should. But let's not forget, we're close to 1.6 million vaccinations. And one case, as you've stated is, that's concerning, of course it would be to me, and I'd want it thoroughly investigated, which it is.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, WA’s already indicated that they’re not convinced by the home quarantine arrangement. Is it conceivable that some states embrace the home quarantine scheme whilst others don’t?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course it is. I mean, when you look at how states have reacted over the course of the last year, many of them had different positions on these issues. I would seek to achieve as much national consistency as we possibly could, but you rightly point out that public health is a matter of state jurisdiction and the Commonwealth is not in a position to direct that in any way, shape or form. And that’s why, you know, while others may be jumping ahead to other decisions, there’s a fairly fundamental decision that would have to be arrived at first and as the vaccination program continues, that if Australians who are properly vaccinated have their two doses are able to travel overseas and return and have an alternative form of quarantine, it would have to be safe, it would have to go through all the medical advice to ensure that the systems are in place, to ensure we kept those protections there so we didn't see the introduction of COVID, then I would hope premiers and chief ministers would, I'm sure, respond to that medical advice and take what practical steps they could. So if at any time into the future, and look, I think, as I said yesterday, I mean that is many months away from being achieved. We still over the next few months will be working through those priority populations of vaccinations. So there was no suggestion in anything I said that that would be something that would be achieved imminently or soon. Just simply, if you want to get to that position, that can take many months and there is a lot of work that you have to do before then to ensure that if you did go down that path you could do it safely and you could do it effectively. And that's what I would hope, but let's get the work done, let's work together and see where we can get to. That's the reason I'm pulling National Cabinet together to ensure that they can work through these issues together and not in isolation because many of the decisions that will ultimately be made will be made in the states.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on international travel, what’s, what is the trigger for reopening borders? What is the threshold you want to see? What are the things that you want to see in Australia and internationally for us to be able to return to international travel?

PRIME MINISTER: Well that is the exact question we put to our medical advisers, that was the exact question I tasked them with when we last met as a National Cabinet. And I think right now I think we need to be clear that the pandemic is raging globally, it’s raging. Now we’ve got somewhere between 600,000 and 800,000 cases a day. It is raging. Here in Australia, that is not happening. And I'm quite certain Australians want to see that continue. I can assure you as Prime Minister I want to see that continue. And so I think we can't get ahead of ourselves here. I think we have to make sure that we can keep living life here in Australia in the midst of this raging pandemic, like we are right now, and if that can be done even better, great. But let's not lose what we’ve achieved, because I can tell you if there are further lockdowns, if there are further restrictions that have to be brought in or are brought in by states and territories because of the introduction of COVID into Australia, then that won't be good for the economy, it won't be good for jobs, it won't be good for people's health. And so what I'm focused on is ensuring that we maintain the trajectory we currently have, that we continue to ensure that Australians can live the life we are living in Australia right now. We are the envy of the world. And so I don't intend to do things that might get in the way of that. So we will be patient in relation to that question. We will get the evidence, we will get the answers, we will consider those and they'll be weighed up, of course, against the many other things that premiers, chief ministers and I as the Prime Minister have to contemplate. But right now, let's ensure that Australia keeps living the way it is and we continue to be successful in managing the virus here in Australia, which we've been very successful at, and we've done that and ensured the jobs have come back. We've done that and ensure our economy has grown. We've done that and ensured that Australians have been protected, and particularly our most vulnerable. That's our mission. We'll get on with it. Thanks.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43329

Press Conference - Clare, SA

18 April 2021

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PETER BARRY, JIM BARRY WINES: Welcome everybody, and I certainly welcome Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Steven Marshall, a great friend of tourism and a great ambassador for South Australia to my family winery here in Clare. It’s a special day to have all these dignitaries. I’m surrounded by my family and I’m surrounded by dignitaries and friends. So, thank you very much. And South Australia’s in good state and we’re in good strength, and we’re lucky to have these great ambassadors promoting our wonderful industry, especially Anne Ruston over there who’s a great friend of the Australian wine industry. It’s lovely to see you Anne. I’ll hand you over now. On behalf of my family, thank you very much.

ROWAN RAMSEY MP, MEMBER FOR GREY: Well, thanks very much Peter and thanks very much to the Barry family for opening up the winery and turning on the sound system for us … Anyway so it’s a great pleasure to be here this morning. Particularly thank you to the Barry family for opening up their winery so we can have special visitors here. Of note, the Prime Minister, the Premier, the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor, and we’ve got Dan van Holst Pellekaan here as well, who is the State Minister for Energy. And as far as, you know, the Clare Valley’s only come into my electorate at the last election and I’m very pleased that it has. So I’m still familiarising myself with the leaders in the wine industry, but it is such an important part of South Australia, not just for wine production but the Clare Valley itself is a very important tourist attraction, and at the moment everything, I can tell you, in regional South Australia tourism is just jumping off the page. And it’s come about because other policies that the Federal Government’s had, the State Government, but largely the JobKeeper program, which is winding up now. But it’s so good, it’s always good to have any Minister on your patch. It’s even better to have the Prime Minister and the Premier on your patch. So I’m going to hand over to the PM now, and thank you very much.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much Rowan, and it’s great to be here with you and everybody who’s joined us here today, particularly Premier Marshall, it’s wonderful to be standing here. He’s been a tremendous partner for the Federal Government in everything we’re doing, and we’re so pleased to see the positive impact it’s having here in South Australia. But to you Peter and your wonderful family, this past week I’ve met some great pioneers who I’ve known well and it’s been a great privilege to come and meet you and your family. The Barry name is synonymous with Australian wine, it’s synonymous with quality, it’s synonymous with South Australia, in particular, and the great pioneering spirit of South Australia. It was great to be able to take the opportunity to sign one of the big vats in there, and simply say thank you for the contribution the Barry family has made to Australia. So it’s a great privilege for us to be with you here today.

But I’m joined by my Energy Minister and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor for a very important reason, with his counterpart here in South Australia, to announce the third energy deal that we have put together with the states and territories. Following New South Wales and Tasmania, the Premier and I and our Ministers have agreed this important energy deal, which is about something pretty straightforward - more affordable, lower costs, more affordable energy for South Australian’s. Lower prices, reliable energy. It’s about having the gas that is needed to drive manufacturing and support industry and to support the transition that we are making to the new energy economy into the future. This deal is a billion-dollar deal and it’s a billion-dollar deal which brings both of the parties to the table to ensure we are doing everything we can to ensure that South Australian’s get lower cost, more affordable, more reliable energy, to support lower costs for their households and their family, to support more jobs and the businesses that they run, but importantly also, lower emissions for the future, both here in South Australia and more broadly, by backing in the incredible technology that Australia is and will continue to lead the world in. Hydrogen in particular. Hydrogen, that fuel, Australia is being known as the hydrogen nation. Australia is being looked to, to transform how hydrogen is developed and used, particularly in business and in heavy industry. The big gains that will be made towards getting towards net zero are going to be made because of the innovations and technologies, and particularly in the area of hydrogen, because that is what can drive large-scale achievements, large-scale industries, large-scale heavy industries, by both lowering the cost, lowering the emissions profile, and ensuring greater reliability. So that is our pathway, and this deal today with the South Australian Government ensures that we achieve that.

There’s a component, and I’ll let Angus go into the detail, interconnectors, Strzelecki Highway, investing in new technologies out of the various funds that we’ve established at a federal level and dedicating that towards the important projects, whether it’s on carbon capture, use of storage and the other many important technologies that will see Australia get ahead, but keep our industries industrious, to keep our businesses in business. And this will be demonstrated here in South Australia. This is a smart state, and it’s great to be here. We’re usually at Lot Fourteen talking about cyber and space and the other wonderful partnerships, but this is an important partnership which drives all of the others, because without lower cost, affordable, reliable energy, with lower emissions then, that is what is necessary to drive this state forward and Australia forward. So I want to thank the Premier for his great partnership on this and so many other issues. The Australian Government and the South Australian Government is working together like we haven’t done, I think, for decades. And I think the approach of the Premier here in South Australia to work with the Australian Government, rather than the alternative, I think is delivering real dividends for South Australia, and I thank him for his leadership on that and I’m happy for him to now speak to the South Australian component of the deal.

THE HON. STEVEN MARSHALL MP, PREMIER OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Well thanks very much PM, and it’s great to have you here in the Clare Valley, a very beautiful part of our state, but also a very productive part of our state. And you’re quite right, energy is absolutely critical. When we came to Government we had the highest priced, least reliable grid in the entire country. We have been working very hard. We’ve cut out all the fake fights, this is the crucial thing. We’ve cut out all those fake fights, those ideological fights, and we put the people of South Australia first. Energy prices are coming down. This new agreement for energy and emissions reductions is going to take us to the next level. It is all about lower cost energy, it’s about lower emissions, and importantly it’s about creating jobs in the renewable sector here in our state. And there are a range of projects that we will be looking at, federal and state together - projects like hydrogen export, projects like carbon capture and storage, and of course this MoU underpins our ambition for an interconnector between South Australia and the most populated state of Australia, New South Wales. Lots of gains have been made. In fact, in many ways South Australia leads the nation. We’ve got 60 per cent of our energy which is now coming from renewable sources. This is going to increase in the future, but we've got to do it in a way which is going to ensure that we keep our prices affordable so that we can maximise the number of jobs in our state. I really want to say a massive thank you to Angus Taylor, to Dan van Holst Pellekaan, and their departments - the energy departments, federal and state - working together, putting the people of South Australia, the people of Australia first, putting the people first, cheap, reliable, affordable energy here in Australia. It is going to be absolutely crucial to making sure that we can continue to roll out from this coronavirus that has affected not just Australia but the entire world. So more affordable, more reliable energy, lower emissions, and more jobs in the sector is the focus of this. We’re very grateful to be working with the Federal Government once again and now I’ll pass over to Angus Taylor.

THE HON. ANGUS TAYLOR MP, MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION: Thanks, Steven. PM, colleagues, fantastic to be here to announce what is a terrific deal for South Australia, for the Commonwealth, but most importantly, the more affordable, reliable energy for South Australia as we bring down our emissions in South Australia, and as Steven said, South Australia is delivering. We've seen sharp reductions in prices across Australia - nine per cent in the last 12 months - and South Australia is leading the pack on that from a starting position, when Steven came into Government, which was very different. We are seeing extraordinary gains. We have seen a 19 per cent reduction in emissions across Australia since 2005, and South Australia is pulling its weight on that one, and we’re doing that through practical plans, through technology, not taxation. And this billion-dollar deal is a step forward to further reducing electricity prices, making sure they’re reliable, and of course bringing down emissions at the same time.

Now let me point to a few features of this deal. The first is a $400 million commitment from the Commonwealth to emissions reduction by investing in practical technologies that will bring down emissions. Hydrogen of course is one of those, the Prime Minister’s talked about, carbon capture and storage, energy efficiency. We’re here on a, at a vineyard where we have seen very significant energy efficiency gains in recent times and we are seeing this right across Australia, a major contributor to how we are bringing down emissions across the country. A $50 million commitment from the Commonwealth Government into the interconnect between South Australia and the eastern states. There’s a commitment here from the South Australian Government to get more gas into our network - 50 petajoules of gas by 2023 and up to 80 by 2030. And this is all about making sure we’ve got the gas we need to firm up our grid and support manufacturing in this country, which is so reliant on gas, which over time will include hydrogen, of course, an enormous opportunity for South Australia. Included in the deal is over $100 million committed to energy storage and solar thermal, and this is an important part of our commitment to making sure we've got that backup and storage that’s needed to keep the lights on and drive down prices. A big thank you to the South Australian Government, a big thank you to Dan who has been, of course, instrumental on the South Australian side in achieving these outcomes and most of all, this is a great day for reliable, affordable energy as we bring down our emissions.

THE HON. DAN VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN MP, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND MINING: Well thank you, Angus, and thank you very much to the Barry family for hosting us here today for this important announcement. Wonderful to have the Prime Minister and the Premier here and my friend and colleague Minister Angus Taylor as well. South Australia is leading the nation and in many ways leading the world in our transition to cleaner and cheaper energy. This is not just about emissions reduction. It is actually about emissions reduction while also bringing down the cost of electricity and making the supply of electricity more reliable. So we really welcome this partnership with the Federal Government to allow us to work collaboratively together for the benefit of our state and for the benefit of our nation. $660 million from the Federal Government, $422 million from the State Government to work towards this transition, things like interconnection, electric vehicles, hydrogen, carbon storage, building efficiency and much, much more to make sure that we transition in a responsible way that works for energy consumers. We know that gas will be with us in South Australia and Australia for a long time to come, but we also know that we’re well down this path of transition. Right now in South Australia we use 40 per cent gas for electricity generation. In 2025, four short years away, we only expect to use 22 per cent gas for electricity generation in South Australia. What that means is while we remain and intend to remain a key gas producer by national standards [inaudible] in South Australia, we will be able to free up significant amounts of gas for the eastern states which are following us in this transition. We are leading and they will, with our help and the Federal Government’s help, also be able to do the things that we are doing in South Australia. Cheaper electricity, more reliable electricity and cleaner electricity. Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER: I can assure you that this [inaudible] had nothing to do with the [inaudible] negotiations, purely unrelated incident I can assure you. Happy to take questions. Please focus questions at first on the announcement today and then obviously happy to deal with any other matters.

JOURNALIST: Certainly. Prime Minister, do you expect that energy prices could be an election defining issue over the next 12 months?

PRIME MINISTER: It’s a defining issue for Australians and Australian businesses and that’s what matters. That’s why this deal was put in place, that’s why we’re so focused on it. Australia, I believe, will lead the world in transformational technologies, particularly those serving heavy industries and large industrial operations, including ones like this. I mean, what Peter was telling us when we’re here is that when he started out many, many years ago, and it is still very much the industry practice, wine is kept at about 18 to 20 degrees. Here it’s kept at four. Now that doesn’t happen by accident. That happens by a company, a family company, business, deciding that they want to embrace new technology, take on that science, invest it into their business. You can see the significant capital investment which the Barry family has put in. Now that investment pays off because of deals like this because it drives down the cost, creates more opportunities, it builds the quality of the product and it makes Australia more competitive. So the issue is one of lower prices for the families and households for their electricity bills, but it is also unleashing the opportunities amongst our entrepreneurs and our business pioneers and guaranteeing and underwriting for the future the heavy industry in Australia.

JOURNALIST: And you’re here today because of this investment making announcement in the Clare Valley, you’ve chosen to Jim Barry Wines for the work they’ve done?

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, that’s right. The reason we came here today is they are transforming their business by electrifying it. I mean, there are few older industries or businesses in the world than winemaking and it has gone through many generations. Particularly in the Barry family, as we can see the young girls here are going, heading on to a new generation as well. But this is a business that is highly science-led and highly technology-led to maintain Australia’s edge. Australia’s wines aren’t just the best in the world because of what we grow out of the ground here, it’s what happens in the laboratories here and the work they’ve done to put in the new equipment, the new kit and that is so dependent on the technology that is used to drive energy in Australia. You’ve got the new ammonia cooling system which is over here, you’ve got an electrification to the system in the refrigeration you can see right through all these tanks, and so on. So this is a practical demonstration of why lower cost, more affordable and reliable energy is so important because it underwrites the jobs here. Now the jobs here and so many other parts of South Australia were underwritten by JobKeeper over the past 12 months and I really appreciate what Peter had to say about that. But that’s to deal with the crisis. To deal with the challenges ahead, you need deals like this in place to underwrite the jobs that are here and back in the pioneering spirit the Barry family has always exemplified.

JOURNALIST: Further to jobs in regional South Australia Prime Minister, another energy intensive industry is the steelworks in Whyalla. How prepared is your Government to step in if needed to rescue that facility?

PRIME MINISTER: Well I’ll let the Premier give you an update on that. We’re working very closely together. When you work on projects like this you have to do it as a team with one plan and we all understand our roles in that plan. We’ve played a major role as Rowan will know. We’ve been working on this for five years now Rowan, we’ve been through a few of these. And our procurement policies with the major rail investments has been a lifesaver to Whyalla. We’ve been working closely with the South Australian Government, dealing directly, also, as they have been, working to the one plan and working together to get the right outcome because we are committed to ensuring that Australia makes steel. We’re committed to that, and I know the Premier’s committed to that as well. So I’ll let Steven give you an update on where that’s at.

THE HON. STEVEN MARSHALL MP, PREMIER OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Thanks Prime Minister. Well obviously the GFG business is very important to us here in South Australia, but more importantly it’s a critical capability that we need continuing here in Australia for our nation. Steel manufacturing is absolutely crucial to our ambitions as a nation. Now obviously with the situation with green steel going into administration, that’s put a huge pressure onto the GFG businesses here in Australia and right around the world. I think I am feeling cautiously optimistic at the moment because I think the fundamentals for the Whyalla business are right. If you look at the iron ore price at the moment it’s through the roof. You look at the production rates of that plant, they are almost best ever. We know that they have a very full order book, courtesy of the Federal Government, with some massive, massive contracts and we’re seeing their creditor payments come down, not blowout. So I think the fundamentals for this business are right. We obviously are working with Sanjeev Gupta and his GFG team in Australia. It’s a real collaboration between the Federal Government, the State Government and obviously the GFG team. We hope that we will be able to hear some good news ahead of that May 6 deadline when the NSW Supreme Court will be hearing that application for administration. But I'm quietly confident. When I spoke to Sanjeev Gupta this time last week he was increasingly confident that he will be able to get that credit arrangement in place.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, a question for you if you don’t mind about vaccines. National Cabinet is obviously meeting tomorrow. When will you outline the Government’s new vaccine strategy and when will Australians know which phase of the rollout they’re going to be a part of?

PRIME MINISTER: Well which phase everyone’s part of is already known. That’s set out in the vaccine strategy that was released earlier in the year, the 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, that is, that all remains. There are no changes to that. And what those priorities demonstrate, is where we must focus our efforts, particularly now. Right now, the focus is on vaccinating frontline health workers, those working in aged care and disability care, vaccinating our vulnerable populations, particularly our elderly over 70. I think Mum’s due to get hers this week. And those who are in aged care facilities, we’re making great progress on all of that. The AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and recommended for use for those aged over 50. There’s no change to that. That’s confirmed again by the TGA advice that has come through. And so it’s very important that we vaccinate our elderly and vulnerable populations and it’s also important that we do that through our general practitioner network. There are over 4,000 GP sites now that are out there and they have the doses to administer those doses to those most vulnerable populations. What we’ll be discussing tomorrow is how we will be dealing with the under 50 population in particular and we’ll be looking at the rollout that we’re seeing consistently come through from Pfizer and that’s been welcomed. The Pfizer rollout has been meeting expectations, as we’ve understood them, over the last couple of months and we need to keep monitoring those suppliers. The GPs are principally responsible and they’re doing more than, well over half, in fact they’re the dominant vaccination outlet now across Australia, as was designed to be.

We will talk about the 50 to 70 population tomorrow, and we are working those issues through together. We have plenty of doses of Astrazeneca to be able to focus on the 1A and 1B priority populations and that’s where we’re focused right now. None of that rollout changes, we just keep going and doing that and encouraging people, particularly the vulnerable and the elderly, to get those vaccinations because otherwise you are at risk. If there is a COVID breakout in Australia, in any state or territory, then those who are most at risk are over the age of 70. We saw that in Victoria. When the breakout occurred in Victoria it was the elderly, where we saw the terrible fatalities, and that’s why it’s so important that if you are in that age group, then please make that booking, go and see your GP or a GP that’s administering the vaccine in your area, your local MP can help you with that if you need that help and ensure that you book in. There’s plenty of time to get that done, there’s plenty of doctors to get that done. We’ll be looking at the rollout over the back part of the year, the second half of the year, and that’s where the Pfizer doses will come in greater quantities. We secured those extra 20 million doses on top of the 20 million we already had, which are already flowing through, supporting the vaccination both in aged care facilities and within frontline health workers, which is being done by the states and territories. And in the back part of the year, particularly in quarter four, if we have sufficient stocks of those vaccines in quarter four with the Novavax vaccine, then that will lend itself to other vaccination models, particularly mass vaccinations. Now I know some states are very interested in supporting larger vaccination programs now for people aged 50 to 70 and we are very open to discussing that with the states and we’re looking forward to that discussion tomorrow. But what I’d stress is, is that process would be to supplement, would be in addition to what the GPs are doing. It’s not a matter of moving doses from GPs to states and territory distribution. It’s a matter of using those additional state and territory opportunities that are there to add to the capacity for those populations. So there’s a lot for us to work through. We’re bringing, you know, we went into this together in COVID-19, we’re coming out of it together and we’ll continue to rollout this program together. And so I welcome the great support I’ve had from the premiers and chief ministers to get us back on the operational tempo of meeting to resolve some of these issues and get those plans. I’m going to ask the Premier to also comment on this because he’ll obviously be joining me tomorrow for that meeting.

But on a couple of other issues just while we're on vaccines, and I know it’s something that I’m sure others might want to talk about, Australia is in no hurry to open those borders, can I assure you. There are three million people now who have died from COVID. The COVID pandemic is raging around the world. And you know when we can fill stadiums here, whether it’s at Adelaide Oval or where I was at Optus on Friday night over in Perth, or back at the G a few weeks ago, where the G now is full, and that’s happening all around Australia. We can gather together like this. The Barry family can come together in their great numbers and we can live like this in Australia and that’s fantastic, and I can assure Australians that I will not be putting at risk the way we are living in this country, which is so different to the rest of the world today. The issues of borders and how they’re managed will be done very, very carefully. And must be done in partnership with the states and territories. In terms of how the quarantine program works, public health orders control what is done with quarantine of returning Australians and residents. And so we will do that in partnership with them. We can take small steps, I think. Not ready to take those steps now for Australians to be able to travel and return without hotel quarantine. We’re not in that position yet. We’re simply doing the planning work, understanding what the health risks are, understanding how that can be successfully done and in a few months from now, well we’ll see where we’re at. But we’re going to proceed very, very cautiously on those borders. But Steven, did you want to ...

THE HON. STEVEN MARSHALL MP, PREMIER OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Thanks very much, Prime Minister. You’re 100 percent right. I think Australia is now the envy of the entire world. We’ve seen that our economy has bounced back much stronger than anybody was predicting a year ago. A big part of that is our strong international borders and our quarantine hotel arrangements. Of course now we’re embarking upon that next phase, we need a safe and effective rollout of the vaccination program. It’s fair to say we had a curveball a couple of weeks ago when ATAGI, the Australian Technical Advisory Group, the experts, if you like, said that the AstraZeneca vaccine remains perfectly safe and effective for those over the age of 50, but in abundance of caution, because we have the Pfizer available in Australia we’ve switched to the Pfizer vaccine for those under 50, and the Prime Minister quite rightly said, let's pause, let’s recalibrate. It is a big logistical exercise. Professor Brendan Murphy has repeatedly said it’s the largest peacetime logistical exercise in the history of the nation. We’ve got to get this right. Now the workhorse for the vaccination program has been and will remain the GPs. They’re the right ones to be doing that, but we stand ready as part of this overall recalibration that we will be doing at National Cabinet this week to put those mass vaccination clinics in place, particularly towards the end of the year when we get those additional Pfizer doses coming into the country. We’ve already said that we will have our first of these available, which will do about 3,000 per week at the Wayville Showgrounds. That will be ready and in place by the end of this month but it is a real partnership between the Federal Government and the state governments. It is a real partnership between GPs who are, if you like, the workhorse, on the frontline, our primary health carers here in Australia, working together with the Commonwealth and the state for this overall, very important vaccination program.

JOURNALIST: Premier, just with regards to borders. It’s clear from what the Prime Minister’s just said that they’re going to remain shut for a while to come. When would you like to see them reopen?

THE HON. STEVEN MARSHALL MP, PREMIER OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Look we would like to listen to the expert advice. I think we’re very fortunate in Australia to have a group of people, whether they be the health minister’s or the AHPPC, advising National Cabinet. They’ve kept us safe, they’ve kept our economy strong to date. We’ll continue to listen to them. We don't want to lift those international borders a bit too soon and then have a big second wave, so we’ve got to through that vaccination program before we even consider massively easing those international border restrictions. Now, we've made some initial steps and I think the initial step with New Zealand is very much welcome by people. There could be some other opportunities but we've got to be prudent, we’ve got to be cautious. We are the envy of the world at the moment and we don't want to do anything that’s going to put that in jeopardy.

JOURNALIST: Just on that, Prime Minister, if I can ask you a follow-up. Does that mean South, or Australians rather, are going to have to prepare to do quarantine potentially for years to come as they come and leave the country?

PRIME MINISTER: Well I don't think it’s helpful to speculate years out in advance. I mean, with COVID, you know, you’ve got to expect the unexpected, and that makes those sort of issues, I think, very hard to forecast. That’s why I say we just take it one step at a time. I mean, here in South Australia we're working together on a very, very small pilot arrangement with some students. I mean, if we can get ourselves in a position perhaps in the second half of the year where Australians for essential purposes can travel and return to the country without going into hotel quarantine, if they have been vaccinated, good incentive to get vaccinated too, I’d stress. The other issue is then that would potentially open the door later for returning Australian residents to have a successful home isolation quarantine, but we have to make sure that that will work and that will be as effective as the hotel quarantine. Now, we’ve got to do a lot of work together with states and territories and the Commonwealth to make sure that works. Now, if that works, then that means you’ve freed up your hotel quarantine, and that means essential workers can start to come in. Potentially we can do more with other populations in a very controlled and very safe way. But the idea on one day that everything just opens, that’s not how this is going to happen. It will happen cautiously and carefully, working very hard on the medical and health protections in place because I'm not going to put at risk the way that Australians are living today. We can see all around the rest of the world. I say about going overseas for essential reasons, you know it could be compassionate reasons. There are many of these things in place now. Why anyone else would want to go anywhere else at the moment, when there’s so many great things to do in Australia. Australians are embracing their own country now like they haven't in a long time and I tell you what, they’re not disappointed. As we've been talking to the Barry family this morning, they’ve certainly been rocking up here, particularly over the course of these last few months. So I think Australians are really taking it up. The response of the 800,000 discount flights has been extraordinary and that’s going to be a real shot in the arm for the tourism industry as well.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, this morning there are reports that the Federal Budget will feature an extra $10 million for the aged care sector. Will that include extra cash for in-home care?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the Budget’s in May and I’m not about to announce the Budget here at the Barry winery in South Australia. The Treasurer will do that in May. But I made it very clear that our substantive response to the Royal Commission would be made in the Budget and that’s where it will occur. I stress again that $450 million we’d already committed to those, that initial response to the Royal Commission in a lot of urgent areas so that was, that was important. That comes on top of the massive increases we’ve been putting into in-home aged care places. I mean, we’ve gone from 60,000 when we came to Government to 190,000, much of that in the last couple of years. So we have at every single opportunity, back from when I was Treasurer, whether it was a half-year statement, a Budget, we have always just been putting more and more and more into in-home aged care because we know that is the increasing choice of Australians. We have to deal with substantial quality control and delivery issues in residential aged care, which is where we’ve seen the bulk of the very concerning reports that came through the Royal Commission. It is a very big task, it can't all be done, I think, in one go. Working with the industry, it will take some time, and the Royal Commission I think set that out, that there they were talking about over a five-year plan, at the very least, that we’d needed to be able to do that. So there will be a, of course, the response in the Budget, that I’d already flagged. Lots of people will speculate about that, as they do every year in pre-Budget season. But it will be an important part of what we’re seeking to do. Australians rely, and I think it rightly, have been able to rely on our Government to deliver the jobs that Australians need. More people in work today than there was before the pandemic began, and that is a great achievement for Australia. But they also rely on us for the services. Jobs and services are things that our Government has I think demonstrated a great commitment to, not only in terms of achieving them but delivering them.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you considering paying superannuation on the Government’s Paid Parental Leave scheme?

PRIME MINISTER: Again, Budget’s in May. I’m not going to go into speculation about the Budget. But whether it’s on important issues of women's safety, and I acknowledge Anne who’s been doing a great job, Anne Ruston, in working together with the states and territories on women's safety, protecting women against violence, and that is an enormously important agenda for our Government, and together with I know with the state governments. We’ve announced that our National Cabinet meeting in July, we’ll be getting a process to have a national plan on women's economic security. We already had one, Julia Gillard set up the first national plan on the protection of women against violence. We have invested over $1 billion in that plan ourselves, supporting that. So I'm looking for a bipartisan path on women's safety and women's economic security and that path with the states and territories, which are crucial to delivering on this, we will sit down in July and start working through that. We will be doing that up in the Northern Territory.

But just before I depart, can I just say, this is the first opportunity I’ve been in front of you to pass on my sincere condolences to the Peacock family for the passing of Andrew Peacock. He is a great, was a great Australian. He made a great contribution to this country. He also made a great contribution to our region. He was instrumental in the Independence of Papua New Guinea and post-Independence period, and that is something that I know he is held in great esteem for across the region. He was an extremely compassionate man, he was an extremely charismatic individual. He could charm the birds out of the trees. He was such a charismatic and engaging fellow. You never left a conversation or a time with Andrew Peacock not leaving cheered, in my experience. That was the sort of guy he was and I know he’ll be sadly missed by Australians, by his wife Penne. I spoke to her this morning in the United States and we’ve offered to the Peacock family a state funeral, of course, for Andrew Peacock. There will be a private funeral for Andrew in the United States this week and that will be followed up by a state memorial service in Australia in his beloved Victoria, no doubt, and at a time that is convenient and will be arranged with the family. So we send our love and we send our thoughts and prayers to you at this time as you come together as a family and mourn the loss of one of the towering members of your own family, and I know for Penne, a wonderful husband, and she was just telling me of their wonderful shared life together and she said it with such joy in her heart. So we send our best to you and all of the Peacock family and all of Andrew's children and their broader families, and in the meantime, Australia will mourn his loss and look forward to having the opportunity to do that as a nation at an appropriate state funeral. Thank you all very much. It’s great to be here with the Barry’s.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43326

Address, Karratha Business Breakfast - Karratha, WA

16 April 2021

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PRIME MINISTER: Thank you Peter, and thank you Uncle David, for that wonderful welcome to country and can I also acknowledge the Ngarluma people, elders past and present, but like you, to acknowledge those emerging leaders that are coming through – not just here, not with the Ngarluma people, but right across the country, we're seeing that. And I know that must be very encouraging both to you, but I think it is to the entire country. If there are any servicemen and women here today or Defence Force veterans, can I say thank you to you for the incredible service you've given to our country and acknowledge that, and thank you on behalf of a grateful nation.

It's great to be here at the Pilbara. It's great to be here in the community of Karratha. And that's what I want to underscore – this is a city, this is a living city and a city with great aspirations and great vision. We're standing amongst some of that vision – the Red Earth said it and I can tell you, I've got red earth on my boots today, having been out at Fortescue, the Christmas Creek mine, and spending some time there with the many workers out there overnight and today. And Melissa makes an extremely important point, whether it's in that part of the resource sector, Peter, or many others that you mentioned so disparate and diverse here, based here out of Karratha. It has been the resources sector of Australia over the course of the last 18 months, and particularly here in Western Australia, that has underpinned, underwrote so much of Australia's economic performance over this most difficult time. Other sectors have been devastated. And that devastation, frankly, over the last 18 months and a bit longer hasn't just been because of COVID. We have had floods, we have had fires. And very sad to hear more recently, we've had cyclones and Melissa and I will be going down to Kalbarri later today and touring those most affected areas. But despite all of that, all the tempests, all the pandemics, the resources sector here in Western Australia, and particularly here in the Pilbara, has pushed on and underpinned what has been a remarkable performance by Australia more broadly, so that we can say today there are more people employed in Australia today than they were at the start of the pandemic. And we can say that also about Western Australia. And I think that is a great achievement of our nation over what has been one of the most difficult times we've faced in 75 years. So, we emerge strong from the pandemic and the recession that it has caused. What I appreciate about the Karratha community, as I said, is it's just that – this is not some fly-in fly-out town. This is not the mining town as those of us suburbanites from the east coast or other places might think of things like this. This is a living community with great resources, with a vision for where it wants to be in the future, for families to come and live and raise their kids and enjoy the best of life here in Western Australia. And that's our vision as well. That's why we've invested here, and when the former Prime Minister came and gave that, I was happy to be the Treasurer that gave him the cheque that he could bring. And our investment in regional communities all around Australia is something that I, and the Deputy Prime Minister as well, feel very, very strongly about. And Melissa as your representative, representing about two-thirds of the state of Western Australia, it's an enormous area for any other Member of Parliament to get their head around, particularly when you come here and you see it on the ground. But it really is about ensuring that vibrancy in these communities and it's really about ensuring the diversity of economic opportunities. And so whether it is the, sort of, the living city infrastructure you need in a place such as this, or it's the Headspace facilities that we were able to establish that Melissa championed to ensure that the important social services that are put into communities are there to sustain and support communities. There are different challenges here for mental health in particular that we'd see in a regional community like this, than we would see in the suburbs of Brisbane or other parts of the country. And so one of the marvellous things about Headspace is it does have that local understanding, that local knowledge and is integrated and works with the local community to address those very, very real anxiety and mental health challenges that younger people face. And so putting these services in place is a key part of what we do. I said to the miners this morning, as those miners went out onto the job this morning, that they weren't just going through their daily workday. Wherever you're working in Karratha today, wherever you're working in the Pilbara today - what that is enabling is the services that make the whole of the country stronger, those services, whether they be in our health system, our education system, whether our mental health supports, any of these things – all of this is a function of the wealth and the earnings that's generated, particularly by places like the Pilbara. And so, in many senses, those who are working in the resources sector are like our doctors and nurses or our teachers or others, because what they're doing is enabling those types of services to be able to be delivered on the ground, whether it's in individual parts of the country or more broadly. I am looking forward to mingling, but on some of those issues that you raised, I mean, and most recently the cyclone, I think it's been a reminder that people who live in Karratha don't need a reminder about cyclones, sadly, or many, many other things that you face.

We have gone through a period in this country where the resilience has been tested and a key focus of the Government, and you'll see more of this in the Budget and announcements in the weeks ahead, it's about addressing a lot of those practical issues. It's about understanding the environment in which we now live, and the climate which we now live. And there are things we can and must do to address Australia's climate challenges – taking actions on emissions reduction and taking action when it comes to ensuring that we meet the commitments that we make in these important areas. And here, whether it's hydrogen, which is, you know, Australia is becoming widely known as the country that is championing hydrogen into the future. And here in the Pilbara, we are already seeing that leadership, whether it's the projects I will see today or we're I've just been. And this is really important to make these commitments and make these changes in large resource heavy industry parts of our country. Because people would have heard me say earlier this year that I want to see Australia achieve net zero and to do that as soon as we possibly can and preferably by 2050. But what I have to be able to do, and what we have to be able to do, in meeting that challenge is demonstrate how we can do that and ensure that the heavy industry, heavy industries that exist in our country are part of that solution. And that they're there in 2050, and not just there, but stronger than they are today. I think one of the genuine concerns that people around the country have about those types of commitments is that they see it being achieved at the expense of the sorts of jobs and the industries, the big earnings that come from those industries that we see here in the Pilbara. My commitment is to ensure that we meet these commitments and at the same time and going further, continue to see a stronger, heavy industry, whether it's in manufacturing, whether it's the resources or the many other sectors that are so reliant on an energy economy. And our energy economy is changing, and we want to be part of the new energy economy and we want to translate the jobs and the economic performance of our heavy industries, particularly in resources to that new energy economy. And we want to position Australia for that time. And that's the conversation I'm having with Australia about these commitments. We have the smartest people in the world that are working on our energy future. We've got passionate entrepreneurs that are putting their own money and their own credibility and their own reputations behind projects like hydrogen. We've got the best scientists who are working with them on the ground and pursuing their ambition. Australia has a very proud record about how we're transitioning our economy and transitioning into a new energy future. But we're doing it a way, I think, which is different to the rest of the world. We're doing it in a very Australian way, a very practical way, finding smart technological solutions, which ensures that we can keep doing what we're really good at, and at the same time be a major energy presence in the future economy of the world. Now, that is good news for Karratha, I believe. I think that's outstanding news for Karratha, and the argument about achieving this and where it is achieved is not in the suburbs of Sydney, or the suburbs of Melbourne or Brisbane or indeed Perth. This is won- This is won here. It's won in our resources sector. It's won in our energy sector. It's won in our industrial sector. It's won in our manufacturing sector, and that's where I'm looking to work with Australians to get those solutions in place and we crack that, and the vision that you have for your community here in Karratha is a long term one, and it's an exciting one. And it's one that will only go from strength to strength and I can see the living city, Peter, that you have a vision for realised here.

So I just wanted to share that with you while we're here in the Pilbara. There are a few places like the Pilbara anywhere in the world, let alone here in Australia. And it is important in places like this, we understand the contribution that has been made and particularly over these last 12 and 18 months, but importantly, what will be made in terms of Australia's future, not just our economic future, but our environmental future. And I'm going to tell you, I’m more than overwhelmed and impressed by the commitment of the resources sector to be a partner in meeting these challenges – their resourcefulness, their innovation, their commitment is second to none. And so I'm looking forward to chatting with you, particularly about some of the more community based projects and things like that that are occurring here. There are many challenges. We will continue to build that resilience in the north of Australia and we will continue to work with communities to achieve that. And I'm looking forward to having those discussions with you in just a few moments. Thank you very much.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43323

Press Conference - Stirling Community Centre, WA

15 April 2021

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PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON: To all veterans today, I extend my deep  gratitude for your service. I will come to a statement on that in just a minute. But before I do that, can I say I greatly welcome the further reporting on the employment figures today. The unemployment rate has fallen again to 5.6 per cent, 70,000 new jobs, seeing the participation rate climb to the highest level on record. We've seen the youth unemployment rate, which is a great relief to see that falling down to 11.8 per cent from 12.9 per cent. And we're seeing the underemployment rate and the underutilisation rate also fall. This is all good news for Australians, to see jobs continue to come back into the economy. Here in Western Australia, the news is particularly good, with some 28,100 more jobs coming into the Western Australian economy and the unemployment rate now falling to 4.8 per cent from 6 per cent, and so Western Australia can say, with so many other states now, that there are more people employed here than there were before the pandemic and that is another milestone in Australia's great economic comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic recession. Those numbers, I think, will be a great encouragement to Australians all around the country. Later today I'll be heading up to that part of Western Australia that is a key part of this state's great success in the Pilbara, and I look forward to that visit over the next 24 hours or so. So those numbers are very, very welcome. I now want to turn to a very important and serious issue.

Today the Government is announcing that Australia will conclude the drawdown of our contribution to the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan. Over the past two years we've been reducing our military presence in Afghanistan from a high of over 1,500 personnel to around 80 personnel currently.

In line with the United States and our other allies and partners, the last remaining Australian troops will depart Afghanistan in September 2021. The decision represents a significant milestone in Australia's military history. Over the last 20 years, Australia has been a steadfast contributor to the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan. Australia has fought alongside coalition and Afghan partners to degrade the capabilities of terrorist organisations, including Al-Qaeda. More than 39,000 Australian defence force personnel have deployed on Operation Slipper and Highroad helping to protect the safety and security of the Australian people at home and overseas. But safeguarding Afghanistan's security has come at a great cost to Australia.

Since 2001, 41 Australian personnel have lost their lives while serving in Afghanistan. And many more were wounded, some physically, others mentally, and we'll be dealing with the scars, both mental and physical, of their service, for many, many years. I would like to take a moment to read the honour role of those 41 Australians who sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom.

Sergeant Andrew Russell. Trooper David Pearce. Sergeant Matthew Locke MG. Private Luke Worsley. Lance Corporal Jason Marks. Signaller Sean McCarthy. Lieutenant Michael Fussell. Private Gregory Sher. Corporal Mathew Hopkins. Sergeant Brett Till. Private Benjamin Ranaudo. Sapper Jacob Moerland. Sapper Darren Smith. Private Timothy Aplin. Private Scott Palmer. Private Benjamin Chuck. Private Nathan Bewes. Trooper Jason Brown. Private Tomas Dale. Private Grant Kirby. Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney. Corporal Richard Atkinson. Sapper Jamie Larcombe. Sergeant Brett Wood MG DSM. Lance Corporal Andrew Jones. Lieutenant Marcus Case. Sapper Rowan Robinson. Sergeant Todd Langley. Private Matthew Lambert. Captain Bryce Duffy. Corporal Ashley Birt. Lance Corporal Luke Gavin. Sergeant Blaine Diddams MG. Sapper James Martin. Lance Corporal Stjepan ‘Rick’ Milosevic. Private Robert Poate. Private Nathanael Galagher. Lance Corporal Mervyn McDonald. Corporal Scott Smith. Corporal Cameron Baird VC MG. Lance Corporal Todd Chidgey.

The loss is great. The sacrifice, immense, the bravery and courage, things we can speak of, but not know of personally. These brave Australians are amongst our greatest ever, who have served in the name of freedom. This day, we dedicate to their memories, we think of their families, their friends, the life they would have lived. But they gave that for others they did not know. We can be so proud of them, of their service, we're so proud of the men and women who serve in our Australian Defence Forces, so many of them also represented here in Western Australia. We thank them for their service humbly and gratefully. The memories of all Australian Defence Force members who have lost their lives continue to be honoured for their sacrifice and contribution to Australia's mission in Afghanistan. We also acknowledge all those Australians who have served in Afghanistan, and the impact this has had on their lives. We commit ourselves to supporting them. The conflict has exacted an enormous toll, also on the people of Afghanistan and to President Ghani, once again, we stand with them and the complex task of making peace that lies ahead for those people. Australia continues to support the peace negotiations between the Afghan Government and the Taliban. We encourage both parties to commit to the peace process that so many Australians have died to provide for. While our military contribution will reduce, we will continue to support the stability and development of Afghanistan through our bilateral partnership and in concert with our other nations. This includes our diplomatic resources, development cooperation programme and continued people-to-people links that I know the Afghan Government is very grateful for in my own discussions with President Ghani. Training and scholarship programs amongst so many, particularly supporting women in Afghanistan. Australia remains committed to helping Afghanistan preserve the gains of the last 20 years, particularly for women and girls. I'll take a few questions. We have some other commitments today.

JOURNALIST: This is clearly an emotional moment for you, do you expect that to be the same for the families as you mark this day today, an emotional day for you in this moment and also those families today?

PRIME MINISTER: Oh, look, our emotions are of no consequence compared to those who have lost their family members. I was particularly thinking of Bree Till from my own electorate. Her son, who is also Brett’s son, is in the same class as one of my daughters and I remember when Brett was killed and I spoke in the Parliament. I was in Opposition at the time. It reminded me of what it must have been like in our country when you think back to the first and second World Wars. These 41 lives lost, so terrible and I saw so awfully the pain of Brett's widow and his surviving children and his yet unborn boy. And the hope that that gave to Bree, that story was repeated on a daily basis during those great conflicts and we have some knowledge of it through this terrible experience. And what our veterans deal with on a daily basis is they remember those who fell and so, yes it is an emotional day, but mainly, and most importantly, we must think of those who have been most significantly impacted. The families of those who were lost and that sacrifice which they live with each and every day, but also those who bore arms with them and served with them. They carry that loss with them every single day and it is a reminder to all of us to be so grateful for their service.

JOURNALIST: Was it worth it going into Afghanistan?

PRIME MINISTER: Freedom is always worth it. Australians have always believed that. That is why Australians who have served in our Defence Forces have always pulled on that uniform. As Vince knows only too well.

MR VINCE CONNOLY MP, MEMBER FOR STIRLING: Absolutely, boss.

PRIME MINISTER: Putting on that uniform, serving under that flag, defending our values and standing up for them is what Australians do and those 41 brave men have exhibited that more than any other Australian can ever hope to.

JOURNALIST: You said Australians will be pulling out in September. Will they be out by September 11 like the American Forces?

PRIME MINISTER: September is the date we are currently working to, I’m not giving any further date than that. We are obviously coordinating with the Americans in particular, as I indicated yesterday when I was asked about this matter. These are things we have been working on closely on together for some time, but obviously for operational reasons and other matters, they have remained matters of national security.

JOURNALIST: The war crime allegations in Afghanistan, could we have done better?

PRIME MINISTER: There will be time to talk about those things. Today is not that time.

JOURNALIST: How do you categorise Australia’s contribution [inaudible]?

PRIME MINISTER: One of great bravery. One of great sacrifice. One of great noble service. One of great compassion and care for the people of Afghanistan. I have spoken to many veterans who have returned from Afghanistan, who have shared with me, Andrew Hastie is another who has shared with all of us his experiences there and Phil Thompson and they speak of the Afghan people in such a caring way and empathetic way. What they were doing there was incredibly important to them. That is why they continued to serve and that is why I think we can be very thankful for their service today.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister there was a dance performance commissioned on a ship. The Governor-General says that he wasn't there when it happened but it’s been made to look like he was. The dancers now feel unsafe after the ABC broadcast. Do you have a response?

PRIME MINISTER: I am disappointed that this event was so misreported. I think that was disrespectful to the performers to suggest the Governor-General or others were in attendance there in that way, I think was very dishonest and I think standards have failed and so I think obviously Defence will look at these matters and make whatever changes they wish to in the future. I will leave that to them. But it is disappointing that Australians were so misled on that issue.

JOURNALIST: Was it an appropriate performance for the event?

PRIME MINISTER: I will leave that to Defence because it is clear much of the reporting that we have seen of that matter and that has been provided to Australians, in this case by the ABC was wrong, was false and was misleading and I think that is very disappointing. I think the ABC should be reflecting on that.

JOURNALIST: Given the Government won’t supply more money to the states to help create more mass vaccination sites are you going to ask the states to help vaccinate aged care and disability care workers?

PRIME MINISTER: The aged and disability care workers is a program we are working through right now as I indicated to you before when some of you were able to join us for the start of the meeting with the AMA and some local GPs here. I am looking forward to their further input. We have got over 4,000 doctors now, surgeries across the country which are involved directly in the rollout. National Cabinet will meet on Monday and will meet again later in the week. These are the issues that we are working through. But what I am quite confident of is that the states and the territories and the Commonwealth will just work together to get this done. That is what we did all through COVID last year and that is what we will do with these challenges. This is just another set of challenges, we have problems to solve, we have national partnership agreements in place for vaccinations with the states and territories that deal with the distribution as we do have arrangements with the GPs and pharmacists and we will work with them to get the job done. Australians want to see the job get done. I am committing to getting the job done. I am committed to working together with the states and territories and doctors and the many other health professionals in this country to get that job done. But today, but today, let us just pause in solemn silence and sadness for the great loss of those 41 brave Australians and simply say to them, thank you for your service.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43317

Opening Remarks, GP Round Table

15 April 2021

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison: Can I start by saying thank you very much to Dr Khorshid for your great leadership with the AMA and all the GPs across the country, more than 4,000 of them now, and that number is growing, actively involved, including the GPs who have joined us here today. Mary, Simon and Mariam, thank you so much for joining us here today, looking forward to the discussions we are going to have.

We’ve got some challenges to deal with so it will be a good opportunity today for me to hear the feedback on how that programme with GPs is working on the ground here in Western Australia. The Premier and I had a good opportunity to discuss that yesterday as well.

In Western Australia, there are always special circumstances, and here COVID has been heavily suppressed for a long time and so encouraging people to take their vaccinations, particularly elderly Australians. And while there has been great success here in Western Australia in suppressing the virus, at the same time, if there were to be an outbreak, we all know the most vulnerable in our population would be very much at risk. And so how we can continue to work together to ensure we are getting the most vulnerable vaccinated at this phase in the process we welcome.

But I have to say thank you. 589,280 vaccines have already been administered by GPs across Australia out of a total of 1.359 million all around the country. There was more than 60,000 doses administered across the country yesterday, and two thirds of those were administered by GPs around the country. So there is no doubt in my mind that the safest place, the best place, for Australians to receive that type of healthcare through the vaccine is with their local GP and I want to thank GPs both here in Western Australia and right across the country, for the tremendous work they’re putting in looking after their patients, which is what they love to do and I want to thank you also for your great leadership and encouraging both the population and giving the calm assurance to support programmes such as this.

Dr Omar Khorshid, AMA President: Thank you very much Prime Minister. I’d also like to thank you, not just for your leadership and the Government’s tough and very deliberate decisions right throughout the pandemic but also for making the time in your busy schedule to meet with on the ground GPs to hear experiences about how we can make this vaccination programme work the best for Australians. And to make sure that we can get vaccine confidence back up to where it needs to be, so that all Australians get their vaccines by the end of the year and that we deliver that in a safe, assured way. It’s the only way out of this pandemic and general practices are here to support the Government in that very important task.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43316

Address to the 6th Raisina Dialogue

15 April 2021

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PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON: Namaste. Greetings from here in Australia, in Perth, in Western Australia, our great minerals and resources state.

I'm very pleased today to be joining you to open this third day of the Raisina Dialogue. I'm delighted to be part of this event, joining other Australian speakers, including my Foreign Minister, Marise Payne, the chief of our Australian defence forces, General Angus Campbell, and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a great friend of India.

I congratulate my good friend, Prime Minister Modi and Minister for External Affairs, Dr. Jaishankar, for initiating this dialogue. Thank you for your leadership at this critical time. In the midst of the most difficult year and three quarters of a century, we know how important this dialogue is and very pleased to participate. I only wish I could have been there with you in person.

We are free peoples, liberal democracies with respect and responsibility, aspiration, the dignity of our people at the heart of who we are as democratic nations. We've been friends a long time, Australia and India. We have so much in common, our values, our passions, especially for our democratic freedoms, our commitment to the rule of law, a free and open Indo-Pacific. And over the last two decades, we've realised more and more of the enormous potential of our friendship.

We've shown what can be achieved when two diverse, pluralistic, multicultural democracies join in a spirit of trust and understanding. Our economic, defence and people-to-people ties have grown strongly.

India and Australia share a deep friendship, or as you say in India: Maitri. I'm told that's India's version of Australia's mateship. The ability of men and women to work side by side, trusting each other. That trust, that shared sense of mission and purpose is what we will need so much in the years ahead.

I want to talk today about what it is about our region, about the Indo-Pacific, where we live, and the challenges that we face together. How the COVID-19 pandemic has created momentum for addressing these challenges amongst like-minded nations.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Indo-Pacific is the region that will shape our prosperity, our security and our destiny, individually and collectively. That is our shared future.

It is a dynamic and diverse region full of promise. But we're also not blind to the geopolitical realities. The Indo-Pacific is the epicentre of strategic competition. Tensions over territorial claims are growing. Military modernisation is happening at an unprecedented rate. Democratic sovereign nations are being threatened and coerced by foreign interference. Cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated, including from state sponsored actors, and frequent. Economic coercion is being employed as a tool of statecraft. Liberal rules and norms are under assault. And there is a great polarisation that our world is at risk of moving towards. A polarisation between authoritarian regimes and autocracies, and the liberal democracies that we love. A liberal democracy and a liberal set of values that underpin the global world order that has delivered so much for the world.

The pandemic has accelerated and accentuated many of the strategic trends that have created this very real strain. However, the pandemic has also given us a fresh perspective and created new opportunities to build a durable strategic balance in the Indo-Pacific.

A strategic balance, as Condoleezza Rice says, that favours freedom. One where like minded nations act more consistently, more cohesively, more often, in our shared interests, on economic security and importantly global environmental issues. And guided by rules based solutions that ensure peace and stability and prosperity for all nations. It's an inclusive notion to achieve our common goals. The pandemic prompted new groupings of like-minded countries to work together like never before. New friendships forged and old ones reenergized. Australia is leading in this area, as is India. We're playing our part together.

Australia has always been direct about our aspirations. It's our nature. We know who we are and we know what we're about. We've been clear about our vision of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific underpinned by rules of law and respect for sovereignty. And we have acted to defend and shape it.

Last year we launched our Defence Strategic Update, a major strengthening of our force posture to focus on our immediate region. Australia has committed some $270 billion on our defence capability over the next decade. For us, that's two per cent of our GDP. That's our floor, not our ceiling. Other nations know they can rely on Australia.

This is important as we look ahead towards challenges that no country can take on alone. That is what I told the Quad leaders meeting last month when I joined with Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Suga and President Biden. And I particularly commend my fellow leaders for their involvement and leadership in bringing this forum together at that level. And I particularly say thank you to President Biden for bringing that meeting together and chairing it on that occasion. That meeting was historic, an historic first and a mark of the momentum that continues to be built amongst like-minded countries in our region.

Four leaders of great liberal democracies in the Indo-Pacific, including, of course, my friend, Prime Minister Modi, all leveraging our agency, working on a positive and inclusive agenda for the Indo-Pacific. To deliver peace and stability and prosperity for the shared benefit of all in our region. Their sovereignty, their independence we passionately believe in for all nations within the Indo-Pacific. We pledged to strengthen our cooperation on the defining challenges of our time. Realising a shared vision as expressed through ASEAN for an open, inclusive and resilient region. And to combat COVID-19, combining our significant medical, scientific, financing and manufacturing capabilities for vaccine distribution.

We're building new habits and modes of cooperation and partnership, that's important. And Australia has continued to invest in the relationships in the Indo-Pacific. Our partnership with our great friend and ally, the United States, continues to strengthen as we mark 70 years of our ANZUS alliance later this year. We've announced an in principle agreement with Japan on a Reciprocal Access Agreement, a landmark treaty that will see even closer defence and security ties. And I thank my dear friend, Yoshihide Suga, Prime Minister Suga, for the great relationship we've been able to establish so quickly. He is a man committed to peace and prosperity in our region.

We've been working more closely than ever with ASEAN as its oldest dialogue partner, and also enhanced our relationships with Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, all key partners. We continue to strengthen ties with our Pacific family through our Step Up program with additional support during the pandemic, particularly at the moment for Papua New Guinea and for Timor-Leste.

And there is our relationship with India. Australia sees India as such a natural partner in shaping the future of our region. It's way more than geography. Its history, its values. It's our growing economic, security and people-to-people ties. It's our strong sense of mutual obligation and responsibility. In India I know we have a friend who will help build our region where all nations can prosper. We have looked on with admiration as in recent times, India has taken an increasingly active role in the Indian Ocean and the wider Indo-Pacific region. In particular, most recently, we've seen their leadership with the manufacturing and distribution of critical vaccines, helping developing countries in our region. They're building economic capability. They're promoting maritime security, and they're advocating regional cooperation.

We welcome your leadership, Prime Minister Modi, and we welcome India's leadership and engagement. Whether it's on the outstanding vaccines that are necessary and the Maitri campaign that you've engaged in, which has seen over 64 million Indian-made vaccines shipped to more than 80 countries, as I was already referring to. Last June, Prime Minister Modi and I took our relationship to a new level, a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This is a declaration of our shared values and interests, our capabilities and the deep trust we have for each other. It will see us cooperate in new ways – commerce, critical minerals, science and research, technology, as well as defence, maritime and cyber and critical technology issues.

And we're already seeing this. In November, Australia participated in Exercise MALABAR. It saw our navies, along with Japan and the United States, work together in highly sophisticated training exercises from air defence and anti submarine exercises to at sea replenishment between ships.

This tells a broader story for Australia and India. A story of deep trust, shared ambition and a united commitment to keeping our region safe and secure. Australia is looking forward to working closely with India on emerging issues such as harnessing opportunities through our Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership, and we continue exploring ways to further deepen our economic relationship.

Our region confronts some formidable challenges, and the pandemic has sparked a renewed appreciation amongst like-minded nations for each other and what we both can contribute, all of us can contribute, to our partnerships and to our region. For the values and goals we share and what we can achieve by working together. It has inspired action to defend our collective interests. Together, we carry the aspirations for the future. A region stable, a region prosperous with healthy people and a clean environment. We will continue to work together to achieve those goals, and we will gather again together soon.

I want to thank you for your kind invitation to be part of this important dialogue. Dhanyavaad.

To all of you, thank you for the great relationship we have, and as we work together to secure the peace and prosperity of our region.

A free and open Indo-Pacific, a strategic balance that favours freedom.

Thank you for your attention.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43322

Press Conference - Christmas Creek Mine, WA

15 April 2021

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ANDREW FORREST: We’re very honoured to have the Honourable Melissa Price, the Honourable Scott Morrison, Prime Minister, here at Christmas Creek, and it is an historical evening. We’ve shown the leaders of our country what is the future of our country. Here you have miles and miles of solar panels, which we will combine with wind, which will eventually power the entire Pilbara, and we will be building gigawattage which is equivalent to what Australia powers itself with as a nation. I’m really excited that I can make these statements as we stand on the men and women’s shoulders who have built Fortescue, those tens of thousands of great Australians who have made the company which has been able to transform the iron ore industry, exist, grow and thrive here in Australia. With no further ado, the head of Australia, Scott Morrison.

PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Andrew, it’s great to be here with you, it’s great to be hear with your whole team, and joined by Melissa who’s not just my fellow cabinet member, but also the local member for an electorate that spans about three quarters to two thirds of Western Australia. It’s tremendous to be here, to see first hand, the sheer scale of what is being achieved by Fortesuce, over the last years. The word pioneer is thrown around quite a lot, but it’s one that sits very comfortably on Andrew Forrest’s shoulders. What you see achieved with the scale of the industrial processors here, the people more importantly who have been brought together to make what Fortescue does a reality, is quite breathtaking. But you’d think as tonight we mark 1.5 billion tonnes of product coming out of these mines, you’d think that would be enough, but not for Fortescue and not for Andrew Forrest because he now looks forward with his team bringing the sharpest and smartest minds, working together on projects that are not only going to transform the resources industry here in Australia in the way they use energy but it’s going to change how Australia uses energy. And I think there is every prospect, because of the keen level of international interest in what is happening here and the work that is being done to genuinely change how the world operates, particularly in the resources sector. I’m very passionate and proud of what Australians are doing to change the technology that enables them to achieve great things. Energy is central to that. It’s the thing that drives our economy. It always has. And we need to change gear over the next 30 years, and that’s exactly what’s happened. These things don’t happen by accident, and they don’t happen by the actions of government, certainly not alone. It is a genuine partnership, it is a genuine working together that sees these ideas, exciting ideas, frankly brave ideas Andrew, but you’re no stranger to those. And to get your best people to solve them and get them here on the ground, what we’re seeing the beginning of here, over these last 12 months and Andrew and I have spoken many times now, particularly over the course of this year. We’ve met in Canberra earlier this year, just before Australia Day, with the exciting work that’s being done on green hydrogen and how that works in with the broader resources sector and indeed into the steel industry itself. And there is already considerable interest in how that’s progressing in Japan and so many other countries, where Australia is forming energy partnerships with those countries, and what better way to put the substance in the partnerships when you’re talking about real projects being demonstrated here on the ground. Private capital is going into this project in particular, and we’re in discussion with further players we’re working with in the future, so, it’s really exciting, it is really groundbreaking. The ground that has already been broken here over the past twenty years that’s a story all on itself and I’m looking forward tonight to catching up with the men and women who’ve made that possible here. One of the reasons I was so keen to get to WA this week was to say thank you to Western Australians for the incredible job they've done and particularly over the past year. But I really want to thank the resources industry of Western Australia and of course, everyone here at Christmas Creek and right across the Fortescue family and right across the resources industry, I'm sure Andrew would join me in saying thank you for the amazing job that you have done. The earnings that you've been able to generate in one of Australia's toughest years has kept our economy going. The fact that there are more Australians employed today than there were at the start of the pandemic and the way the Australian economy is coming out of this COVID pandemic recession, in large part you can say thank you to the resources industry, especially here in Western Australia and the leadership that's been shown, the hard work, keeping those operations going, dealing with the challenges of our borders and other limitations and supply chain disruptions and all of these things. But I can tell you that the people who work for Fortescue understand how to solve hard problems. And there's a lot of big challenges ahead. So I want to congratulate you Andrew, and to your entire team, Melissa.

THE HON. MELISSA PRICE MP: I'm very proud. And I just want to have an opportunity to say how proud I am of all the thousands of West Australians, in particular in my electorate, who work in the Pilbara. And I just want to thank Andrew and the Fortescue team for making us feel very welcome here today. And just acknowledge just what powerful work Fortescue did together with all the other mining companies in Western Australia that kept our nation moving in the right direction during COVID-19 the efforts that they made to keep their own community safe, the change in structures, it was just unbelievable. So thank you for your contribution to our economy to make sure that we are coming out of COVID on the right side. So thanks for the opportunity to be here tonight. Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks Melissa, look, we’ve got time for one or two questions.

QUESTION: Prime Minister this is the first press conference [inaudible] since Greg Hunt’s press conference with a Chinese Government official last year, has the hatchet been buried and would you like to see Mr Forrest help you in repairing Australia’s relationship with China?

PRIME MINISTER: First of all there’s no hatchet. Andrew and I have known each other for some time. When I was Treasurer, and as Prime Minister, and we've been on the phone to each other, quite regularly, over the last several months and working together to try and assist with this project and in his many travels, particularly last year as he was going through that process of researching and engaging with other countries around the world to gauge interest, he was keeping me regularly, regularly informed. In fact, we were talking about President Ghani earlier today and the last conversation I had with President Ghani, he spoke to me about Andrew, talked about his horse riding skills. But Prime Minister Marape, a great friend of mine, but also now a very good friend of Andrew’s, spoke about him going there and arranging those get-togethers. And I remember that they snapped a selfie of each other at dinner that night and sent it to me. So, look, Andrew and I have worked together for a long time. And the reason for that, we obviously get along well, but more importantly, we believe in what this country can achieve. And I like working with people who know how to get things done and few people I know how to get things done than Andrew. Whatever challenge it is, whether it's the ones you're talking about or others. I'm always looking to work with people who know how to get things done.

QUESTION: Prime Minister there’s been a third blood clot death linked to the Astrazeneca vaccine today. What’s your reaction to that initially? And how concerned are you about the impact it could have on vaccine confidence?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, my advice is that the federal and state authorities are still investigating that matter and seeking further clinical information. So at this point, I don't think it would be helpful to me to say anything more than that at this point. I think there's a lot more to understand and learn about that issue. And I would caution others in making conclusions on this at that point as well.

QUESTION: That woman was only 46. Can you understand that Australians might be a little bit concerned, given that you said the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe for people over the age of 50? That woman was only four years younger than that age.

PRIME MINISTER: All throughout the pandemic, as you know, Lanai, we have been disciplined in listening carefully to the expert medical advice. And Australia has the best expert medical advisers, whether it's through ATAGI or with the Therapeutic Goods Administration or the medical expert panel, these are the best minds that examined this information and give us the right understanding of what events are and what they are, what they mean and how they apply to the various issues that you've raised. And so I think it's important because of the fact that people can have concerns that we follow that important process to inform ourselves properly, to allow those medical experts to make their enquiries and to be able to inform government in an appropriate way. And so for us not to move to any conclusions at this point what's important is that we continue on with the project and we'll certainly do that. And we've been very transparent, very transparent when it comes to information on these issues. And people expect us to do that. OK, thanks very much.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43321

Remarks, Western Australian Indian Community Morning Tea

15 April 2021

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Can I start by acknowledging the Indigenous owners of the land on which we meet and their elders past, present and future.

Can I acknowledge any of those who have served in our Defence Forces and our veterans in our communities and for those of you here to serve to say thank you for your service.

Can I say thank you to all of you here this morning for joining me. It is wonderful to be here with you. When I sat down and I looked out at this wonderful place with Jim and Badri I thought to myself, Jenny and I are coming back here. We’re coming back for a meal, we’re coming back for when the Bollywood night is on and we’re going to love coming back here. I can understand why this is a place that people feel very comfortable and happy and I’m sure you’ve had many great times here together and celebrated wonderful times together as a family and as a community and really that’s what I think all of this is about.

Can I acknowledge all of my colleagues who are here with us, of course, Celia and, of course, Michaelia. Can I particularly single out though Senator Dean Smith. Dean is a wonderful friend of the Western Australian multicultural community of this state. I’m sure my colleagues wouldn’t mind me singling Dean out in this way and he has been I think a great leader in the Liberal Party, in particular his engagement across the so many different communities of Western Australia. I want to thank you for that service Dean and for your leadership. Dean and I speak about these issues and I know that in our own region at the moment, in the Indo-Pacific, I know both India and Australia together are very concerned about what we are seeing [inaudible] and this is our neighbourhood, this is our part of the world where we all live and I know we are all deeply concerned when these things happen in our part of the world and we go together to a community opening in solidarity for the many peoples who live across the Indo-Pacific. But it’s called the Indo-Pacific for a reason and that is I think because of the great anchor that India provides within our region. It’s impact on the life and culture of our region over millennia and I’m just so pleased that that life and culture is so intertwined with Australian culture and Australian life. As Michaelia said, the values and principals and the democracy that is represented in the great nation of India attaches seamlessly to Australian culture and Australian life. It is a very easy and a very happy and a very reinforcive coexistence and so that’s why over many years now Indian nationality has become one of the fastest growing, if not the fastest growing, in Australia and we welcome this with open arms. I think this is absolutely tremendous because it is those values of working hard, those values of family, those values of commitment to community, standing up for democracy, and the independence and freedom that Australia stands for and indeed India stands for, the freedom of faith, the freedom of religion, the freedom of speech, all of these values are so integral to our societies. And so that’s what we celebrate. So when Australians and Indians come together and particularly as they come together as citizens of the one country here in Australia I think that’s something we can greatly rejoice in.

Multiculturalism is explained in many different ways and in many different places but one way I love to describe it, because as Michaelia let you into a secret and some of you may have seen my cooking efforts on Facebook, it became a tradition in my family some years ago and when my girls were quite young and when you work as a politician and in public life you really try and prize those moments when you can come together as a family and you try and work hard to create them as well particularly when your children are growing up. And so one day I decided, and Jenny asked me, “What are you cooking for dinner tonight?” and that wasn’t something I normally did so this is something I said, “Yeah I will” and I went through all the books and she had this wonderful Indian cookbook and I said I’ll give that a whirl, seven years later it’s still pretty much a Saturday night tradition in our house and I couldn’t tell you the hundreds of meals I’ve cooked since then. I was just sharing the story that when we had family and friends over on a Saturday night and whatever it is I’ve happened to cook and they’ll say to my daughters, “Gee, that was pretty spicy, how do you deal with that?” and my oldest daughter says, “Well Dad cooked us a vindaloo when I was seven and we survived that so now it’s all downhill.”

But when I think of Australia’s multiculturalism the best description of it that I can pull together is one from that experience. A masala. A masala brings together all the amazing spices, each in their own individual way are magnificent, but when you blend them together and I do it that way, I just don’t go to the packet, I get them out, I grind them up, I do the whole thing. [Inaudible] roast them, that’s the best way. Isn’t that the best way? Have we got our Indian chefs in the house? That’s the best way to do it and it’s fresh and it’s real and you blend them together and when you put that, when you put that, that makes something amazing. The aroma, the flavours and for me that is what Australian multiculturalism is all about. When you put in the fennel and the bay leaves and the cloves and the cardamom, the jeera, the coriander, the Kashmiri chilli powder, you put all that in there don’t forget, don’t forget the black and the green cardamom. You’ve got to have both of those, you’ve got to have both of those, and when you put all that together I think that is something quite amazing. And that for me really does say why multiculturalism in Australia is so great. You know when I talk about how great is Australia, how good is Australia, these are the things I am reflecting on and what we are seeing here this morning, these are the things I am reflecting on because it is the great coming together of families and individuals and communities with all of their stories, not keeping separate, but actually coming together that’s what makes it so amazing and I think a masala does reflect that togetherness and the blending together and how the things complement each other, the various backgrounds and differences that we have and that makes me quite positive about Australia’s future.

Let me just touch on one or two other things. I’ve talked about how important our shared democracies are between Australia and India and that is true and today we’ve seen the Dialogue is on in India, I would have very much liked to have been there and Prime Minister Modi who has become a good friend over the many years and we share so many passions and so many shared visions of the future of our region and essential to those is the sovereign independent states of the region and how important liberal democracy is to ensure that we have a region that favours freedom in the balance that is achieved. Right now we are working together in one of the biggest collaborations together with the United States and Japan together with India and Australia in what is known as the Quad. We had our first ever leaders’ meeting of those four nations very recently. It had to be done virtually, Narendra and I were pretty keen on doing it in person but that was not able to be done and we will have a face to face meeting later this year. But what we discussed, were not just the important current issues that we are dealing with in the region but what we discussed was something I think really important to all free peoples of the world, there is a tendency at the moment to think, well in some countries that have a more authoritarian way of doing things, that aren’t democracies, they say well maybe that’s a better way to go, maybe that’s a better way to manage countries, maybe by just dispensing of this thing we call freedom and democracy, that it will make the hospitals better, or the jobs will come more easily. That puts on a great responsibility on the leaders of nations like Australia and India to say no, no, no, no, liberal democracies get the job done, liberal democracies not only give people freedom, but they give them the great services and the quality of life and well-being that can be enjoyed in our country and it is true as we all know in this country and so India and Australia must be beacons of freedom and for liberty and for democracy and we need to live those values out proudly and we need to stand up for them very much in the region and we have a great partnership with India to that end and that partnership is only growing more strongly by the day.

In conclusion, I know that for many of you there will be great heartache at the moment as you see COVID ravage India. It is an incredibly difficult challenge, it’s different in this country in how we have been able to be successful in managing and supressing COVID-19 here in particularly in Western Australia and I want to thank the entire community for the amazing job that you have done supporting each other and ensuring that Australia has come through to this point with great success. Everyone has given up something, everyone has made sacrifices, there have been losses that individuals and communities have had to put up with, holy times when you would gather together in ceremonies, times of family and community that you haven’t been able to have and I understand how important those things are to you as individuals and to you as communities and that has had to be put aside for a time for the safety and security of the wider Australian family.

I’m looking forward to those times as they are already beginning to happen again becoming a part of our daily life but I also know that your hearts will be burdened by what’s happening in India at the moment where there is great loss, where there is great suffering, where there is great challenge but what speaks amazingly of the Indian character and spirit that at a time when they are facing such hardship and such difficulty they are also exporting vaccines for the rest of the world to help other countries and I think that says something amazing about the Indian character and spirit about their commitment not only to do the right thing by their own people but to still be a nation that is able to reach out and provide help and support to other countries including right here in our own region and so my thoughts are with all of you, and from Jenny as well, and we are thinking of you as you are thinking of those loved ones who are maybe still trying to come back to Australia or are there and are dealing with incredibly difficult times but today is also a time for great gathering together and celebrating what we all have in common and to Jim and your family, to Stuart, Badri, to Sara and the Gosavwi family and the entire Indian community here can I say thank you for your tremendous support, we as the Liberal Party, my Government in particular will continue to recognise the great contribution that is being made here, the great community that makes Australian life so viable. I love the masala we are making together and I look forward to ensuring that we can enjoy that for all of our days, thank you very much.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43318

Remarks, Pawsey Supercomputing Centre

14 April 2021

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Prime Minister: It’s exciting to be here today with Christian Porter and, of course, Steve. It is fundamental to Australia’s economic future that we harness these capabilities and meet them. The ambitions we have for manufacturing in this country is built on the vision we have for science and technology. That's why we have the investing economy. That's why we can invest in Pawsey right here. And that's why we are committing some $387 million in new funding over 10 years to meet Australia's commitments to co-host the SKA Observatory. And not only will that, you know, enshrine, entrench Australia in this massive partnership, of which we are a key player, and deliver those core capabilities to that partnership, but as you say it feeds in to this waterfall of data that you have in so many different areas that enable you to interrogate and ensure we can crack some of the biggest problems that are there. The quantum computing capability is not just essential for solving deep scientific problems, but it's absolutely essential for national security. This is one of those key areas that are being used, in many respects weaponised, around the world. And so Australia needs that capacity. And what's exciting about this project and what's going on here at Pawsey is by investing in these capabilities, we're not just giving our industry, our scientists and our researchers the tools, but we are developing our researchers. We're developing our scientists. And at the end of the day, that's what will make the difference, we believe. And so whether it’s the 250 or so jobs that are established through the establishment, which much of it is out there in the field where CSIRO is, and ensuring that these amazing Christmas tree looking features that do far more than that - they're the most, they're the smartest Christmas trees I think we've ever seen, and particularly at that scale - but then it's what sits behind it here, with the analytical capability and the processing capability. And even more important than that the, you know, the 230 ongoing jobs, some of the smartest jobs in this country that are made possible by that. So we're very excited to be here, and I know Christian is as well. And Steve has been a passionate supporter of this project over a long time. And the fact that it's all happening here in the West, the opportunities of the big skies, creates great opportunities with the scientific vision, I think. So it's very important to do that. So I'm going to hand it over to Christian Porter to say a few words in his new role, and I tell you, Christian is an absolute science and space junkie on these things, he has the tattoos to prove it. Christian.

The Hon. Christian Porter MP, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology: Thank you, Prime Minister, and Steve Irons thank you for allowing us into your electorate, and it’s very enjoyable to be here. And to Mark and Kristen, thanks for hosting us today. So, you would have heard the Prime Minister there say something that you wouldn't have heard previously, which is that in the Budget, which will be announced obviously later in May, there will be a $387 million 10-year commitment to the SKA. So, the scale of that I’m sure is not lost on you and your team here, because it ensures what you're doing with SKA in Australia is absolutely locked away. And just to explain the very basic breakdown of that funding - $301.4 million of that is allocated to the construction and operation of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory. Another large amount of $64.3 million over 10 years is allocated to the data processing centre, which, of course, you know, is scheduled and expected to be here at Pawsey. And the remainder goes to site readiness and fibre optic connections, it’s in the [inaudible]. So it is a massive Budget commitment. It absolutely locks away the future of the SKA, the future of Pawsey, and all the wonderful things that you can do and are doing here. And as we've been walking around today, if you are trying to get your head around the scale of the funding that has been put in the Budget, we've been trying to wrap our head around the scale of what it is that you’re doing. And we were discussing it earlier that the Pathfinder, so the prototype of the Square Kilometre Array low antennas, that produces 5.2 terabytes of data. That effectively comes here to be sorted through and understood and analysed. And for those people who download things from time to time, just that prototype that the Square Kilometre Array Low is producing about the same data equivalent of downloading around about 1,300 movies a second, every second. And that's just the prototype. So as Mark was explaining to us, when in the middle of this decade, the Square Kilometre Array Low gets turned on and the entire Square Kilometre Array gets turned on, the amount of data is simply beyond comprehension. And this money, which is in effect 14 per cent of the total global commitment, is now locked away. It secures the future of the SKA in Australia and while we're here, I'm sure we’ll see the Prime Minister interested to know the West Australian angle to all this. In fact, it was as a former state attorney-general and the state treasurer that I had an initial involvement with this project with Colin Barnett many years ago. To be back here and see it come to this level of fruition is quite remarkable. But it is estimated through [inaudible] that the cumulative economic impact globally that will come to Australia over the 30 year operational period of the SKA is about $1.8 billion. So our money leverages $1.8 billion worth of economic growth into Australia. And 95 per cent of that uplift comes into WA, $1.47 billion, and 59 per cent of it to the Mid West region. And the money that we’ve announced today will give you an understanding of how that work cements an immediate future for Western Australia and the Mid West job creation is the money we’ve announced today represents 350 new medium-term construction jobs between 2022 and 2030. 130 permanent jobs being created in the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, with 20 additional jobs at the Australia SKA regional centre. And, of course, as I have noted, the majority of those jobs will be in the Mid West region. So the economic opportunity and the immediate opportunities, the leveraging of what we will do terms of technology and science based in understanding of this data, the algorithms that will be developed, the developments in big data, the simple processing application - this will take us to the next level in Australia in terms of our science and technology front. It is a remarkable pleasure to be able to come here with the Prime Minister and announce that $387 million worth of funding which means that the total amount of funding that has been allocated over the life of our Government to the SKA is $710 million. So it is a fantastic project, I wish you all the best here at Pawsey and I look forward to seeing how much bigger those data banks get just in the next couple of years. SO well done to all of you. Thank you.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43314

Address, WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry

14 April 2021

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Prime Minister: Thank you very much Nicolle and Chris and Freda, thank you so much for that lovely welcome. It is a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to seeing you again on many occasions on many return visits.

It's great to be back in Western Australia. It's great to be back here. I've been looking forward to it. I'm here in person. This is not a Zoom. This is not a video message. This is not a hologram. Here we all are together again. And I'm very pleased to be here with you all.

Can I thank you, Freda, for your Welcome to Country and also acknowledge the Whadjuk people in the Noongar nation and pay my respects to the elders past and present and emerging. And can I also acknowledge any servicemen and women who are with us here today or any veterans and say simply thank you for your service on behalf of a very grateful country.

To all my ministerial colleagues who are here, of course, our most senior Western Australian member in my team, the Attorney Michaelia Cash. Tremendous to be here with you Michaelia. And Melissa Price, great to have a Western Australian back in Cabinet as well, to join the many others that are there and you're doing a fantastic job in the Defence Industry portfolio and it's great to have you back around that Cabinet table. It's always good to have another Western Australian around the Cabinet table. And in my Cabinet, there are so many and long may that continue.

Can I also acknowledge the other members who are here today, I can see Celia Hammond is here and Assistant Minister Ben Morton is here and Nola Marino. Nola and I came into the Parliament together many years ago, she’s an outstanding Western Australian, a great farmer. Someone who has done a lot in her own life and brings a great reality and grit, I think it's fair to say Nola, to our Government. Because you keep it very real for us, as do all my colleagues out of Western Australia. Thank you very much for that and for joining me here today.

Thank you for your efforts. That's what I want to say Western Australia today. This is my first opportunity to come back for some time, particularly because of COVID. I simply just want to say thank you Western Australia. Your sacrifices, your work over the past year has been inspirational. They have lifted my spirits from afar.

It has been the most difficult year for Australia in three quarters of a century. These have not been ordinary times for Australians. Our shared efforts to get us to where we are today is a great national achievement and one in which Western Australia has played such a significant role.

The terror of COVID, and I don't mind describing it that way, because I remember vividly looking into the abyss, just over a year ago. The terror of COVID saw a death rate across the OECD over the course of the last year 34 times greater than that that has occurred here in Australia. Let's just think about what that means. Let's get very real about this. That means if that death rate was repeated here in Australia, there would have be 30,000 more deaths in this country because of COVID.

Our country, our nation stood together, came together, even though at times we had to remain apart physically to ensure that that didn't happen in this country. That was the challenge of our watch on this together, and we met that challenge together. Yesterday alone, worldwide, there were more than 8,500 deaths from COVID that we know of. The pandemic is still raging around the world.

Here in Australia, though, our lived experience is very different. On the economic front, nationally, employment is higher now, as Chris was reminding us, than when we entered the pandemic. And we have a growth rate in the last quarter, that was 3.1 percent. A remarkable achievement, again, considering a year ago where we were. Australia continues to lead the world out of the COVID-19 pandemic and out of the recession, the global recession that that pandemic caused.

Now, this did not happen by accident. It was not luck, it was not good fortune. In February last year, we moved as a nation and as a Government, quickly to close our borders to mainland China. I remember being criticised for it at the time. The single most important decision we took at that time in those earlier parts of the year. The same month based on our medical advice, Australia declared COVID to be a pandemic. Two weeks before the rest of the world came to that conclusion. At that time, every day mattered with the decisions that were taken.

March was also the month where many things, almost everything, changed for Australians. On the 1st of March, we recorded the first death from COVID, actually right here in Western Australia, a very sad and very terrible day. Since that time, Western Australia has only recorded, albeit each single one of these is a tragedy, particularly for the families involved, eight deaths out of a total of 951 cases. That really is a truly remarkable achievement and one of which Western Australians I think should be very proud.

And I do commend, quite happily and enthusiastically, the Western Australian government, my colleague, Premier McGowan, for their role in securing that outcome along with all Western Australians. And with the support also of the Federal Government, that I'll speak more of today.

Because as strong as that leadership has been here in Western Australian, it was not done in isolation. They did not act on their own, and nor should have they had to, we had to act together. We were all part of a national effort. We knew very early on that this wasn’t a battle like any other, and extraordinary actions that might normally have been taken in years happened in days. And by the end of March Australia was in lockdown.

We knew very early on that we had to move quickly on the economy with a mammoth fiscal response. Not something that comes naturally, can I tell you, to a former Treasurer who sat around a Cabinet table with Mathias Cormann. That's not something that we would normally do. But as John Howard reminded Josh Frydenberg and I, crises are no time for ideology. It required action and significant action.

And so working to principles that I set out actually at a Financial Review summit before these decisions were taken, we worked out how we were going to make these calls. It had to be proportionate. It had to be timely, it had to be stable. It had to be targeted. This was not a free for all. This was not a blank cheque. We had to be mindful, even in the scale of our response, of future generations. It had to be aligned across the very actions both of government, including the Reserve Bank as well, and the broader efforts of industry.

We had to use existing delivery mechanisms whenever possible. We saw how big the failures were on previous crises, devastating, and we learned from that and we used the existing channels to achieve it. And, importantly, measures had to be temporary and they had to be accompanied by our fiscal exit strategy because that's what responsible people do when it comes to managing the finances of the nation.

I appreciate, Chris and Nicolle, the very kind words about JobKeeper. I doubt I will ever see another programme that has impacted the lives and welfare of Australians more than that one. And I hope Australia is never in a position where we would have to do something like that. But when called upon, we did. It was a significant moment, but I’ve got to tell you, that wasn't the hardest part of that decision. The hardest part of the decision to put JobKeeper on was to say at the same time we will take it off and there will come a time when that will have to come off and we said when that it was. And then while we had to accept it was the nature of the pandemic, we stood by the hard decision to take it off. And others want us to continue it and they made their case, but what underpinned our response to the pandemic was that we while making decisions which were about lifting the economy and ensuring the economy can be business-led again.

And we were not going to let our responses over time crowd out the strong private economy which Western Australians know more about than most in this country, particularly in the business sector. We didn't want a subsidised economy into the future in this country. That's not what made Australia great and certainly not what has made Western Australia great. And so we did not want to do things that while helping Australia back up, held onto it as it then sought to break free and once again, being the business-led economy that it became.

So these principles were at the core of every decision, whether it was Josh and I or Mathias at the time, Michaelia, the entire team that we brought around our Cabinet table. Every decision was made in this way. And importantly, though, Australians approached this, I believe, as one. The National Cabinet was formed, a uniquely Australian innovation to go with a uniquely Australian Federation. We created a functionality in our Federation that we'd never seen before. It's certainly still not perfect and there's certainly disagreements, but I can tell you from direct personal experience that we have never seen our Federation work in the way that we've seen in the past year.

Federation challenges that other nations were unable to overcome. In Canada, in the United States, in Germany, federation nations. And when I would speak to these leaders, they would ask me about this and how we managed to bring that together. And I want to especially acknowledge Mark, Premier McGowan, for his involvement in and support of the National Cabinet over the past year. The National Cabinet had to make some of the most difficult decisions in some of the shortest time frames, at all hours of the night and day, particularly in those areas, about very personal things. Weddings, funerals, Australians being able to come back to the country. Things about everyday life that until then we had all taken for granted. And here we were deciding how long someone should be able to go to the hairdressers or to go barbers. It was a very surreal conversation, a very surreal conversation.

In that early part of 2020, we had worked extraordinarily hard to keep as much as we could open without endangering life and the health challenges that we faced, because we knew we had to save lives and livelihoods. And despite calls from some to simply just shut everything down, as they did in other places, they wanted to shut down car yards, industry, mining sectors. I remember the calls. We shut down only what we really had to. We kept as much open as we possibly could and found COVID-Safe ways to do that. And again, Mark was one of my key allies in keeping as much of Australia open when it came to business.

And I think that is because especially he, like I, understand in Western Australia, the most significant element in terms of keeping the mining sector open. I'd seen in other nations where they were shutting down their equivalent of heavy industry, and the impact it had on their economies and I decided not on my watch. And I was shared in that view particularly by the Western Australian Premier.

Now, these difficult decisions were made in a time also by companies themselves and I want to acknowledge all of those who have done that here today. Adopting world-class protocols to stay COVID-Safe, inventing them in fact, literally on the run. The result last year to the Western Australian mining and resources sector experienced record sales and employment, supporting not just tens of thousands of jobs, but also providing royalty that accounted for 29 percent of the WA state budget, helping found health and the economic support for all Western Australians. That's what keeping WA open within its borders achieved.

Elsewhere in the economy we face the most significant economic circumstances, of course, in our lifetime. And I said this time last year, we didn't just want to win the battle against COVID-19, but lose a broader battle when it comes to our economy. The Commonwealth Government’s initial response to COVID-19 pandemic has provided some $267 billion in supports to Australian businesses and families. Now, this is more than, put it this way- Everything the states and territories spent on both health and COVID economic responses, it's a big number, double it, go a bit further, that’s what the Commonwealth Government did to keep Australia moving over the course of this past year.

Now, that was our job, I don't make that point in any criticism of the state governments at all. They did their bit but it was our job to do that bit. It was our job to underwrite the Australian economy through this crisis. And so we stepped up and we gave the states and territories the ability to do the things they had to do. Where they had the principle responsible for managing the public health management in the state. But I can assure you, no decision could have been taken by any state or territory government in this country over the last 12 to 15 months, were it not for the underwriting that was provided by the Australian taxpayer, from coast to coast. It was a partnership. It was a critical national coming together.

Now, beyond that, the 2021 Budget provided further supports. So now well over half a trillion dollars in the support provided. Central to our strategy was JobKeeper, of course. A uniquely Australian, and I would say Liberal, innovation. A partnership with employers. It wasn't a wage subsidy that just came out of Services Australia. That was JobSeeker, that was the normal social security supports. We needed to find something completely different. As Josh and I saw those queues, we knew we had to do something different and the work had already begun.

We effectively nationalised the private payrolls of this country to deliver social security. And we did that with you. It was impossible without you. You had to go to your banks. You had to decide what you wanted to do and how many staff you wanted to keep on. And the great answer was you wanted them all. And so you went to your banks. And I thank the banks and together  Government, the financial sector and employers kept millions of Australians in work at a time when the future was incredibly bleak. At least 700,000 jobs saved, absolutely, we know. And $7 billion supporting almost 100,000 Western Australian businesses and their employees right here in this state.

We worked with the unions to ensure flexibility in the IR system for JobKeeper businesses, working together keeping thousands of businesses afloat. Keeping our labour market and economy strong and resilient as it needed to be. We also provided $3.4 billion directly to Western Australian small and medium sized businesses and not for profits through our cash flow boost to keep them afloat. No an application process, no strings attached. We got the cash to them that kept them going. We backed businesses to succeed with temporary full expensing and temporary loss-carrying for the 99 per cent of businesses with a turnover of up to $5 billion. Combined, these two measures alone are estimated to have delivered over $31.6 billion in tax relief over the forward estimates and support $200 billion in investment.

What we've achieved in this country and this state is no accident. It didn't happen through any advantage or luck. We brought forward stage two of the personal income tax plan. Those tax cuts helped create an additional 50,000 jobs by the end of 2021-22, we believe, and boosted GDP by around $12.5 billion over two years. And more tax cuts are coming in stage three, made law after the last election. Under our personal income tax plan, over 1.2 million Western Australian taxpayers will pay less tax this year compared to 2017-18. We provided great support to individuals. The coronavirus supplement put over $20 billion in the hands additionally of Australians when they needed it most, including more than $2.2 billion to over 321,000 Western Australians.

Western Australia didn't do this alone. They did it with the support of the nation like every state and territory around this country. An additional $1.1 billion went directly to West Australian aged pensioners and veterans and other income support recipients, and eligible concession card holders through the four economic support payments of $2,000. Keeping that economy moving was vital. So we committed an additional $1.75 billion worth of transport infrastructure investment, through an already strong pipeline of priority projects.

And on that I'm going to ask people serve lunch, because I've got a lot to get through here. I've got a lot to share. So bring on the lunch: enjoy.

Our approach reflected the need to invest in projects that were ready to go or shovel-ready. We committed $96 million for these projects. And then set about boosting funding to WA councils by $190 million. And working with the WA government to deliver more than $430 million on road safety projects. These new investments combined with almost $900 million of additional accelerated projects announced at the end of 2019. Keeping regional and remote communities connected was also vital. We established new programs to maintain aviation networks, ensuring communities stayed in touch and had access to health care and education. These programmes keep workers connected too, essential workers involved in the mining sector and heavy industry. Getting across regional and remote Western Australia, which Melissa knows a lot about. These programs remain in place to help bolster the aviation industry. More than 5,300 flights have been underwritten by the Federal Government, to and within Western Australia. Keeping freight moving was essential. So direct funding to international freight routes to ensure Australian exporters could get their products overseas. Some 50,000 tonnes. This is pivotal as freight routes were seizing up, supply chains were seizing up, and that was effectively shutting off the international passenger network as well.

Here in Western Australia the international trade assistance mechanisms supported around 51,000 tonnes of exports from WA, including 17,000 tonnes of pork products, 12,000 tonnes of lamb and 12,000 tonnes of seafood. We kept the planes in the air. Our National COVID-19 Commission led by a great Western Australian. Someone I knew I would have to bring in to advise us on our economic response, so call on Western Australia. Thank you, Nev Power. He worked with the business community to overcome supply chain bottlenecks. To assist business to reopen safely. Working on our COVIDSafe plan. This was incredibly important, especially in Victoria. That was a very, very difficult time. And we needed someone and a series of people through the commission that we established with Nev that just got it. And could talk to the business and were often the link between business, communities and state governments in many cases to ensure these problems were better understood. HomeBuilder, another essential part, also strongly supported here in Western Australia. 17,000 homes being built here, will be, under that programme in Western Australia. Treasury estimates that 270 million in HomeBuilder grants as expected in Western Australia will support $3.2 billion worth of residential construction projects. If you're a builder, you're working in the residential building industry. Or if you're like Rob over at Bunnings, that will keep them busy and will keep people in jobs.

Michaelia Cash led a mighty work. When it comes to the VET sector we are terrified that the first people, the people who would be most impacted would be apprentices. We were over looking at some of those projects today. Wage subsides for existing apprentices supported 120,000 apprentices. Including over 9,500 here in Western Australia in 4,900 businesses. Small and medium sized businesses who would have to let that apprentice go because of COVID. Two, three years maybe of training over, they may never have come back. And what would have happened to them then? It was one of the first things we did, I said we're not going to lose our apprentices. And so we back them in. But we weren't satisfied with that. So we put in place a new subsidy. We thought we reckon we can get 100,000 thousand apprentices employed. Think it will take us 12 months. Michaelia did it in five. It was a tremendous result and we've extended the programme for a further seven months. We are now also working with the states and territories on around 30,000 free or low cost training places through the $1 billion dollars job training fund. In areas of skills that have been identified by the Nation Skills Commission. Workforce, I believe, is the biggest single challenge facing the Australian economy. You will hear me talk about it until you're sick of hearing me say it, about the importance of building the skills our workforce needs.

There are many challenges in our economy whether it's tax, energy, digital transformation, all are very important priorities. But if you ask me what is the single biggest challenge facing the Australian economy is we want to build and grow for the future and come out of COVID. Workforce, workforce, workforce, workforce. Training people with the right skills that you need to build your businesses to be competitive and then we back it up. We're backing it up with significant investments, and we'll continue to do so. Many families are relying on JobKeeper or JobSeeker, but it wasn't the full wage they had been receiving. So we allowed Australians access to their own superannuation. It's their money. And they did. And they accessed it and it helped. Some 280,000 Western Australians in fact.

The unprecedented economic support provided by government has meant that despite the worst economic crisis in a century, over 30 times as bad as the GFC, just think about that, think about the GFC, this was 30 times worse. Household disposable income during that period actually grew by 6.6 per cent in 2020. The government had the back of Australians through the biggest crisis of our lifetimes, and more specifically, we had the back of Western Australians. The Commonwealth's direct spend on Western Australia, eclipsed even the direct expenditure of their own state government. That is not a criticism, it was our job and we did it. That's more than a billion dollars that our Government put into Western Australia every month on top of what our normal commitments were, and that was throughout the course of this pandemic. And that's just the income support. It's what Western Australians were counting on me and my team to do. When you supported me so strongly at the last election that's what you were counting on me to do and my team as you returned us. And I believe we stepped up and it won't end there, it will continue.

Our economic recovery has been much stronger than anyone could have anticipated and better than almost any other country in the world. And while Australia's economy contracted by 2.5 per cent, this compares to falls of 3 per cent in New Zealand to 3.3 per cent in the US, to 4.9 per cent in Germany, 8.2 per cent in France and almost 10 per cent in the United Kingdom. The IMF recently upgraded their forecast growth for the Australian economy in 2021 to 4.5 per cent, up from 3 per cent as recently as October. Business confidence is up, it's at the highest levels we learned again oday in 11 years. Conditions, according to NAB, are at their highest ever on record and job vacancies, the highest level in 12 years. Like the NAB survey, that Westpac consumer sentiment figure jumped to their highest level since 2010, when the mining boom was in full swing.

But challenges remain, the world has not recovered yet and we still have a journey ahead of us. The skies are not yet clear, COVID has not gone away, and it continues to write its own rules. The rest of the world is only now starting to ease restrictions, barely, that we have had eased now for many months in this country. Australians, as we are here, in our homes, we go to restaurants, we go to sporting fixtures, we don't always walk away happy, at least half of us do, cultural events, I'll be at the Eagles game with Mathias Cormann on Friday night, I'm looking forward to that. I congratulate Mathias on his ascension to the OECD Secretary General, a magnificent Western Australian who's done a great job, and we were very pleased to support his candidacy. And I'm sure they'd be an at capacity crowd, something unimaginable in most of the other parts of the world today. Here in Australia our challenge is to make sure that we continue to keep Australia as open as possible so that life can return to normal as soon as it possibly can. Now vaccine programs are critical to protect against any further outbreaks, especially for the most vulnerable.

Almost 1.3 million Australians have been vaccinated so far, that includes 134,000 here in Western Australia. The pace of our rollout is stronger than at a similar stage when compared with rollouts in Canada, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, even France at the moment, and it's on par with places like Germany and Sweden and others. You wouldn't notice that if you picked up a newspaper anywhere in the country at the moment. That's not saying we don't have our problems, we do, and we have some challenges that we need to fix, but you know, we've got to keep perspective on this, where else would you rather be? Where else would you rather be than this country right now. Severe global vaccine shortages, of course, interrupted the early stages of our vaccine rollout. We were getting on top of those and then we were hit with the decision out of the Technical Advisory Group regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine.

But we took decisions early on, all this last year to ensure that we had vaccines produced here in Australia and decisions on which vaccines to select were based on the best medical advice available to us. We selected the vaccines from each of the three different types, we've all become vaccine experts, I think in the last 12 months, adenovirus, protein and mRNA, don't worry there won't be a test after this. But these were the three scientific strands in which the world was working down, and a year ago they hadn't even been invented. mRNA vaccines were science fiction in some respects, and here we were making decisions about which vaccine we are going to be moving forward. So we selected ones carefully in each of the areas, and now we still have three in each of those areas that we know are successful, we didn't put all our eggs in one basket.

The more recent medical advice from ATAGI on the AstraZeneca has had a profound impact. Mind you, today we are back up to 60,000 a day, that came up from around 40,000 the day before. We are watching those numbers very carefully. But there is a profound impact on the program we need to address and that requires us to engage in major reassessment, working with the states and territories on who gets which vaccine, when and how, particularly in the post Phase 1a and b round. Our immediate priority remains the vaccination of our most vulnerable, the most vulnerable in those phases 1a and b and we should be able to complete that by mid-year as planned and using the existing supplies of AstraZeneca for those over the age of 50 in most cases, and the Pfizer vaccines that we have available for that task. However we will still need to see the impact of any potential vaccine hesitancy from that ATAGI advice on overall take-up rates. Our next challenge will be to vaccinate the balance of the population. AstraZeneca was going to be our workhorse for this and it still will be for those over 50s, which there are millions of Australians of that age.

Our under 50s rollout will now need to be recalibrated and use the Pfizer supplies, which we doubled last week, last Friday, and we were able to secure, with Minister Greg Hunt, some 20 million extra doses. So we will now have 40 million. That goes together with our Novavax contracted vaccines. And that is still awaiting regulatory approval but is advancing well. These imports, of the original 20 million doses, have been steady and consistent and they are building up in the weeks and months ahead. And we will need weekly volumes increasing to support the program we are continuing to put in place in the weeks ahead that will take us also through third quarter.

But it's in the fourth quarter, where we are really going to have to ramp things up, which will be very different to what we originally anticipated.  In the fourth quarter, we expect that surge of the additional 20 million Pfizer doses and the existing contracted Novavax, which is of a similar order and more. This will provide, assuming the supply chains hold enough of those vaccines to enable mass vaccination in the final quarter of this year. But our task now is to work with the states and territories to find the best method for mass vaccination and to be achieved in that fourth quarter, or earlier, if those doses become available sooner. And if we get that right, it should be possible. It should, assuming supply chains and vaccine hesitancy not getting beyond us. It should be possible to do that the balance of the population this year. But that will depend heavily on whether the states' mass vaccination programmes can achieve that in about a 12 week period. And that will be a big task. And that's why I haven't committed to a timetable. We need to work that out with the states and territories. And that's why I'm calling the National Cabinet it back to the operational tempo we had in the middle of the pandemic to ensure that we can work this problem together and put those things in place. It's highly contingent on those many other areas that are necessary, and in the short term, these uncertainties will prevent us putting a firm timetable in place.

Now given the critical importance of getting it right, that's why, as I've said, I've called them together, I'm confident that as a group, we will get the same outcome that we got when we worked together to deal with the challenges I've spoken so much about today, to get us back on track and restore confidence in the program. And as we do this, what matters is that we continue to keep our economy open, and build on the measures we need. Now, I know it's been a lengthy presentation, I haven't been here in a while. I’m making up for it.

There are some who argue that mining and resources aren't a key part of Australia's future - and I'm not one of them. And I doubt there's one here in this room today. My Government knows this. We know it. It doesn't need to be argued to us, we don't feel the need to demonstrate it. It's a known fact. You're preaching to the choir when it comes to my Government. And particularly its importance for the regions of Western Australia.

I'm heading north to the Pilbara tomorrow and looking forward to that. And my Government will continue to work closely with the sector, to realise the opportunities that are ahead for our resources sector. And that's why the resources, technology, and critical minerals processing is part of the six priority areas for our Modern Manufacturing Strategy. And I launched the Resources, Technology, and Critical Minerals Processing Roadmap making funding available to help manufacturers scale up production, commercial products and tap into global supply chains only recently. And the Roadmap couldn't be more aligned with Western Australia, which as well as being a world leader in mining and resources and increasingly the focal point for the development of critical minerals projects as well, and the opportunities that we know are considerable. Global demand for clean technology applications like high powered magnets and batteries will grow exponentially over the coming decades. And Western Australia's role will not just be extraction, but value-added processing as well. For example, Lynas, the world's largest rare earths producer outside of China, is building a downstream processing plant in Kalgoorlie. That plant will supply a new facility in Texas, to provide rare earths, essential for military and commercial applications. This is a gold standard example of the cooperation on critical supply chains that I discussed with my Quad counterparts from the United States, Japan and India just a few weeks ago. And we were talking about critical minerals, amongst other things, and supply chains that are needed to support those sectors in our economies that are vital to all our social wellbeing and security.

Mineral sands producer, Iluka, already are producing rare earths at its Eneabba - have I got that right? - is proceeding with a feasibility study project, for a full-scale refinery at that site. And I can say unequivocally, that we are building a sustainable critical minerals sector here in Australia, and in Western Australia.

Finally, I think I've done well to get this far in a speech as long as this, and for you all to still be in the room!  But I thought I'd save the best till last, and  Michaelia referred to it earlier today, as did [inaudible]. But when I first came to parliament, I used to flat  some years later with Steve Irons, who is here today, we came to the parliament together. But I can tell you, he has been the Western Australian whisperer in my ear for the last 13 years or more, fourteen years now. And the issue he was raising with me, right from the get-go, was WA must have a fair deal on GST. Western Australians I know, can have assurance about this deal, because you're looking at the person who put it together. If Western Australians want to know who they can trust, to ensure this deal remains now and into the future, it was secured by the government.

I am meeting with the Premier this afternoon to go over a number of projects, particularly with regards to the devastating cyclone in the Mid West. But I will also be able to say to him once again, you have nothing to concern yourself with, when it comes to WA's GST deal. Nothing whatsoever. We put it in place together, and it will remain in place, together. So I look forward to being able to once again give him that assurance. So that's why I think Western Australians can be very confident about that. And when we did this, I wasn't one of those who made one case here in Western Australia and told you what you wanted to hear. On the Western Australian GST deal. And I thank the Chamber too for the great work they did on this. I told you the honest truth. I said I think this is a bit of a raw deal. But I think it's going to be really hard to fix this. I could have come here and told you how important it was. You all would have applauded. And I would have gone back to the Eastern States, when it all proved too hard. But that wasn't what we did. I argued the case, back in my home state. I argued the case, right up and down the East Coast. I didn't say something different in South Yarra or North Queensland, or in Adelaide or Hobart, to what I said right here. And that's why I think Western Australians can trust our Government, when it comes to this GST deal. It is in our marrow, it is in our bones, it is very much [inaudible] within the heart and soul of our Government.

So thank you all for your great patience in listening this afternoon. It has been a great challenge that we've dealt with over the course of the past year, we can all be very proud of what we've achieved. But let us not be complacent, let us not think this thing has gone away, it has not. We have many challenges still ahead of us. And I have every confidence that if we show the great unity of the country, the great purpose of the business community, the great compassion that we are as a society. One for each other. In Australia we can keep going from strength to strength. Thank you so much for your time.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43312

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

9 April 2021

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PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon. I’m joined by the Minister for Health, the Chief Medical Officer and the Secretary of the Department of Health. Let me start by saying Australia has now had over one million doses administered here and across the country. I’ll come to the issue of the vaccines and National Cabinet in a moment. But let me also advise, and particularly why I’m joined by the Minister for Health today and Aged Care, the Australian Government has secured overnight an additional 20 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine, in line with the advice of the Scientific Industry Technical Advisory Group on Vaccines, led by Professor Brendan Murphy. Now, through our advanced purchase agreement with Pfizer, these additional 20 million Pfizer doses means that Australia will now receive a total of 40 million Pfizer doses in 2021. It is anticipated that these additional 20 million doses will be available in quarter four of this year. That’s our current instruction, and we’ll obviously be doing everything we can to seek to move that forward where we can. But that is very welcome news, particularly in the light of the information that we received from ATAGI last night. Australia has entered into four separate agreements for the supply of COVID-19 vaccines, and these include agreements with Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Novavax and COVAX. And these agreements now total up to some 170 million doses. I particularly want to thank the Minister for what has been a fairly busy evening in working with Pfizer. I also want to thank all of those in the Department of Health, led by Professor Murphy, and I also want to thank Pfizer, who have been a very good partner with Australia in the vaccination program and working with us with a number of challenges, but particularly given the advice that we received from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation yesterday, and to be in a position where we can move this quickly the next day to ensure that we can have access to those additional vaccines, which means 40 million Pfizer vaccines in Australia in 2021.

I might now turn to the meeting of the National Cabinet which was held today and James Merlino joining us as Acting Premier for the first time today with the other premiers and chief ministers. The Premier of Tasmania obviously joining us in a caretaker capacity, which has been our convention throughout the operation of National Cabinet since it was first established. High on the agenda today, our first item was to deal with the ATAGI advice that we received last night. It was the opportunity for that to be discussed amongst premiers and chief ministers, as they had already had the opportunity to be briefed by their chief health officers last night and I’m sure again this morning with the information being disseminated, and it was a very useful discussion. The decision of the Commonwealth Government, because it is a matter for the Commonwealth Government to accept the advice of ATAGI on these matters, was understood and supported, and I want to stress again that the advice that has been received, the recommendations that have been received from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation is not a ban on the AstraZeneca vaccine. It is not a prohibition on the AstraZeneca vaccine. It recommends and notes that the risk of these side effects are remote. They are very rare. We are talking in the vicinity of five to six per million, which is a rather rare event. But it must be acknowledged, and it’s important so Australians can make informed decisions about their vaccination and their health care with their medical professionals, with their doctor. So there was no instruction not to take that vaccine. There is an acknowledgement of the risk that is there, but as is the case always with these matters, these are decisions for Australians. And certainly for those who are over 50, there is a strong encouragement to be taking the AstraZeneca vaccine, which we discussed today, to ensure that we can continue down the path of the vaccination rollout. We discussed the recalibration of our vaccination program because of the advice from ATAGI today, and that was a very constructive discussion, and indeed already today states and territories are working with the Commonwealth to that end. Our focus remains on the delivery of 1A and 1B cohorts for the vaccination rollout. Now, this is particularly important because we’re substantively talking here about people who are over the age of 50. And as Professor Murphy reminded us today, that includes many health workers, many health workers that are in frontline roles, whether in, working in aged care facilities or otherwise within the health system, and particularly amongst the nursing community. That’s not to say there are not those under 50, of course there are, but we are talking about groups where we can continue to proceed with the vaccination rollout at the pace we are hoping to proceed at and to ensure that we meet the goals we have with those 1A and 1B cohorts. This is important because the goal here is to protect the most vulnerable in our community. If we want to treat COVID-19 like the flu then we need to ensure that we’re vaccinating those in our community who are most vulnerable. The most vulnerable people in our community are not just over 50, they’re actually a lot older than that. And so the AstraZeneca vaccine is well suited, is well suited to address those critical vulnerable groups. We reminded ourselves this morning that the key issue that we were concerned about a year ago, as we feared the overwhelming of our public hospitals and all of these rather dire outcomes, was because of the vulnerability of our most elderly Australians. So vaccinating our elderly Australians remains a key priority that also supports the continued opening up of Australia, because the risk factor of severe illness amongst the most vulnerable is therefore reduced.

We also agreed today, very productively, and Professor Murphy will take you through the first iteration of this, data release and transparency measures that will see both daily release of information, and Professor Murphy will take you through very shortly what those daily info graphics, that daily information will be that will be available to the public and of course to the media, as well as weekly information that shows more detailed data at a state, territory and Commonwealth level, across both the available doses and the administration of those doses. And I’m sure you will all find that very helpful in your own reporting and to the public.

Finally, the other issue that was discussed today, as we tabled our response to the Respect@Work Report of Kate Jenkins, the Roadmap to Respect. That was well received and noted today. All states and territories have agreed to our request to make their own responses to the Respect@Work Report by the end of June. So I welcome their enthusiasm for doing that and their cooperation to do that. As you know, the Respect@Work Report deals not only with Commonwealth responsibilities, but many state and territory responsibilities. So the Commonwealth having been the first Government to respond, that will now be followed by all the states and territories, and that will be concluded by the end of June. I was also pleased today to discuss with the states and territories the next phase of the COVID family and domestic violence package. We are working through that information. As you will be aware, it was $130 of the $150 million that the Commonwealth put in place as an urgent COVID response last year. That terminating program, that emergency support, runs to 30 June. As I indicated, I think it was yesterday, that we are looking at the next phase of that program, but in order to do that I have asked from the states to give us an urgent update on their spending, their acquittal, if you like, of the funds that have already been provided to the states and territories this year, highlighting what their ongoing spending programs are in this area, so we can ensure that any Commonwealth program is adding, adding to the overall effort here, and of course wouldn’t be replacing any effort. This remains an urgent issue because COVID is still happening and the impacts, particularly for vulnerable Australians, particularly women and children, as a result of many of the impacts of COVID, are ongoing. And so we are looking at that favourably, but I intend to do that in partnership with the states and territories, equally sharing the challenge both fiscally and in the delivery of programs.

Finally, we noted that yesterday the Women’s Safety Ministers met and they have put in place the date of 29 and 30 July for a women’s safety summit. That is part of the national plan, remembering the national plan process that began under Prime Minister Gillard a decade ago. An excellent initiative, one supported on both sides of politics and in fact right across the political spectrum, I believe. That program is coming to the end of its run and there will be a new national plan on women’s safety, and the women’s summit is a key stepping stone in getting to that next national plan. What we agreed today, and I welcome the recommendation by the Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk, it was warmly received by premiers and chief ministers and myself, that our first step would be to have a National Cabinet meeting at our meeting in July. That will be a face-to-face meeting and we will be holding that in Darwin. That National Cabinet meeting will bring together all of the initiatives, all of the spending programs that are being run by states and territories and the Commonwealth in relation to women’s economic security. There will be a special package brought together by the Secretary of Treasury that will be identifying the issues that relate to women’s workforce participation, gender pay gaps and issues related to those to aid that discussion. The purpose here, and what we will consider in July, is whether we can then move, and I hope we do and I think that’s the shared view of premiers and chief ministers, that we can embark on a similar national plan process on women’s economic security, as we have on the protection of women against violence. That has been a very successful model, the women’s violence national plan, because it respects and it acknowledges the roles of all governments. No single government has full carriage of the issues that impact on women’s safety. No single government has full carriage of the issues that impact on women’s economic security. We all have a role to play, so we’re going to work off the information base of all the existing programs and activities, particularly post the development of most state and territory budgets and certainly the Commonwealth Budget, and that provides us with, I think, a very good point at which to then move into a national plan process, which I would expect would also have a summit on those issues as part of that program. So I thank Premier Palaszczuk for that. I thank all the premiers and chief ministers for their enthusiastic engagement with that agenda.

I am going to, I think, I think, why don’t we go particularly to the vaccine Pfizer announcement, which is obviously very significant, with the Minister, and then we will go through what is our more normal National Cabinet run down from Professor Murphy and Professor Kelly.

THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Thanks very much, Prime Minister. And as the PM set out, we have been able to secure an additional 20 million doses of Pfizer by exercising the capacity within our contract and with rapid negotiations with Pfizer Australia and Pfizer Global. I do want to thank the head of Pfizer Australia Anne Harris and all of those within the Department for being able to complete this process for purchasing within such a short period of time. We already had 20 million Pfizer doses which had been committed for delivery in 2021, and this brings an additional 20 million doses on top of the Novavax 51 million, the AstraZeneca 53.8 million and the COVAX facility 25.5 million, taking it to a total available pool of 170 million doses. Significantly, the context, I think, is very important here. And another day of zero community cases of transmission thankfully in Australia, against a figure of over 800,000 cases globally, on the advice we have. 800,000 cases globally, zero in Australia for community transmission, and of course 13,500 lives lost. So the comparison is very stark. What it also means is that the vaccination program has, I think, very importantly continued. We have seen 81,297 doses in the last 24 hours and that’s a record. So in the midst of all of this discussion, all of these discussions, Australians have still come forward. Our general practices, our states, our aged care vaccinators have been able to deliver these vaccinations, making it, as the PM says, well over one million with 1,077,511 doses. So those numbers are increasing very significantly, with the states having delivered over 536,000 and the Commonwealth 541,342 through the primary care or GP program of 408,000, and the aged and disability care of 133,000, including over 1,052 aged care facilities with first doses and 475 aged care facilities with second doses.

In terms of the continuity of the program, I think it is very important to emphasise that the basic settings, as we progress through 1A and 1B and even phase 2A, are largely unchanged. In 1A we will have the aged care residents. We will have the front line workers and the quarantine workers. Those programs in the case of the quarantine and the front line health workers are largely completed and we thank the states for that. The aged care, as you can hear, is progressing very significantly with now over 133,000 people vaccinated, and then we would have to make a change with regards to ensuring those who are under 50 that still haven’t been vaccinated have access to Pfizer. With regards to phase 1B, this is the over 70s and the over 80s and the over 55 Indigenous Australians. All of those can continue to receive, with the strongest medical advice, the AstraZeneca vaccine. And that, I think, is important and we are seeing that in those numbers coming through. For those who may be immunocompromised or front line workers who are under 50, then right now we’re working with the states and territories and the medical authorities to revise that part of the program, so as they have access to Pfizer. That will take time. We recognise that, as those Pfizer doses become available, but we’re working on that front. And then as we move into phase 2A, that itself is also focused on the over 50s and over 60s, and their access to AstraZeneca remains unchanged. It’s really after that with regards to the under 50s, and that is the same time as we start to have very significant doses of Pfizer come onboard. And so that’s how we’re managing the program. PM has said we will provide more advice once the planning is finished, but with the extra 20 million doses I think that should provide very significant reassurance, and in the meantime the program continues with record numbers in the last 24 hours.

PRIME MINISTER: Before I ask Professor Murphy to come forward, there was another very important item which I also need to bring to your attention. The National Cabinet agreed today the principles for Australia’s COVID-19 management and reopening, importantly. So states agreeing and territories to the following principles about prioritising the vaccine rollout, maintaining readiness to ensure suppression, so that goes to the COVID safe behaviours for testing, tracing, etc. Ensuring that measures are proportionate in responding to outbreaks and are consistent, that are focused also on protecting national wellbeing that goes not just to health issues but the economic wellbeing of Australians. Clear and effective and coordinated communications, with a focus on maintaining confidence. The vaccination rollout should be proceeding as efficiently and quickly as possible, that jurisdictions should continue to improve their quarantine management. They agreed to adopt the AHPPC advice of easing venue restrictions to be no stricter than the one per two square metre rule. So that is a maximum now, a maximum. And I know that states have already moved to make it even less restrictive than that, and others will be doing so very soon. Agree to adopt the AHPPC advice that large, ticketed and seated gatherings can have 100 per cent capacity. That the AHPPC advice that the easing of restrictions can occur on the basis of international borders remaining substantively closed and a reduction in the risk of incursion through the vaccination of quarantine staff and their close contacts and health care workers. They agreed to prioritise local containment measures and aim for outbreak responses that keep internal borders open, was agreed today. And they further agreed to task the AHPPC with specific health advice regarding the implications for quarantine arrangements and reopening of Australia of a successful vaccine rollout for the most vulnerable Australians, that is phase 1A and 1B, and the current evidence around the effect of TGA approved vaccines on transmissibility of COVID-19. What we’re asking the medical expert panel to tell us is, what are the thresholds that we need to be able to meet to do things such as the following: Australians who are vaccinated being able to travel overseas and return to Australia and not go into hotel quarantine, potentially go into home quarantine, or not even into home quarantine at all. That will be a major change, and to the extent to which Australians returning from overseas who have had recognised vaccines also approved here in Australia with appropriate accreditation can return to Australia on that same basis, and to enable potentially down the track, travel from low-risk countries with similar vaccine arrangements. Now, no one is saying that any of those things are coming in today, but what we are working and planning for and have tasked the medical professionals who advise us on, is what are the marks we have to meet to enable us to start opening up Australia more than we are now. Now we already have the New Zealand open arrangement. We welcome that and we look forward to the success of that in the coming months. That will give us a greater deal of confidence about when we can move to other countries. I’ve mentioned Singapore before as an obvious next choice, but at this stage that is still some time away. So the message from National Cabinet is, we want to open up more, we want to do it safely, we want to ease restrictions, we want to do that in a consistent way across the country, and we want to do that because we know we’re not just managing the health but we’re managing the economics as well for people’s livelihoods and wellbeing, and this is going to be an ongoing and increasing focus of the National Cabinet. We noted the work that is being done in New Zealand and we also note that of course at the end of the day every state and territory is responsible for public health in their own jurisdiction, so they haven’t offered up their sovereignty on those issues, that wasn’t likely, but I do very much welcome their agreement to those principles today. But now to Brendan.

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thanks PM. So I’m just going to briefly go through a new daily data set that we will be releasing everyday in the vaccine program. National Cabinet also agreed to a weekly, more detailed data set which we will be releasing from next week. Now, Minister Hunt’s covered some of these numbers so I will go through fairly quickly. So the first of this pack will just show the overall picture, and you can see the over one million total doses broken down by Commonwealth in primary care, Commonwealth in aged and disability care, and the vaccines delivered by the states and territories. And all of these sectors are increasing significantly, and as Minister Hunt said, we are growing our vaccination rate. Next slide.

So this just shows the proportion by sector. And again you can see how exactly as we planned there has been a ramp up by the jurisdictions, the states and territories, in the first weeks and a steady progressive ramp up in residential aged care and disability, and the most significant thing you can note there is the rapid rise in our general practice, our primary care, GPRC, Aboriginal community controlled health sector, exactly as planned as we are rolling on more and more of these sites every week and people are turning up to get their vaccines. Next slide.

This just shows, there’s been a bit of chatter about the rate of rollout in Australia, it just shows in that line there that our rollout is pretty consistent with many similar countries. Certainly the UK and the US rolled out more quickly because they have been trying to save lives. The UK estimates they’ve saved 10,000 lives from their vaccination program. Fortunately we haven’t been in that emergency situation but our program is going well and ramping up, along with many similar countries. Next slide.

PRIME MINISTER: And bettering some, I note.

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: And better. So the Commonwealth aged care doses, and again you can see this is now broken down by each state and territory. You can see the number of facilities that have had first doses and second doses and you can see that we’ve had 133,000 doses in aged and disability care facilities, and we’re getting very large numbers of visits to facilities every day and we are on track to complete that program as planned. Next slide.

This is showing the, probably the most exciting recent development in weeks has been the huge ramp up of vaccinations in primary care. And these are mainly, these are the 1B population, mainly the 70s, over 70s and over 80s, and other people with underlying medical conditions who are turning up in droves to their GPs where they are known or in their local area to get vaccinated and this has been with the AstraZeneca vaccine. And this is a really, really good news story, and you can see we had over 47,000 in this setting alone in the past 24 hours. And you can see on the map there, and we’ll continue to show that map, what facilities have been stood up each week.

PRIME MINISTER: Just before you move off that one I just want to note that that’s the number of Commonwealth-administered does that are occurring in the states, they’re not doses being done by the states, they’re doses being done within those states by the Commonwealth program.

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So finally I do want to just say one thing. The people who are turning up to these clinics are the people who need protection from the AstraZeneca vaccine. As I said last night, I have absolute complete confidence that this vaccine is highly effective and is highly recommended and safe for people over 50. And even under 50, as we’ve said already, it is a very highly precautionary preference statement. This condition is seen more commonly in younger people and the risk of COVID as you get over, as you’re over 50 exponentially increases. The ratio of benefit to risk is massively in favour of getting vaccinated. We need to protect our people, particularly those over 70 and 80 who are the most at risk of COVID. I am completely confident, as are all the medical experts who’ve come out recently, that people should turn up with the greatest of confidence and take this vaccine. I’ve had it, I’d have it again, I’d recommend it to any of my family. Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER: My mum’s getting it in a couple of weeks. She is back at The Lodge at the moment and we had that discussion last night and she told me she’s booked in and she’s looking forward to having her AstraZeneca vaccine and she was pretty happy for me to tell people about that, obviously. These are conversations that families have. My family’s no different. We have it and she’s off to the doctor. Speaking of doctors, Professor Kelly.

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thank you, PM. So my dad doesn’t want to bother anyone so he, I keep telling him to ring his GP. But I will continue to advise him. He’s 86, he has health conditions and I’ll advise him to take the AstraZeneca. It’s very safe for him and the benefit of him having that vaccine, the two doses of that vaccine, far outweigh any of the risks, even the issues that we’ve been raising today. Which brings me to one important point I’ll make about the vaccine, which is the consent process. So you can imagine through the night, and you saw that we all, the four of us stood up last night within half an hour of having that advice given by the medical expertise to talk about what needs to happen, to change. Of course there’s a lot of processes that have had to go through overnight and thanks again, as others have said, to the staff in Health and also our colleagues in the states and territories in relation to certain matters. One of those key ones is the consent process. So one of the recommendations from ATAGI was to make sure that that informed consent process was absolutely and totally informed by this new information and so that will be available today. In some states there was an issue there because of the lack of that new informed consent process being available. They’ve made changes to the program today. But that’s a temporary matter and administrative. To reiterate, as we’ve all said, that the benefit of the vaccine outweighs the risk, particularly and specifically in that over 50-year-old age group.

Just to a couple of matters in relation to National Cabinet. The PM’s gone into all the issues in relation to the AHPPC advice. Again I want to really acknowledge and thank my colleagues, the chief health officers in the AHPPC that I Chair, who came to that consensus opinion, advised their state premiers and chief ministers to go with that approach, which is going to really help in the reopening aspects. In terms of what’s been asked in one of those elements that the PM has mentioned in relation to the future work for AHPPC, this is really just acknowledging the things that are not currently known and the recommendations that we put to National Cabinet were based with those caveats, and so the task in the coming months is to try to identify those issues - what is the role and the nature of the effect of the vaccine program in relation to transmission of the virus, what about variants of concern, how that, how may that change these matters, and what do we need to do, specifically for those that have been shown to be, to cause more severe disease or more highly transmissive virus, what is the length of protection that is given by the various vaccines that are being used, what about children, when they should be vaccinated, how many Australians have been vaccinated, so that relates to the vaccine rollout, and also the particular vaccines being used. So that’s the task we have been given and we’ll work through that in ways that we can and provide that advice so that that can support future reopening.

JOURNALIST: Can I please ask about the pacing of the Pfizer imports. You said the 20 million extra doses will come in the fourth quarter, will the original 20 million doses be brought forward at all and how many doses of Pfizer are you expecting per week in the second and third quarters?

THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: What's Pfizer's indicated is that we will see an expansion in April. They have asked that we provide the numbers when we have confirmation and so at this stage they are indicating an expansion in April as opposed to the figures which have been approximately 130,000 plus a week. Again an expansion in May, quite a significant expansion in May. Then in June there's likely to be a near doubling - sorry July, there's likely to be a near doubling which will track through to the rest of the year and that would see the full 20 million. I apologise, at the request of the company because they haven't confirmed the exact figures that they’ve asked that we speak in indicative terms. Then the 20 million which has just been purchased, at this point in time is settled for the fourth quarter but we are working with them on the possibility of bringing forward as many of those doses as possible. There's no false promises on that.

JOURNALIST: Can you explain now why your Government didn't sign contracts with Johnson & Johnson and Moderna to protect Australians against exactly this circumstance?

PRIME MINISTER: We took the advice of the scientific advisory group as we have done all through this process. Our entire approach has been to follow the advice of the medical experts who have assessed these matters in great detail and provided their recommendations to Government. That group is led by Professor Murphy so I think he is best placed to answer your question.

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thanks, so the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group strongly recommended that we have a stake in the mRNA vaccine and we went with Pfizer mainly because of its capacity to deliver and it was not a new company. And experience has shown that they have delivered a lot more vaccine than Moderna. Had we had a contract with Moderna we would have had not very much delivered at this time, at the moment. So we’re focusing on increasing our Pfizer, the two vaccines are very similar. Johnson & Johnson we have been in discussions with. We have had the AstraZeneca vaccine which is an adenovirus vector vaccine, Johnson & Johnson is one too. We still don't know what the cause of this adverse effect is, whether it relates to just this vaccine or other adenoviruses, we have to wait and see. So at the moment we are still exploring with Johnson & Johnson as we have with every other company but every single recommendation of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group that has been made to Government has been accepted.

JOURNALIST: Last week and this week you said that the problem was supply and yet overnight you seem to have magiced 20 million new doses of Pfizer. Can you understand why some voters would be scratching their head a little bit in relation to how that's occurred? Can you tell us which country they come from, how much they cost taxpayers, and if you have extra left over from the CSL contract from AstraZeneca where will they be going?

PRIME MINISTER: I will let Greg deal with the matters that you raised at the end. The additional vaccines we have been able to secure for the fourth quarter of this year are not vaccines that obviously would have been available here and now. Here and now we have the availability of vaccines of Pfizer from our original contract which is for 20 million as well as the contracts with AstraZeneca. And so supply is the fundamental factor. And the supply of that vaccine and how it's been used in our vaccination roll out obviously is impacted by the events of the last 24 hours, events that were not foreseen. These issues did not come up in the trials as was said last night. And they are quite rare circumstances where these side effects become apartment. And I stress again, that there is no ban or prohibition on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine across the adult population. There is a recommendation for a preference but these are matters that individuals can discuss with their doctor. Even when we get to the next phase, in Phase 2, we are still talking about millions and millions of Australians over the age of 50 for whom the AstraZeneca vaccine is recommended. Not recommended against, recommended for, that AstraZeneca is a vaccine that can be very effectively used and is very effective in supporting Australia's vaccination program. So all up now we have 170 million doses contracted. Prior to today we had 150 million doses contracted. But when there are events that require us to be fleet footed, to shore up our supplies then we have taken those decisions. But in terms of the roll out and the timing I will leave that to the Minister.

THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Very briefly Sam, I think the key phrase is the timing of supply. So it is the timing of the initial supplies right around the world. Those countries that were producing their own, in particular the United Kingdom and the United States, had access to very large volumes. Obviously I think everybody will be aware of the challenges that Europe has faced. We have been in the fortunate position, just as Professor Murphy has shown with the ramp up, because we have had AstraZeneca with home-grown production through CSL allowing us to ramp up that supply earlier. I think there have been some figures put about but I see it as about 5.5% of the adult population which has now been reached which has multiplied by more than fourfold in just over two and a half weeks. In terms of the origins, it is for the individual companies to identify if they wish to identify the source, the commercial arrangements are such, and the security arrangements are such, that we have been asked not to identify the particular sources. I apologise for that but that is understandable. In terms of the investment, our total investment in vaccines alone is over $4 billion and our total investment in the vaccine program is now over $7 billion.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, with the budget coming up in May, how has the change to the health advice surrounding AstraZeneca jabs affected the Budget's parameters? And is the Government willing to pay AstraZeneca so CSL can get out of its contract once it's made enough doses for everyone over 50 so it can start producing Novavax vaccine?

PRIME MINISTER: I’ll allow Professor Murphy to speak to the issues around Novavax, but the parameters for the Budget are being brought together now and so they haven't been finalised. The Budget is not that far away now and the Budget parameters always take account of the factors at the time of preparing the Budget. On the basis of the medical advice that we've received and the programs particularly that we have and the supplies that we've particularly been able to secure in the last 24 hours to supplement what was already there, I wouldn't be expecting any major impact through those parameters. This is my seventh Budget so I’ve got somewhat of an understanding about the things that impact on these issues and we've always taken a very conservative position when it comes to the parameters. That's the Treasury's way, and I think that is very prudent when it comes to putting these Budgets together. Already the budget is significantly outperforming the parameter estimates that were set in the mid-year statement. Unemployment is well below where we'd anticipated it to be, and the many other things that flow from that, impacts on payments et cetera, on social security and so on, are all impacted by those effects. So I wouldn't consider this to be terribly material with its impact on parameters. Again, I stress and I'm sure Professor Murphy because he has said it enough times to me in the last 24 hours, the AstraZeneca vaccine remains a critical component of Australia's vaccination program. It is particularly essential in those 1A and 1B components of the program which ensures that we are protecting the most vulnerable in the community in a safe way. If we are in a position to have vaccinated 1A and 1B then that has implications for being in a position where we can begin starting to treat COVID-19 like the flu. That's where National Cabinet wants to be. We want to get Australia to a position where we can treat COVID-19 in the same way as we treat many other viruses. That doesn't mean the virus can't be present, it just means that the virus is not going to lead to the disastrous outcomes we are seeing overseas. The flu every year, sadly has impacts on Australians including fatalities sadly, but that being the case we haven't engaged in mass lockdowns of our country because of the flu. But we’re not at that point yet and I think we soon will be. So we'll continue to roll out the vaccines from CSL. We will continue to secure the other vaccines that we have from the other sources and where we have vaccines that we can make available, particularly in our own region as part of the Quad initiative and in the Indo-Pacific and especially for our Pacific family we will certainly be doing that. In fact, I already have diverted a number of those vaccines to assist the effort in both Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. Brendan.

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So, just on that issue, what we need CSL to do now, is to continue to churn out AstraZeneca. We need this vaccine in significant quantities to protect our over 70s and 80s. We have to finish that program. Of course, we will work with CSL as we work out planning to see just what production rate they need to keep up over the coming year. Now, in terms of Novavax, sure, CSL can only make one vaccine at a time. We have discussions with CSL about making other vaccines but we want them to focus on AstraZeneca at the moment. At the moment with Novavax they are producing overseas and they are likely to be able to provide us some vaccine in quarter three. It may be the quickest way to get it. We're working through all of the options of potential home production versus international supply with all of our vaccines. But at the moment, CSL is making AstraZeneca. We need it and our elderly Australians need to have in their arms.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you stress there is no ban on the AstraZeneca vaccine, indeed your mother is going to get it.

PRIME MINISTER: Correct.

JOURNALIST: Rightly or wrongly though, isn't the damage already done here in terms of vaccine hesitancy? We're already hearing reports that people over the age of 50 are pulling out of scheduled appointments. How do you intend to combat that now?

PRIME MINISTER: Doing exactly what we’re doing now, being very clear in the communication about what the medical advice is and to place that in context. And I’ve got to say, the media has a role to play in that as well. The information is very clear that if you're over the age of 50, it is recommended that you do have the vaccine. COVID-19, if there were to be another wave in Australia the people most vulnerable to death from COVID-19 are those who are in 1B. And so you would be putting yourself at risk, you would be putting yourself at risk if you didn't get the vaccine, because you would be exposing yourself to the more likely event of a COVID contracted condition that could result in serious illness. So COVID is a much greater threat by a factor many, many, many times over than the AstraZeneca vaccine. The AstraZeneca vaccine is a life-saving vaccine and particularly for vulnerable Australians. That's why I want my mum to get it, and that's why I want your mum to get it, and your dad, and your uncle, and your aunt, your brother, your sister. That is a life-saving vaccine.

JOURNALIST: On the GP rollout Prime Minister, we are ramping up, there's lots more GPs providing vaccines, but they're providing AstraZeneca and the pharmacies are also meant to provide AstraZeneca. What does this new requirement of Pfizer mean for the GPs and the pharmacists? Will they be able to use Pfizer vaccines or is there going to be a change to the rollout at that stage?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: The GP program continues. There are, most of the people the GPs are vaccinating are over 50s, mostly over 70s and 80s. They need the vaccine, we're providing the vaccine, they're turning up to get vaccinated. So the GP program right throughout 1A and 1B will continue exactly as it is. Then when we get into 2A, there's people over 50 and over 60 who will also be able to go to their GPs to get vaccinated. It's true that we planned in Phase 2 to roll out pharmacies and we are looking at how we will do that now. As we said last night, we need to recalibrate and see, if we can get more Pfizer, how we will deal with the under 50 as we get into phase 2B which is the under 50s when that will become an issue. So we’ll work through that as we’re replanning and recalibrating the program at the moment.

It is certainly true that the Pfizer vaccine now can be, there's TGA registration changes that allow the Pfizer vaccine to be transported and stored at refrigeration temperature for a longer period of time which will make it easier from a logistic capacity if we were to use Pfizer in mass vaccination clinics or in pharmacies. But we're considering all those options at the moment.

JOURNALIST: Given that people are pulling out of appointments as Pablo was mentioning before, the New South Wales state government announcing they were pausing AstraZeneca for all age groups today, are you concerned you are losing control over the vaccine rollout to those voices and giving voices to the anti-vax crowd? And can you stand here today with any certainty and say that all adult Australians would have at least one jab by Christmas?

PRIME MINISTER: Again, I said last night, that we're not in a position at the moment to reconfirm a timetable. We're not in that position. And I'm not going to do that, regardless of the invitation. We're going to work through the implications of this most recent medical advice, for the calibration of the rollout. And the fact that we've now been able to secure an additional 20 million Pfizer vaccines for Quarter Four is very encouraging. In terms of, you make reference to the statement by New South Wales today, I spoke to the Premier about that today. This is an administrative issue, not a medical issue. They are updating their systems to have the new consent arrangements put in place, and the other consent forms are coming out from the Commonwealth today. This happened last night. So to characterise it as some sort of medical ban on New South Wales would be false. It would be incorrect. It would be misleading. And I don't think that would be a good way to describe it in those terms. I have spoken to the Premier. They have put this in place simply to update their forms. It's an administrative process. It's not about the vaccine. I've had that directly from the Premier. So, I would caution people not to be concerned by that process. It is simply a matter of updating the systems, to reflect what has occurred overnight, to ensure the appropriate consent forms are in place, and that we can ensure that that consent provision is being respected by the governments, at a state and federal level, and individuals can have that appropriate consent.

THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: I think, Jonathan, there’s one very important number in the midst of lots of them, might assist with the confidence question. And that is 81,297 Australians were vaccinated yesterday. That was a record number. And it's in an Easter week where many people will still be on leave. It’s when obviously, the day that there had been the reports which were well traversed and understandably so, from the European Union and the UK, and the fact that Australia was going through a consideration process. And yet that number of people came out. And so there will be people who reflect. Our job and with your support, your job is to help convey the medical advice and the confidence and that's a national partnership. So, we've been through hard times in COVID. And there are difficult days and challenges and this is one of the many challenges. But the fact that those numbers are continuing, the fact that the rollout is growing, we would encourage people to have confidence in the medical advice. The people who have kept us safe, they're right here. They're the ones who are backing this vaccine, for the over 50s.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Just to clarify something you just said, you talked about diverting some vaccine doses…

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, AZ.

JOURNALIST: And how many and to which country?

PRIME MINISTER: At this point it was 10,000. That decision was taken yesterday, early yesterday. And we'll continue to review that.

JOURNALIST: To which countries, sorry?

PRIME MINISTER: Papua New Guinea, and we believe we’ll be able to make them available to Timor-Leste as well.

JOURNALIST: Does this new advice on AstraZeneca change how we help our region with AstraZeneca doses? Are you still seeking the one million doses from Europe for PNG?

PRIME MINISTER: Yes. I’m just going to move across and we’ll finish up over here.

JOURNALIST: You mentioned once we completed 1A and 1B, we can start treating this more like the flu. If that’s the case, what is stopping the international borders being reopened at some point this year?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, what I said was we need to get to that point before we can consider that. That's what enables us to get into that position. And so, we need to get into that position. And what I've asked, and the Premiers and I have asked the AHPPC to do, the medical expert panel, is to give us advice, that when we reach that, what we can then do. One of the key issues, and either Paul or Brendan may want to speak to this as well, is still at this point we do not have the evidence to support the position on transmissibility. That is the critical factor that relates to the ability to change how we would do quarantine. That's an important factor in allowing people to travel overseas and borders and so on. But the key issue of protecting against our most vulnerable and then being in a position where we can contain and suppress any outbreaks, they are the other factors that are part of this. But Brendan, Paul sorry.

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Yes, so it was the issues that I mentioned earlier, before the questions, the transmission of the virus, what is the effect of the vaccine on that, there's positive signs that it does affect, but that isn't completely known. The variants of concern, we know that some of the vaccines do not work as well against some of the variants of concern and there's more variants coming every day. So there's another element. The length of protection of the vaccines themselves. That's an unknown. No-one in the world has had a vaccine in their arm for more than a year. And so, that is another factor we need to put in. So there's a range of issues we'll be putting into some modelling over the coming weeks and we'll be discussing that as part of it. But I think it's important to not rush this component. At the moment, Australia is mostly open internally. And that is the agreement as the PM has mentioned about the response to outbreaks that will come from incursions from quarantine. That’s the situation at the moment whilst the vaccine rolls out, to protect our most vulnerable people. That’s the crucial point.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you and the Premiers have made a virtue of accepting medical advice. Why shouldn't some of us see that advice now as being bad advice, terribly risk averse advice, because our regulators here are now taking a…

PRIME MINISTER: Sorry, I can't quite hear you Chris.

JOURNALIST: Our regulators here are taking a more risk averse attitude than they are in the UK at the moment. And obviously they're measuring the risk against zero. But aren't there other factors they should have taken into account? So why is this good advice? And why can't you reject advice, if you all think it's safe for most of the population, why can't we just do that?

PRIME MINISTER: That's what the advice says. The advice does not put a ban on its administration of the doses across the population. It doesn't do that. It informs as to a very remote risk. And I would think Australians would want to know that. And it advises a preference, where there is a choice of vaccines. And that's what it does. I wouldn't agree, and Professor Murphy or Professor Kelly may wish to speak to this as well, that the advice that we receive is inconsistent with what is happening in other places. I would say, but that is not the case across Europe. In some cases it's even more than where it is in Australia. But our position on 50, as recommended to us, is very consistent with the medical advice across Europe. And if all of those European countries had gone down that path, and Australia had taken a different position, at a lower age group, and our understanding from ATAGI, they're the experts, is that the medical advice supports the age advice of 50. And that means that over 50, they're very, very strong of the view that those over that age are not faced with that same remote risk as there is for a younger population. In fact, the reverse. Not having the vaccine, particularly for elder Australians, is a greater risk to their health. And that's why I encourage them to take the vaccine. So when it comes to medical advice, I think we've been served very well. You don't get to choose the medical advice, that's provided by the medical experts. And as a Prime Minister or a Premier, we consider that advice and we make decisions. We haven't gone beyond the advice, we haven't gone below the advice on this occasion. It is important that we do consider other factors in terms of the impact on the economy and things of that nature and we regularly do. But in relation to this advice, it is sufficiently precautionary. But at the end of the day, it leaves it in your hands, or anyone else's hands, to ensure they can take the advice from their own doctor and ensure that they're vaccinated. Because the more Australians that get vaccinated, the more that happens, then the more options the Premiers and I have. And I think that's what Australians want. And that's why I want to continue to encourage Australians to speak to their doctors and to participate in the vaccination program. At present, we're substantively dealing with populations that are not directly impacted by this advice. Of course there are frontline health workers and others who are, and I'm confident that we’re going to be able to deal with their needs through the supplies we have, more or less in the time frame we hoped to do that by. When we move to the next phase, well we'll be addressing that in the weeks ahead.

JOURNALIST: PM, on the international border...

PRIME MINISTER: Sorry, did you want to add anything to that in terms of the consistency with the international advice?

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: PM I’d only just say that all of the advice that has been given across all countries in Europe and the UK and here in relation to AstraZeneca is based on the same data. And it's the context specificity which is important. Back to one of the previous questions about what that means for our aid to PNG for example, in a completely different context they only have AstraZeneca available. They don't have a choice, and their risk from COVID, a large COVID-19 outbreak of severe infection, hospitals being overwhelmed, and death, is a real thing. For us it's a different thing. And the medical advice is based on that current context.

JOURNALIST: On the international borders and the possibility of vaccinated travellers being able to come and go from the country, would you anticipate that would be a situation where people would only be able to go if they've got a purpose, like going for business, or be reunited with a terminally ill family member, international students who have been vaccinated coming in, or would it be more broadly for people who want to go overseas for a holiday? And related to that, you’ve got people overseas who are, particularly in Asia, who are getting the Chinese made vaccines. Is there any work being done to recognise their vaccination in the way you might recognise Pfizer and AZ?

PRIME MINISTER: I’ll ask Professor Murphy and Professor Kelly to deal with the latter matter. I mean, that very much depends on the ability of source data for the TGA to be able to make those assessments. Ad so that presents challenges for the issue you nominate. On the broader question, on whether it can mean being able to go overseas, whether to Fiji or for a holiday or something like that, or to go on urgent business, or to visit a very ill loved one overseas, or important business activity, I mean, we're vaccinating people currently who had to go up to Papua New Guinea to be part of the health teams working up there. So there are a range, rightly of circumstances where this may be useful. All we have done today, I want to stress, is ask the medical advisors what are the health implications of these types of options, and what are the preconditions that we would need to be comfortable about before going down that path. And so you're right, the risk may be such you might limit it to exempt categories. And that would be the sort of thing that we would currently allow people to travel for, which is occurring right now, but that could be done with greater confidence because of the vaccination and when they return they may not then have to take up valuable places in hotel quarantine. Or it could be more broad as you say. But I can tell you one thing, this is very much the case, the more Australians who are vaccinated, the more likelihood there is of being able to have the types of arrangements that I’ve mentioned. If the vaccination population is lower, then that of course limits the options of borders, and of the other things that we've spoken about. So all of those options are on the table. But we want to know what the key gateway thresholds are from a medical point of view that could allow those things to happen. Last question.

JOURNALIST: Do you see Australians who have been vaccinated coming home for Christmas? Essentially, are we in a position to make a call?

PRIME MINISTER: I'm pleased to know that since the September meeting last year, more than 120,000 Australians have come home. Around 12,000 vulnerable Australians in particular have come home. That's four times, or thereabouts, what we were trying to achieve at that time. And I’m pleased to note that in the more recent figures we're seeing a reduction, thankfully in the number of people registered to come back. And so that's welcome. And that's actually been achieved at a time when we've had constraints on arrivals coming in. I'm pleased that Victoria is opening up to flights again, that's really going to assist the task. I'm looking forward to Queensland going back to their capacity. I'm forever thankful to New South Wales for, despite having the challenges they've had from time to time, they have kept those flights coming in. If it wasn't for the New South Wales Government, there would be tens of thousands of Australians who would not be home now. And we thank them for the great work they have done to support the Commonwealth in achieving those outcomes, as others states have. So I look forward to that occurring. And I look forward to the time, as more and more Australians are vaccinated and there's greater certainty about the effects of the vaccination, particularly on transmission, that we're able to take these additional steps that National Cabinet wants to take. We really want Australians to know that. That A, we're living in a country at the moment in a way that very few others around the world are living. We are in a position that others envy. If you move around the country, from the west coast to the east coast, people are going out, they're enjoying getting together as families, they're going to sporting and cultural events, they are returning at least domestically to a life they knew before the pandemic. The international borders aren't open yet. Those sort of things are not occurring yet. But if we keep going down this path, we will continue to lead the world in our response to the pandemic and the economic comeback which is growing each and every day. Thank you very much.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43306

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

8 April 2021

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PRIME MINISTER: Good evening. I’m joined by the Health Minister. Of course, I'm joined by the Chief Medical Officer  and the Secretary of the Department of Health. Australia's journey through COVID has been certainly one of the world's best and there's no place you'd rather be. We've had our successes over the course of the last year, but we've also had our setbacks, and we've indeed had our heartbreaks as well, as so many Australians can attest. Throughout this journey, though, we have always sought to keep Australians as informed as we possibly can. I can recall standing in this room a year ago taking you all through many different issues as a result of the matters being worked through by our medical advice experts who have informed us all the way through this past year and more.

Tonight, we have received advice from ATAGI in the last 15 minutes and we thought it was important that we came and briefed you on that this evening so it was available immediately to Australians. The key principle of our management of the COVID-19 pandemic has been always to base our decisions on the expert medical advice. It has not been our practice to jump at shadows. It has not been our practice to take unnecessary precautions. We've been taking the necessary precautions, based on the best possible medical advice. We've always taken the time to ensure we get that advice, consider it carefully and make decisions in the best interests of Australians. And those best interests principally have to address the health of Australians. This is why we are in the position we are in today, and so many other countries would want to be exactly where Australia is today. And it means that when setbacks occur, then we can still go about our lives here in Australia, perhaps not as much as we may have before when COVID wasn't in this country. But even now to say it's in this country would be an overstatement. We have no community transmission currently being reported around Australia and where outbreaks do occur as a result of arrivals into Australia, we've demonstrated a great capacity to be able to deal with that in a very effective way.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, known as ATAGI, has met to consider the medical evidence regarding unforeseen but yet rare and serious side effects, mostly associated with younger people from the AstraZeneca vaccine. ATAGI has reviewed that matter, drawing on the international advice and data and provided recommendations to government, which the Health Minister and I have this evening accepted. That recommends that an advisory be provided for administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine for persons under the age of 50 and I'll ask the Chief Medical Officer to speak to that in just a moment's time.

We expect that this will require some changes to the arrangements we have as part of the vaccination rollout. We discussed that this morning at my media conference earlier today, that that could be possible and this includes when we might expect our first doses ultimately to be able to be offered to all Australians. As always, we will encourage Australians to seek out the advice of their own doctor in relation to these issues. Australians make choices about their own health and the best people to advise them on those decisions is their own GP and we would encourage them to do just that. So with that, I might ask the Chief Medical Officer to speak to the recommendations we've received from ATAGI this evening. I’ll then ask Professor Murphy to speak on the issues that then relate to the vaccination rollout. And then I'll ask the Health Minister to make some closing comments and then we'll take questions on these issues tonight. I'm not proposing that we have a broader press conference on other matters tonight, I'm sure you will understand. We had one of those this morning and I'll be standing up after the National Cabinet tomorrow. So there'll be ample opportunity at that time. Paul?

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thanks, PM. So as the Prime Minister has mentioned, we've received advice from the ATAGI group this evening. So this is a group of experts on vaccines, on epidemiology related to vaccines, on vaccination programmes. And really are- they’re an appointed committee to do exactly what they've provided tonight, to provide advice to government, specifically to Minister Hunt, and so that those decisions of government can be advised by the best medical advice. I was at their meeting today, which went for several hours. That was the second one in two days where they were considering specifically the issues that have been raised and people are aware of through last night and over the last week, particularly in Europe and the UK. Several members of that ATAGI group, as well as the Therapeutic Goods Administration, have dialled into those meetings. And so they had very up to date information on this issue of these particularly rare but serious blood clots that have been associated now with the AstraZeneca vaccine. So they took into account and really balanced the risk and benefit of taking the decisions they took today, which is related to their advice, given to government this evening. And so they took definitely note what was decided in other countries, which has been variable in relation to these matters, and put that into an Australian context, not only as we are now in terms of the epidemiology of the disease in Australia up to this point, but also looking into the future about what might happen if there are outbreaks of COVID-19 in Australia.

So just to reiterate, this is a very rare event at the moment. It seems to be around four to six per million doses of vaccine. It's only been found in the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, usually within four to 10 days after that vaccine. But it is serious and it can cause up to 25 per cent death rate when it occurs. So that was the background and so the ATAGI recommendations are the following. At the current time, the use of the Pfizer vaccine is preferred over the AstraZeneca vaccine in adults aged less than 50 years who have not already received the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine. This is based both on the increased risk of complications from COVID-19 with increasing age and thus increased benefit of the vaccination and the potentially lower but not zero risk of this rare event with increasing age. The second recommendation is that immunisation providers should only give a first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to adults under 50 years of age where benefit clearly outweighs the risk for that individual’s circumstances. The third recommendation is people that have had their first dose of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca without any serious adverse events can safely be given their second dose. This includes adults under the age of 50 and people who have had blood clots associated with low platelet levels after their first dose of COVID-19, AstraZeneca should not be given a second dose. So that's the all but one person that we've had so far in Australia are in that category. People who have had their first dose should safely have their second dose. The final recommendation is that the Department of Health further develop and find resources for informed consent that clearly convey the benefits and the risks of the AstraZeneca vaccine for both immunisation providers and consumers of all ages. And that is underway, that work, and that will be provided overnight and into the morning.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you. Professor Murphy?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thank you. So I want to start by just reiterating what Professor Kelly said, that this is a very, very rare event and it is a highly precautionary position that Australia can take because we're in a fortunate position with COVID. All vaccines have adverse effects. Some serious flu vaccines do, the Pfizer vaccine has a risk of anaphylaxis, which we've seen. But this syndrome, after all of the work we've done with the UK and Europe, does seem to be a real syndrome and we now feel that at an abundance of caution, given that this syndrome seems to occur mainly in younger people for whom the risk of severe COVID is not so great, that there is a basis to have a preferred recommendation for those under 50. I want to reiterate that we are strongly encouraging those 50 and over to take up the AstraZeneca vaccine. It is a highly effective vaccine at preventing severe COVID. The risk is extraordinarily low. I've had my first dose, I'll have my second dose. It is a vaccine that is very, very effective. And so this is a position that we're in that we feel out of an abundance of precaution on the evidence we have at the moment.

So what does this mean for the programme. For phase 1, which is for the vulnerable people, will pretty much continue as we are. Those over 70 and 80 will continue to get AstraZeneca at their GPs and be confident in its efficacy and its safety. For those health care workers under 50, they will now be prioritised to Pfizer and that might delay that particular phase of 1B, but that's the only phase that might be delayed. The important thing is that all, all of the vulnerable people, those vulnerable to severe COVID, will be covered as we planned by the middle of the year. Clearly, when we move into the broader younger population later on, we will have to recalibrate by reprioritising some Pfizer for younger people. And we are now reviewing all of the vaccine purchases we've made. You know, we have 51 million Novavax coming later in the year. We're looking at when we can bring other vaccines forward and continuing under the advice of the committee I chair to look at all of our vaccine portfolio. We always had a diverse and redundant portfolio and we will look forward, but we will have to replan the prioritisation of the programme, replan with the states and territories who are our partners in this endeavour, how we will deliver vaccines and we'll have to come back at a later stage with better estimates on when things in each phase will be completed. So thank you.

PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Brendan. Greg?

THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Thanks very much, Prime Minister. Right from the outset, our approach has been to focus on safety. The decisions, based on medical advice, whether it was with regards to what we've done in relation to closing the borders with China. The very difficult decision, but nevertheless the very clear decision not to proceed with the University of Queensland molecular clamp, a safe and effective vaccine under all the preliminary advice but which, of course, carried with it a side effect in terms of a false positive HIV marker, which was not deemed to be medically acceptable within Australia. Similarly, today, again, we're following the medical advice. We’re placing safety first. But what we've heard from Professor Murphy, what we've heard from Professor Kelly, two of the people at the heart of the medical advice to Australia, is that this remains a highly effective vaccine, safe for over 50s on the advice that we've received. And again, like Brendan, one of those that's had the vaccine, and I'll be lining up for my second dose when my turn comes around.

What is the context here? Of course, as the Prime Minister said at this moment, no community transmission in Australia with zero cases again today for the 58th day this year against a world of over 668,000 cases and 15,000 lives lost in the last 24 hours. Against that background, the advice that we received was to procure a broad-based vaccine programme, which we've done, and that was initially four vaccines across three different classes, mRNA, which had never been produced before, Pfizer, the AstraZeneca as a viral vector vaccine, the Novavax as a protein vaccine, and the molecular clamp. We already have 20 million Pfizer which are due this year, reconfirmed with the head of Pfizer Australia today. We have the AstraZeneca, which of course is available for all of those over 50 years of age. We have Novavax, 51 million units. The latest advice is that that is expected to commence, confirmed today, that this remains their intention and their projection subject to clinical trials and approvals within the third quarter for Australia and we also have access to the COVAX facility. And of course, where the committee that Professor Murphy chairs recommends additional acquisitions, we will seek those, but we won't preempt them publicly. I think that's what we need from me. We have a strong, clear vaccine programme that will have passed a million people during the course of today and will continue particularly in that over 50, which will be unaffected. The over 50 components right through the heart of phase 1B and right through the heart of phase 2A.

JOURNALIST: There are going to be lots of people in phase 1B, people under the age of 50, healthcare workers, people with disabilities, people with health conditions. How are we going to get them vaccinated if we’re only getting about 140,000 doses of Pfizer a week?

PRIME MINISTER: I’ll ask Brendan to come forward, and as he does that I’ll make this point that we have tasked now have overnight and through the course of tomorrow and over the weekend, there will be a recalibration of how the programme will need to be adjusted to take into account the decision the Government has taken tonight to accept those recommendations from ATAGI. As the Minister has just said, there are, of course, Pfizer vaccines that are in Australia and we are getting a regular supply of those and they can be prioritised against the individuals for whom that will be the more appropriate vaccine for them. But we just have to work through the logistics of that and the calibration of how that is done and that will be our task now. So we'll do that in an orderly way. Tomorrow, I'll meet with National Cabinet. I alerted them earlier today, as I had last week, about these issues, and so we'll update them on those issues tomorrow and I'm sure they will raise questions and that we can take that on as we recalibrate the programme in the days ahead. But Brendan?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So obviously, Pfizer have committed to 20 million doses this year and we are working with them almost on a daily basis to see when they can increase their supply and we are confident that at some stage in the near future we will get improved supply of Pfizer. The other important parameter is we will finish aged care in a number of weeks’ time and that will free up the Pfizer that has been going into aged care and all of that Pfizer will go to those under 50s, particularly in the 1B priority groups. Important to remember, though, that we don't have community transmission. These health care workers are not at significant risk if it means they wait a few more weeks to get their vaccine.

JOURNALIST: Can I ask about, you say it’s an abundance of caution. But it seems to be extraordinarily cautious because the numbers that Paul Kelly gave before were 4-6 per million, which is pretty much what you said today, Prime Minister. But we have allowed for decades millions of Australian women to take contraceptive pills, which has, in effect, a thousand times more risk than this. And yet you're abandoning for all intents and purposes some generations getting this vaccine, which by any reckoning of recent medicine is deemed safe.

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So I would just point to the expert advice that we've got from ATAGI and chaired by Professor Allen Cheng. They've really weighed up all of those things. They've looked at the fact that we do have an alternative in terms of Pfizer right now. And as Brendan has said, other vaccines will be made available later this year. It is a very cautious approach...

JOURNALIST: Very, very cautious, isn’t it? I mean, it’s more than abundance of caution. This is more caution than you would see in any pharmaceutical, I'd say, in recent decades.

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Yes, but this is what has happened in other countries as well. And this is the advice that we've received and as the PM has said, that's the advice that has been
taken on.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you disappointed at this? This challenges the logic that you presented in recent hours?

PRIME MINISTER: Well no, I don't know if I'd share that view. What I said is that we would seek the medical expert advice, and that is ATAGI. That's what they're there for. They are considering the situation here in Australia. Those in other jurisdictions are in different situations to Australia. In other countries right now, the death rate is appalling and the risk of not proceeding is very great. As I said this morning, some 6,000 lives saved in the UK because their situation is far more desperate.

But I want to draw you, to answer your question, to recommendation 2, which says that the immunisation providers should only give a first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine to adults aged under 50, where the benefit clearly outweighs the risk for that individual’s circumstances. And so ultimately here, the choice is with individual Australians and their doctor and that would be the case for the other treatments and vaccines that are out there currently. This advice is provided into the medical community, and then it's important to have that discussion with your local doctor. And so Greg, well, he's not quite under 50 anymore, but not too far past it. But the point is, we chose to predominantly deliver the vaccine on the advice of Professor Murphy's committee. And to do it through the GPs because that's where primary health care can be provided and you can have that discussion with your doctor and make an informed decision about your own health.

So the advice here today is not to not have the AstraZeneca vaccine. There is not a prohibition on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for persons under 50. There is an expression of a preference. And you're very right, Andrew, Australians will look at that risk. They will ask their doctor about that risk. Their doctor will know their own personal health circumstances and can answer any questions that they might have and for the benefit of they may feel quite, quite strongly that they would be better off having that vaccine, given the risks are clearly understood. So this is not a directive. This is not an instruction. This is advice that has been provided to Australians and the broader medical community who are responsible for administering these vaccines. But you're right, it is an abundance of caution and it's a caution that has been exercised consistent with many other countries around the world and we would expect to see that also continue in other countries now making similar decisions. And why we're here tonight is just to be very upfront with Australians, so Australians can know that they're getting all the information that we have and they can feel informed about the decisions they make about their own health and we want to empower them in those decisions.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, despite the advice…

PRIME MINISTER: I'm going to go around the room tonight and just take one at a time.

JOURNALIST: Despite the advice that it's just a precaution, why would anyone now risk giving their elderly relatives the AstraZeneca vaccine, given we don’t have the virus here, we don’t have community transmission. Would it be preferred to perhaps wait for the Pfizer vaccine and is there now a need to speed up the delivery to give people over the age of 50 Pfizer rather than AstraZeneca?

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So the advice as I said from the beginning is based on the evidence that we have so far. And we must say that this is very preliminary evidence. There are very few cases of this extremely rare event that have happened anywhere in the world. But the ones we've seen, there's definitely a tendency for it to be in younger people and we're still working out what the mechanism might be for why this is occurring. But it's most likely to be, seems to be related to an immune reaction, probably to the adenovirus of the AstraZeneca vaccine. So younger people have, we know, have a more robust immune system and are likely to have this sort of reaction. So the 50 cut off is based on what we've seen from these events so far, more common in younger people, less common in older people. We know older people are at higher risk of COVID and COVID could come. You know, we could get outbreaks. We've had incursions from hotel quarantine in recent weeks. So it's very important that those people in those priority groups are vaccinated as quickly as possible and AstraZeneca is perfectly safe in people in those older age groups.

PRIME MINISTER: And that goes to the point that the health advice is that the AstraZeneca vaccine for persons aged over 50 is well advised because their risk, should there be an outbreak of COVID-19, they would be very exposed to that risk. They are the most vulnerable group in the country. And so it's important for them to be vaccinated because the vaccine protects against very serious illness. And we have seen in the more than 900 deaths that we've had in Australia, they have predominantly been with older Australians. And so that would mean that the health advice would encourage them taking that vaccine to protect them from what is a global pandemic. We've done very well during the pandemic, but when we're not immune from these uncertainties and then taking the precautions that are necessary when we need to.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what impact is this expected to have on the uptake of AstraZeneca? And was that a consideration tonight, the chance that you can scare too many people from taking AstraZeneca by taking this very cautious approach?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, let me answer the first one. I'll let Paul deal with what was considered within ATAGI. Our purpose here is to reassure Australians, to reassure them that we've been very clear about what the very low level of risk is here. But it is rare, but a serious risk for those who can find themselves in that situation. I'd also note that it was unforeseen. I mean, these are not things that are presented in the trials or other phases, as I understand it, when the AstraZeneca vaccine was going through that process, either here or overseas. You'll recall that the Health Minister and I were very adamant that the process for approving the AstraZeneca vaccine, indeed, all of the vaccines that are being used here in Australia would go through every single process required of our TGA, and it did. No corners cut out, no process not followed. And so in standing here tonight, I'm saying to Australians that we've been very upfront with you. There is this issue. It is an issue of, I'd say, low, low risk in terms of its incidence. So four to six out of a million, that is a very low incidence. But it would not be appropriate, it would not be the right thing to do to not share that information with Australians. So we are doing that. And I would hope that that would provide a reassurance about the way that the Government is seeking to inform people about the programme. Paul, on the issues that we considered and impacts on vaccine resistance?

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY: So vaccine confidence is absolutely crucial. We understand that. But I would echo the PM's comments there that one of the most important things, we know this from many years of working in vaccines and vaccine confidence, is about sharing information and being upfront with that information is a key component of that. People should have trust in this programme because this new signal, which has come from the many millions of doses that have happened, particularly in Europe and the UK, and those rare events have started to come out that were not found in the clinical trials. We've taken very rapid decisions to look at that data carefully and to make the decision that has been made today and the advice has come from medical experts on that basis. We are sharing that with the Australian public so that they can be aware and know that if we ever get that information, we will immediately and fully be transparent about it.

PRIME MINISTER: I'm moving all around. So I'll get to you, I promise.

JOURNALIST: Can I ask you about CSL and Novavax? How will or how will this affect I guess the production of AstraZeneca from CSL? Will they still  be asked to make the 50 million doses? I know there was some talk a while ago about CSL potentially making Novavax as well, I think you said a few weeks ago, professor, that you said we're expecting that in October or September. Will we see CSL produce Novavax?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: All options are on the table. Clearly, CSL, we still have a big need for AstraZeneca. It is going to be a really important vaccine to vaccinate a significant proportion of the population. So they will continue to make AstraZeneca. We will be reviewing with them over coming months just what the output will be. They can't make another vaccine while they're making AstraZeneca. They made that very clear. We will explore with Novavax if there are any options to manufacture onshore. But most importantly, we are working with Novavax to get their promised deliveries as early as possible. As Minister Hunt said, they are talking about getting some deliveries to us in quarter three and we will continue to explore with every vaccine company, according to the advice of the SITAG Committee. So all options are on the table.

PRIME MINISTER: So in short, yes. Greg?

THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: And I might just add, I spoke earlier today with the global vice president of Novavax. They remain on track on their advice to us for a likely delivery in the third quarter, commencing then and proceeding from then on. The advice that they have on their published results, albeit early stage, are 100 per cent effectiveness with regards to prevention of serious illness, hospitalisation or loss of life.

JOURNALIST: Just a follow up on the vaccine, I think the last time I remember hearing about Novavax, I think they were still quite early in the process of applying with the TGA and that sort of thing, are they where are they at now in terms of the application?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Well advanced. It's a progressive process. They're providing data as they come. Obviously, final approval will probably await the publication of the main phase three trial in the US, but they are progressively providing information to the TGA and that's progressing.

JOURNALIST: Professor Murphy, can I just clarify,  the equal aged 50 to 70, when were their vaccinations due to start and are they still starting on those dates and on the point the Prime Minister made about the reliance on one’s individual doctor, obviously, the doctor knows patient’s health state, but he or she doesn't necessarily know much about the vaccines and as we see in you experts getting changing information. So I just wonder how much people can really rely on that information?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So we are providing information to the doctors. That's really important. We're providing preliminary information tonight and we'll be providing information as we have done right through the GP vaccination programme. Comprehensive information, informed consent, patient information sheets.

JOURNALIST: All doctors, instantly?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Preliminary information tonight will go out to all of our vaccination providers and we'll provide new information over coming days. In terms of the general population aged 50 to 70, they’re planned to come in phase two.

JOURNALIST: Which starts…

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Which starts when we've finished most of phase one, around the middle of the year. And for those with AstraZeneca, we'll have plenty of AstraZeneca.

JOURNALIST: Still on track though, that timetable?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: We intend to start them at that time.

PRIME MINISTER: I'd also stress, Michelle, that with vaccines, normally this is what happens. This is not a new process. From time to time., if there are issues with vaccines that occur and ATAGI consider matters on other medicines or vaccines, then this is the same process and GPs and doctors are familiar with that. So they would get their alerts, they would get their information or that is what would normally happen. And so that is a process they're familiar with. And that's the process we will be following on this occasion as well.

THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: I think it is worth understanding with our flu vaccines. We have some flu vaccines for under 65s and some flu vaccines over 65s. So the notion of an age cut-off is actually something which is already part of our current operating vaccine programme. So that's not a new concept, but it's an evolution with this particular vaccine based on the advice.

JOURNALIST: Can you just clarify what this means for the timeline for the wider rollout. And just on targets like these, is a setback like this give you reason to reconsider even setting targets in terms of how many doses are being devices or just the uncertainty around this entire process just makes it impossible to know how to say that we will do this by this point?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, in terms of what the overall implications are at this stage, it's too early to give you that answer. And that's what I said in my opening comments. I mean, this now has to be considered, the impacts assessed and the programme evaluated and recalibrated. And once we've done that we’ll be in a better position to understand those implications. The early stage implications of this, though, are far less significant because of the nature of who we're vaccinating right now. I can tell you that at Parkville in Melbourne, they'll be cranking out AstraZeneca just as quickly as they were over the last few weeks. And that will continue. The distribution will continue. And we'll be discussing that also at National Cabinet tomorrow. So the early stage impacts with the groups that we're vaccinating at the moment, we would expect to see less change, obviously, for those who are under 50, who are frontline health workers or quarantine workers. But majority of those will be vaccinated already, then those who are working in aged care or disability care, there will be implications there. And so we will have to look at how you read reapportioned where Pfizer goes and makes it available to those groups.

On the broader question that you've raised about seeking to provide some guidance as to how we think things are going to play out. These are questions that I'm asked as all the others who are joining me on this platform this evening by the media and not just the media, but states and territories and others on a daily basis. I think Australians reasonably want to know how they think things are going to proceed in the weeks and months ahead. But you're right to highlight that, as I did this morning, that the environment in which COVID is existent is not a certain one. There are many uncertainties. There are many, many variables. And when we have indicated these types of marks, we have always qualified them by saying that is subject to the events that may occur. And so I think it's important that when we provide that sort of guidance that the appropriate reporting of the qualifications is noted because things do change. This is not a certain world and we're not on our own. The whole world is dealing with the same uncertainty. The whole world has gone through a process of relying on expert medical advice to define those vaccines that they would seek to contract and have available to their populations. And Australia has made some very sound decisions on that front. And we have access to vaccines that many countries don't. But we also have additional options now to pursue and we will be pursuing those. But the overall impact of this on the timetable of the rollout, it is far too early. As I said, we received this advice formally at seven o'clock this evening. Brendan, anything you want to add to that?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: No, I think that's absolutely right Prime Minister. We will be working with our partners in the states and territories as we have been. It's been a very strong partnership the whole way through working on the recalibration of the programme and working with vaccines suppliers as we've already said, and we will be able to provide further updates in coming weeks.

JOURNALIST: I appreciate- just on that question. I appreciate that uncertainty but does that also include your October deadline to have at least one job for every Australian by that point is that part of- you do have to rethink around things like lockdowns and international border closures because of this and probably risk of sending people to the doctor Google, Professor Kelly. Is there any research being done around giving people blood thinners like aspirin to address the issue of clotting with AstraZeneca?

PRIME MINISTER: Why don't you start with that? 

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: I'll just do the easy question. So, look, this is a very new syndrome, as Professor Murphy mentioned. This is a brand new thing. It's only been demonstrated in the world over the last few weeks. There's lots of research going on about what the mechanism is to why it's why it's occurred. It's something similar to a particular type of blood thinner, actually, heparin, which can cause a similar syndrome, but it's different to that. So we have some ideas of the mechanisms, but we need to really understand that before we know what to do. There are treatments, in fact, to follow on from what the question about the advice to general practitioners and others. The Haematology Society of Australia has been very helpful and rapid in their advice about what to do on the basis if someone is diagnosed with this type of disease. But in terms of actual prevention, there's nothing it seems that it comes virtually spontaneously. It can't be predicted because of what people have had in the past, particular diseases. The only only one thing is if it's if you had this with the first AstraZeneca vaccine, you don't have the second.

PRIME MINISTER: And in relation to the other matter, that is exactly what I was referring to about the uncertainty and that's why we will have to look at the impact of this on that broader rollout. I think that's fairly obvious and fairly understandable. That was what I was referring to in my opening comments. So we will look at that. And in terms of the impact on other issues, well, of course, the vaccine rollout provides more opportunity, I think, to be surer to reduce further the risk that can encourage states and territories in terms of how they're managing restrictions. Now, right now, when it comes to community transmission, we're in a good place. But as we know from experience, that can change quite quickly. But what we've also seen is a rather quick responses. Restrictions have come on quickly, but they've gone off quickly, too. And I'm seeing a growing confidence from the states and territories, which I welcome and have long encouraged to move quickly on these things, as Northern Territory has done actually for a very long time, moved quickly on, moved quickly off on a hot spot basis. And same applies with how we are managing things across the ditch now with New Zealand and we're working on it on a very similar basis. So I don't expect to see that. I mean, the fundamental protections we have in place in Australia at the moment with how we've been suppressing COVID have been very important. And Australians are living life here very different to how people are in other countries. And that means, you know, a setback like this, an event like this does not have the impact that it is having it in those other countries, both to risk to life and risk of serious disease, but also risk that it means for the economy. And so we need to stay on our game when it comes to suppressing the virus. And we need to stay on our game and continuing to roll the safe and effective vaccines out to the population.

JOURNALIST: Will all Australians get at least one jab by the end of this year? And if we were to see another Melbourne-style, Victorian-style outbreak, would you change your advice to encourage young people to get vaccinated?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I've already answered the first question on several occasions, so I don't propose to do that again.

JOURNALIST: Do you have a rough time?

PRIME MINISTER: No, we don't. No, we don't. Because as I said, we've learnt this at seven o'clock this evening and I think we have to take the time to assess the implications for the programme. And when we've done that, well, we may be able to form a view, but I don't think anyone should expect that any time soon. This will take some time to work through the implications. But it won't stop the work that we're doing in rolling out the vaccination programme right now with the doses that we have, particularly from Pfizer, but also rolling out from AstraZeneca, which are predominantly for older Australians above 50 in phases 1A and 1B. But the other question was?

JOURNALIST: If we were to see another big outbreak, say like Victoria, would you change your advice to younger people about AstraZeneca?

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So the ATAGI advice that I read directly from earlier also addresses exactly that point, and it makes the point that the advice is based on the situation at the moment, but that risk and benefit equation can, with increased risk, change. And so the benefit of having vaccination rapidly and that sort of situation could change that advice. So, yes, this is the advice as of today, things may change in the future if the epidemiology of the disease changes in Australia as well as other matters. But that one in particular was looked at.

JOURNALIST: Just to clarify, Professor Kelly, just in terms of this blood clotting, have we only got one instance, the 44 year old chap in Melbourne, and we are sharing everything that ATAGI shared with you? Or is there some other concern, broader concern, that’s come from state departments scouring their records of people who been vaccinated?

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Andrew, I've been completely transparent tonight, as we all have. So the advice...

JOURNALIST: It’s one in a million, isn’t it?

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Well, I don't think that we've got quite to a million in terms of AstraZeneca. It's a million doses including the Pfizer vaccine. But, yes, so far, we've only seen that one case. That's the only one that we've had and that was subject to a specific response by the TGA, and they think that it fits into this general syndrome.

PRIME MINISTER: I'm going to take two more. One here, one there. I'm sorry, then we'll have to go.

JOURNALIST: How many people actually had the AstraZeneca shot here in Australia? And is there any general health advice that they should be considering right now, people out there who have already got one of these shots? Is there anything they should be worried about, should they take any precautions or anything like that?

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: I don't have the number of the exact AstraZeneca, sorry, I can provide that. We do know that that is rolling out now, and it's been rolling out to many people. I think the advice that we should say is that people who have had it over two weeks ago, they shouldn't be worried at all. Others should be watching out for the specific symptoms and that'll be part of our advice we'll be giving to GPs, they should talk to their general practitioner about those matters.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, where are our Pfizer doses coming from? It’s not Europe is it? Could they face more export blocks?

PRIME MINISTER: Greg?

THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: So we don't identify, for security reasons, the specific source. Shall we say that we've been very heartened by the continuity, the reliability, of Pfizer so far. I would add, on a general point, Europe has often said that they do not have a dispute with exporting vaccines, they have a specific dispute with AstraZeneca. I think that is very important to understand. So we're very confident in the continuity of our supply from Pfizer, and that's been reaffirmed to me today by the Australian CEO of Pfizer, Anne Harris, and they remain on track not just with their week to week deliveries, but the delivery of the full 20 million doses during the course of 2021.

PRIME MINISTER: Let me finish with just some, we will have passed the millionth dose being administered today. At the end of 24 hours ago, at the end of Wednesday, we had 996,214 doses having been administered, and 75,880 on that day. 361,083 had been administered through that primary care network. And of that 75,880, more than half of those were being done through the GPs. So you can see that that GP network is now becoming the dominant form through which doses are being administered. And 125,260 doses had been provided to the aged and disability services for the residents of that part of that programme. So thank you all very much.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43305

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

8 April 2021

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PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. I am joined by the Attorney-General and the Minister for Industrial Relations Senator Cash. And I want to thank, before I start, the Attorney and the Assistant Minister for Women and the Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General and Industrial Relations, Amanda Stoker, as well as thanking Minister Payne as the Minister for Women and co-chairing the Cabinet taskforce in relation to matters that we’re here to report to you on today.

According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, 39 per cent of women and 26 per cent of men have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace in recent times. The events around this building over the course of the past few months have only further highlighted and reinforced the seriousness of these issues, the challenge that we face and the great frustration that is felt by Australians, and in particular women, all over the country. Sexual harassment is unacceptable. It’s not only immoral and despicable and even criminal, but particularly in the context of the Respect@Work Report, it denies Australians, especially women, not just their personal security but their economic security by not being safe at work. Now this is why my former colleague and then Minister for Women Kelly O’Dwyer established the Respect@Work Inquiry, and asked the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins, to undertake that report. That was back in June of 2018. It was the first report of its kind, I understand. I want to commend, again, Kelly O’Dwyer, for her leadership in calling this issue out and initiating what is, I think, been a very important process. I also want to thank Kate Jenkins for her leadership in this role. Not just her conduct of the Report and how  she has gone about that Report, but the leadership she has shown in the very inclusive and responsible and engaging way that she has sought to manage and address what are highly sensitive issues, highly challenging issues. I pay great tribute to her respect and the maturity that she has shown through her leadership in the way she has been dealing with this issue.

The Government first responded to this Report, after receiving it in January last year, in the Budget, where we adopted nine of the 20 recommendations that had been directed solely to the Australian Government as part of the Women's Economic Security Statement in the Budget last year. Today, we complete that response, and are the only Government to have provided a response to this Report. And we do so by embracing the Respect@Work Report. All 55 recommendations are either agreed wholly, in part, or in principle, or noted where they are directed to governments or organisations other than the Australian Government, or the Government is able to achieve the intent of the recommendations through other means as set out in the Report. Last night I had the opportunity to speak to Kate Jenkins, and I know the Attorney has also, and the Attorney will speak more to that in her remarks, and we were able to speak through our responses and the support we’re providing right across the board for both the intent and in the overwhelming majority of cases, the specific recommendations, as put forward.

Now Kate Jenkins’ Report, Respect@Work, is a game changer. It is changing the very narrative that will drive the appropriate actions needed right across governments and across our society. We believe our response, A Roadmap for Respect, will do the same thing. It’s about creating a culture of respectful behaviour in Australian workplaces. That is what we are seeking to achieve to stop sexual harassment in those workplaces, so Australians can be safe at work. Our response is based on our Government’s core values - respect, dignity, choice, equality of opportunity and ensuring justice. The response, as you will see set out in our Report, is guided by five key principles as we’ve assessed all of these recommendations. This Report was considered at length by Cabinet on more than one occasion. It was also considered by the Cabinet taskforce, co-chaired by the Minister for Women and I, again only in the course of this week. And there is extensive consideration of both the recommendations and the actions the Government intends to take, but what guided us were these five principles. Everyone has a right to be safe at work. Sexual harassment must be prohibited in the workplace. Policy must be evidence-based. There are many recommendations in the Report that go to the urgent need for better data and research and information to guide the responses, not just of the Australian Government, but all governments and indeed employers and workplaces and employees all around the country. Prevention must be our goal, is the third principle. Stop it before it starts, to put it another way. Fourthly, simplicity and clarity is necessary to make the law easier for Australians to understand and access. This is a complicated area in our legal system. Our response is designed to make it less complicated, wherever possible, and there are many recommendations in this report that go beyond the Commonwealth Government’s responsibility, and in particular, to the legal systems overseen by state and territory governments. The Attorney wrote last week to the Attorneys-General around the country, referring again the Report to them and seeking their responses to those recommendations in that Report, and indeed it will be discussed tomorrow at National Cabinet when I am tabling this response to the National Cabinet members. And fifthly, laws must be consistent with the broader legal framework and fundamental legal principles.

So using those key principles that guided the response to the recommendations that I’ve already out, gave you a summary of our response to, and the Attorney will go into more specifics in a moment, there are many specific responses and actions in this Report and our response. The financial implications of the decisions we’re making in our response will be incorporated in this year’s Budget. The Commonwealth, my Government, will be stepping up to our responsibilities in response to this Report, but not just in this area but in the many other areas that will be necessary, whether that be in women’s safety more broadly, or indeed to the many other issues, whether it’s being harassment that occurs in social media and online environments, and the corrosion that we’re seeing in so much of society that leads to the lack of respect, that from that depleted well of respect comes the many other behaviours that we see that women are so vulnerable to. But in making this response, I make this one encouragement to Australians. This is a culture we have to change right across our society. We will be stepping up to our responsibilities but we all, each and every one of us, individually, have a responsibility for our own behaviours and our own actions and what we can positively do to ensure that we can change the culture of behaviour. It’s important that, as we address these issues, that we do it not in a way that sets Australians against each other. We have to do it in a way that brings Australians together, that work together to ensure that we can change this culture. And the Government is committed to following that path, and again I want to thank Kate Jenkins for the way that she has demonstrated that that is the way forward, not to set Australians against each other but to ensure we bring together Australians to work on the changes and behaviour and the solutions that are necessary. Again, I want to thank the Attorney and Assistant Minister Stoker. We have been working together at a high pace over these last many weeks, as I advised in the House that I was personally and directly involved in ensuring that we were able to bring forward this response as soon as possible in, over this recent month or so. And I want to thank Minister Payne also for the work that she has done and, particularly, most recently in the co-chairing of the Cabinet taskforce. And I want to thank all the Cabinet members. We have brought all the Cabinet together on this and we have one view and we’re of one mind and of one resolve. I will pass you onto the Attorney.

SENATOR THE HON. MICHAELIA CASH, ATTORNEY-GENERAL, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS: Thank you very much, Prime Minister. And I’m very pleased to join the Prime Minister today to release the Government’s response to the Kate Jenkins Respect@Work Report. In terms of the Report itself, without a doubt it provides a series of comprehensive recommendations to prevent, which as the Prime Minister has said, is just so important, and address sexual harassment. What the Report also highlights though is that it’s not about one person or one industry. This is a societal problem that requires a societal response. And in that regard, the Report itself and its recommendations are addressed to the Australian Government, state and territory governments, employers and industry groups. We all have a role, as the Prime Minister has said, in stopping sexual harassment. The Prime Ministers also referred to the statistics in the Report. They are actually just, and continue to be, unacceptable. Finding that 39 per cent of women and 26 per cent of men have recently experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. Again, this is unacceptable. In our response, what we do is set out our long-term commitment to preventing and addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. As the Prime Minister has said, we come together as a Government to do this. The Cabinet is united in our response to this Report. And that is why I am pleased that in relation to the 55 recommendations, as the Prime Minister has said, we have agreed in full, in principle, or in part, or noted, for example, where they are addressed to industry, all 55 recommendations in the Report.

I also had the opportunity last night to speak with the Prime Minister and Commissioner Jenkins and I have also had an extensive conversation this morning with Commissioner Jenkins. She is very pleased with the Government’s response, and the commitment both Kate and I made to one another, her as the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, and myself as the Attorney-General, is we are now going to work together to ensure that we implement this response and, in fact, when I leave here, Prime Minister, I’m talking to Kate again.

In terms of sexual harassment in the workplace, I think we’d all agree - in fact, it needs to be just a basic fundamental - everybody has the right to feel safe in the workplace. To lead the national effort, the Government has outlined a number of measures and reforms in the roadmap, including, as you already know, the creation of the Respect@Work implementation taskforce to deliver the legislative and regulatory reform. Kate Jenkins chairs that taskforce. Kate also acknowledged in the Report that the current system is incredibly complex and it is incredibly confusing for both employers and employees. We are going to simplify and strengthen the legal framework. But as the Prime Minister has also noted, you need better coordination between all of the agencies that are responsible for this issue in the workplace. We also though need to continue to support strong preventative action. As the Prime Minister said, we need to stop this behaviour before it even commences. And in that regard, the Australian Government, and we’ve done a lot of work on this in the past, but we continue to be committed to and will work with the states and territories in relation to delivering education and training programs. It doesn’t matter who you are, or where you come from, you need to understand both what your responsibilities are, but also what your rights are. Supporting targeted research but also ensuring that the actions, the policy actions we take to address sexual harassment in the workplace, they are based on evidence. In terms of supporting national action, as is set out in the response, the Australian Government, we are committed to leading and facilitating discussions with state and territory governments, as well as the private sector. In relation to the recommendations that are made to the private sector in the Report, we welcome them. We will support any initiatives to help the private sector prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace. I would also encourage industry - utilise the training materials that have already been released and are being put together by the Respect@Work Council. Work with, actively, the Respect@Work Council. In terms of the recommendations that, as the Prime Minister has said, require national action - the Commonwealth, the state and territory governments working together. As the Prime Minister has said, National Cabinet meets tomorrow. I have also already written to my state and territory counterparts asking them for their response to the Respect@Work Report, but also saying to them, how can we work together to deliver this response. I’m also meeting with the work health and safety ministers in mid-May to finalise the response to the review of the model workplace health and safety laws. This is relevant to the recommendations in the Report. I just want to touch on, briefly, those recommendations that are directed to the Commonwealth Government. What the Report found is that the existing legal and regulatory frameworks for addressing workplace harassment, they’re complex but they are also difficult to navigate, for both workers and employers. What we are going to do, and have accepted, is to develop and implement a suite of legislative and regulatory reforms. Our aim is to reduce complexity but also strengthen the national framework for addressing sexual harassment. For example, we will amend the definition of serious misconduct in the Fair Work Regulations to include sexual harassment. We will also clarify that sexual harassment can be a ground, or a valid reason, for dismissal. This will give employers the certainty they need to take action. But what it also says to employees and victims of sexual harassment is there are consequences for this action in the workplace. We are also going to amend the Human Rights Act so that the President’s discretion to terminate a complaint under the Act is extended. Currently it’s six months. As you know, victims don’t necessarily come forward in that six-month period. We’re going to extend that out to 24 months, to enable them and give them the time, they may need to come forward. But what we’re also going to do is clarify the scope of the Sex Discrimination Act, that it extends to judges and Members of Parliament. As the Prime Minister has said, this response today builds on work that has already been undertaken and it was implemented in 2020, in terms of the funding of the nine key recommendations from the Report, which was of course the establishment of the Respect@Work Council and implementation following from that. Sexual harassment, it is just unacceptable anywhere in society. Our response, The Roadmap for Respect, provides a clear path for action to achieve meaningful, cultural change across the nation and to deliver safer workplaces for all Australians. As the Prime Minister has said, everyone has the right to be safe at work. Thank you.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, perhaps Minister Cash, you mentioned some specific legislative changes there. When can we expect to see those? And also you didn’t mention legislative changes, the other changes recommended to the Sex Discrimination Act, in I think it’s recommendation 17 and 18, to put a positive duty on employers. Do you agree with the principle of that? Will you actually …

SENATOR THE HON. MICHAELIA CASH, ATTORNEY-GENERAL, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS: Yes, we do agree with the principle of that. And as we’ve noted in the Report, a positive duty already exists, as you know, for employers under the Work Health and Safety Act. So that positive duty does exist. What we’ve said is we want consistency and we want to reduce complexity. So we’re going to now look at how you could implement that in the Sex Discrimination Act, but not make the system more complex and not confuse people as to where to go. So certainly we’re now exploring that, exactly.

JOURNALIST: When can we expect to see those changes?

PRIME MINISTER: We’ll draw together a package of legislative reforms this year and whether that can be done in time for the Budget sittings, well, that is, that would be our goal to do that before the end of June, to introduce that, but it’s important, I think, with such sensitive legislation that we engage with the drafting of that legislation, that we consult on that. And what I would like to see happen here is I’d like to introduce this legislation through the Attorney and see this enjoy bipartisan, multi-partisan support. We have always sought to deal in this place, in my experience and I’m sure the Attorney’s experience, whether it is these issues that are before us now, or indeed the very serious issues of violence against women and children, the national plan that was first initiated, Violence Against Women by Prime Minister Gillard, supported wholeheartedly by the Coalition at that time and also in Government with more than a billion invested. We’ve always done that in a bipartisan way. It has never previously, in my experience, been a matter of partisan debate or rancour, and I would hope that that is the path we can get back on.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, could you just unpack how these new rules would apply to MPs. Because obviously there’s issues of Parliamentary privilege, you can’t, you know, remove an MP from office. Obviously it wouldn’t be retrospective, but MPs would now be on notice that they would face consequences if they engaged in sexual harassment that was found to be proven. What would those penalties be?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, what I’d, I’ll ask the Attorney to speak more specifically to that. There are many issues that we’re still going to have to work through, Sam, as we draft this legislation. The recommendations are not, I’d say granular, when it comes to the drafting in many of those provisions and how those matters are worked through. What’s important though is the principle that is established, and that is that MPs and that is judges, but also we’re also going to be taking up the recommendation that state public servants are not exempt from this arrangement. Currently they are exempt. So it is about getting everybody as much on the level playing field as possible. You’re right to note that Members of Parliament find themselves in a different situation because of the nature of how we come to be in these jobs. We have one boss, and that is the Australian people who elect us, and that is a process that we’ll have to work through carefully in the drafting.

SENATOR THE HON. MICHAELIA CASH, ATTORNEY-GENERAL, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS: But you’re right, Samantha. We will be subject to the same law as anybody else which means you will be subject to the same consequences. Somebody can bring a complaint against you to the Commission. That complaint can be looked at. If it is upheld, it will be upheld. If it is not, it is not. If …

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]

SENATOR THE HON. MICHAELIA CASH, ATTORNEY-GENERAL, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS: I think that there would be consequences for any Member of Parliament themselves who is found to have breached the Sexual Discrimination Act. I think the people themselves would speak.

JOURNALIST: Given the unusual employment arrangements in this building that we have canvassed a lot in the last few weeks, how would that work in practice for staff, for example? Are you going to have to look at those employment arrangements in order to make this work in the way that you want?

PRIME MINISTER: For staff, I think it is more straightforward than for members of Parliament. Members of Parliament under the Act and how we happen to be in these roles, again, is different to a staff member. And it is also the case that staff members who work for members and senators, as opposed to those who work in the ministerial wing, the ministerial wing processes, I think, lend themselves much more to operating like another workplace and so I would expect those rules to work in a very similar way to someone working in a company or another public sector agency or something of that nature. Now, it should also work the same for members of and senators' staff, but in that case, the employer is the member or the senator and they would be the ones who'd have to be taking action consistent with what is put forward in the law.

JOURNALIST: Why has it taken the events of the last six weeks for the Government to complete its response to this? And before you say the pandemic, we're all aware there's been a pandemic, you have been able to manage other issues as well.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, no I wouldn't agree with that last assessment. There have been many issues that, yes, we have continued to pay pensions and we have continued to fund childcare centres and we have continued to do all of those things. Last year was a very extraordinary year. We would all agree with that. There were many issues that we were not enabled to advance last year because of the demands and pressures of COVID. For example, not on one occasion last year was I asked about this matter in the House of Representatives, nor were my Ministers. Not on one occasion did that come up in Question Time in relation to the Respect@Work inquiry, I am advised last year. But that said, this Report we did provide our initial response in last year's Budget. 9 out of the 20 recommendations that were directly recommended to the Commonwealth Government, we responded to in last year's Budget. 9 out of the 20. Now, we have completed that process for the other 11 and we have gone further to the full 55 here today. So it is a matter that I'm pleased that we have now addressed. Last year was a very challenging year. Last year, when it came to addressing issues particularly impacting women, my focus as was my Ministers', was ensuring that they were protected as much as possible from issues such as domestic violence and $150 million in additional supports were put in place to support the states and territories in the services they were providing to protect women during COVID. Our efforts on the economic front were particularly designed to ensure that we got women back into work and we could protect their jobs and women were the most of the genders that were impacted by job losses. So last year we were very focused on those very urgent needs to protect women at a time when they were very vulnerable during COVID. We put the additional resources in and now we have been in a position, I think, to address these more systemic and longer-term issues which are very important and I'm pleased we're able to do that today.

JOURNALIST: You were just talking about the additional COVID resources...

PRIME MINISTER: I’ll deal with this question first before we go to others.

JOURNALIST: I think we have the same question.

PRIME MINISTER: Same question, fine.

JOURNALIST: Some of those additional resources that you put into the sector during COVID, will they be extended in the next Budget considering that the sector itself is crying out for extra funding as an ongoing commitment? And Senator Cash, when it comes to some of these legislative changes that the Government has agreed to, can you give us any practical examples about misconduct that's currently falling through the cracks that would be caught up in these changes?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, on the funding issue first, we will consider that. I should note, though, in the states and territories now, not all the funding that we have actually provided has been acquitted by the states and territories in that area. So there is still funding still unspent by states and territories when it comes to the additional support that we provided during COVID and so I'd want to be confident that we were already getting the acquittal of the support that was being provided. But we are going through the Budget process now. The pandemic is still a pandemic. The virus hasn't gone away. Of course, Australia's economic position now is greatly enhanced from when we first put those measures in place and also the risks that were presented by job loss and also by lockdowns and people being potentially put in positions where they were vulnerable in their own homes, those sorts of risks have significantly declined because of the removal of the restrictions that were previously in place. So we're dealing with a very different situation. But take, for example, the issues of mental health support. What we have always known when it came to the mental health support that we put in to support Australians during the pandemic that, yes, there was an immediate burden, there was an immediate impact on Australians' mental health and wellbeing, but the tail would be long and that there would be ongoing impacts and that is something that Pat McGorry and I and Ruth Vine, the assistant Chief Medical Officer which has responsibility for mental health. That is a matter that we review regularly. So we will continue to be driven by the need and the evidence and the success and implementation of the programmes and that's what will drive our decisions and we look forward to working with the states and territories and I look forward to hearing from the states and territories what additional supports that they plan to put in because this would be a joint effort.

SENATOR THE HON. MICHAELIA CASH, ATTORNEY-GENERAL, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS: In relation to your question, one of the issues that was raised throughout the report was that employers just do not A) understand necessarily their obligations in the workplace, but in relation to taking action in terms of sexual harassment, so we'll say in this case unwanted sexual advances, they felt that because it is not specifically referred to as a ground for serious misconduct, it means they can't terminate for serious misconduct or alternatively it is not currently listed as a valid reason for dismissal. They can't even take that first step. So we are going to ensure they know by making the changes that if you want, if sexual harassment is occurring in the workplace and it is proven, you can terminate a person for that. You still have to follow due process. Can I give you another example, though? The stop sexual harassment order. Currently, as you know, you can get a stop bullying order, you apply to the Commission and the Commission can, if you can't conciliate, issue a stop bullying order which means I may now not report to, I may work a different shift. One of Kate's recommendations is that there should also be a stop sexual harassment order. We agree in principle with that, but we believe the more simplistic way to do that is to actually confirm in the legislation that a stop bullying order includes sexual harassment. So they are some really practical ways, they may sound simple, but they have been a disincentive to date, in particular for employers, but also for employees, to understand there are consequences. Raise the issue with your employer so it can be dealt with properly.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on vaccines, ATAGI is meeting today to discuss the latest advice...

PRIME MINISTER: Before we move to vaccines, I'm very happy to go to vaccines by the way or other issues, I note. Are there any other questions on the Report?

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you and Minister Cash have both spoken about the need for legal change and attitudinal change. You’ve already got quite a powerful ad campaign running on violence against women but obviously harassment while related is a little different to that. What consideration have you given to an advertising campaign about this? And secondly, people sometimes say they struggle to know the difference between flirting and harassment. I think when you're on the receiving end you know but not always on the delivering end. What do you say to people who might say you're actually just trying to ban flirting in the workplace?

PRIME MINISTER: I think they're both very practical questions and I think highlight the complexity of this issue. Firstly, on the issue of public information campaigns, you know, we're very open to that. Because I think those campaigns are sometimes one of the best ways to deal with the ambiguities of what your second question is, so people can start to sort in their own minds what's Ok. I was recently at a game and there was an older couple sitting next to me watching the game. They weren’t backing the same team as me, by the way, they had a much better night than I did that night. But I heard something that the husband said to the wife about something she had said, and he said, "We can't say that anymore." And I went, that's what we were talking about. It wasn't angry, it wasn't dismissive, it was respectful, it was positive and I think that's the sort of conversation that we have to have in our relationships, in our communities, in our homes, in our clubs, in our churches, wherever you happen to be. We’ve just got to have these conversations and people need to understand in our own workplaces what is okay, what's not Ok. People just want to know. I think in many cases, we're dealing with unconscious behaviour and we want to help inform that behaviour and I think people will happily change their behaviour if they were aware that some of their unconscious acts could be leading to that sense of hurt or dismissal with their fellow Australians. In other cases it's malevolent, in other cases it's predatory. In other cases, it's violent and I think those lines are a lot clearer and I think what we're doing here today brings further force to deal particularly with those types of behaviours. But I think you're right to say that the way we deal with the balance, you know, so much of what we talk about even outside the workplace with violence against women. That's why it's so important to say it all starts with disrespect. That's where it starts and I would argue not just disrespect towards women, disrespect full stop. We’ve got to be careful in our society that we don't allow the reservoir of respect to drain and I fear it is. I genuinely fear that the reservoir of respect and the way we deal with each other and speak to each other is draining. I think social media has the most corrosive impact on that behaviour. And we shouldn't, therefore, often be surprised that if we are struggling to draw out of that well of respect, the respect that is necessary for so many important relationships, let's go back and ask a few questions about how we got into that first place in the first instance. Certainly governments have roles in that, but it’s not only governments.

SENATOR THE HON. MICHAELIA CASH, ATTORNEY-GENERAL, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS: If you recall Our Watch a number of years ago actually launched the Stop It At The Start campaign which really did what the Prime Minister said - start the conversation in relation to looking at what we say, which we would just say naturally, but not understanding what the impact is. And I think the one that really resonates with me because it is something now I hear as you have, Prime Minister, given back to me - don't chuck like a girl. That was one of the ones where growing up people may have said that, but we now know it has connotations. Do not say it. So I think that continual raising of awareness, the highlighting of examples, but it's also why last year we did fund the Respect@Work Council because one of the roles that the Respect@Work Council is literally to bring together, headed by Kate Jenkins, all of the regulators, the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Fair Work Commission, Safe Work Australia, state representatives, also bringing in experts as required. Because one of the first things they are doing and we're almost there is developing the Respect@Work website. If you don't know what your obligations or responsibilities are, we need as a Government to ensure that you have a place to go to, and that is something that the Council is very, very focused on. But also ensuring that it doesn't matter what age you are, you have actually got the appropriate training and resources and that is something we're also working with the states and territories on.

JOURNALIST: Just how much of the events of the past two months in this building influenced the way that you have responded to this Report? And had it not been for those events do you think you would have reached the same conclusions?

PRIME MINISTER: I think we would, is the honest answer. And because the principles that I set out for guiding our response are our enduring principles. The values that our response is based on are our enduring values as a Government. That's how our Government operates. You'll recall at the beginning of the pandemic before the lockdowns had even begun, I set out the principles by which we would respond economically to the pandemic and then we made decisions in accordance with those principles. We're doing the same thing here. Our Government is guided by these principles and these values. There is no doubt that the events of recent months have, as I said, re-enforced the significance and highlighted it once again and the frustration that I think that is felt. But I think the response itself is reflective of our principles as a Government and our values as a Government, which I would argue is enduring.

JOURNALIST:  Prime Minister, on vaccines, if I may, Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER: We'll go to vaccines now.

JOURNALIST: ATAGI and TGA are discussing the updated advice from the EU and the UK. When do you expect to receive an update from those groups and do you expect their advice to change at all?

PRIME MINISTER: What their advice will be will be a matter for them, first of all. Secondly, they're meeting today and so I would hope to have received further advice from them later this evening. I have already advised National Cabinet members of that process very early this morning, that that's the process we're going through. There'll also be not only a relaying of that advice, which I note is a - just so people understand which all these groups are. There is ATAGI, and that's the group that oversees these assessments and that is led by co-chairs Professor Allen Cheng from Alfred Health and Associate Professor Christopher Blithe from the Perth Children's Hospital. These are our experts that are considering this information that's come through from the UK and Europe overnight. They will then be making some recommendations that would normally be passed on to the Therapeutic Goods Administration and for them to implement. They also come to the Government. I have asked that that also be relaid to the medical expert panel of the chief health officers and the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Kelly will bring them together today. That will enable the premiers and the chief ministers to be advised by their chief health officers as well. I think we need to maintain, I think, a perspective on these issues and that's what I'm sure ATAGI will do over the course of today. I mean, you will have already been aware through other experts that have been in the media today putting in context the type of risk that needs to be managed here. Let's note that in the UK, the advice is that some 6,000 people's lives have already been saved by this very vaccine. So we need to consider the positive benefits of them. But what we're looking at here is an incidence of these clotting behaviour of some 1-to-5 for every million. To put that in some sort of perspective, the combined oral contraceptive pill, that can include adverse side effects of venous thromboembolism, VTE, that's 7-to-10 per 10,000. So 1-of-5 to a million versus 7-of-10 per 10,000. Equally a commonly used antibiotic, amoxicillin, that has a clinically serious hypersensitivity in skin reaction, that's 1-in-10 per 10,000. Even when you go to something as commonplace as Paracetamol, although rare, a known adverse reaction with Paracetamol products including increased level of liver enzymes and severely lowered white blood cell count and that occurs with a frequency of 1-in-10 per 10,000. So we're dealing with something at the moment that the advice has been to us that impacts people to the tune of 1-to-5 per million. And so what ATAGI will be doing is they'll be looking at that evidence and they, of course, will be weighing that against the very positive benefits of the vaccine programme and then they'll be providing further advice. So my message to premiers and chief ministers this morning is the same message to Australians - we’ve got the best people in the world looking at these issues to give us the medical expert advice. Our Government has always approached this pandemic and all health issues to be led by medical expert evidence and advice and we'll be taking that today and the decisions will follow from that.

JOURNALIST: Has this had any impact on your rollout targets for the vaccine with the changing health advice and just on another matter if I can, Andrew Laming, he's under investigation by the AEC for operating 30 Facebook pages anonymously which he used to attack sometimes quite vigorously his political opponents. That seems to speak to the disrespect through social media that you talk about. He's also given half a million dollar grant to a rugby club linked to one of his staffers. Do you maintain he's a fit and proper person to sit in the Coalition party room and in the Liberal National party room?

PRIME MINISTER: I might deal with the first question with the vaccines. At this point, no, there's no advice to suggest there would be any change to the rollout of the vaccine, particularly when we're dealing with 1B populations, the majority of which are older Australians and the medical impact of what we're talking about here is what we have seen from the UK deals with much younger and we also have alternative vaccines in Pfizer presently for those smaller populations, front-line health workers, quarantine workers and so on. So my advice at this point, but that's obviously subject to what ATAGI might say later in the day, there is nothing to suggest at this stage that there would be any change but we'll update further if there's any change to that.

In relation to Mr Laming, I would simply say on the issue of grants, those grants aren't decided by members of Parliament. They are decided by the department, recommendations are made by members of Parliament, and then they are assessed and considered to be whether they're compliant with rules and then the decision is taken at that level. So it wouldn't be right to put it the way you have put it. In relation to the other issue, where there are recommendations on other matters that have been reviewed by the AEC, then I'd expect them to be fully complied with.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, do you expect or are you open to following steps being taken in Europe with new warning labels on vaccines and potentially giving under 30s a different vaccine, potentially the Pfizer one, would we have enough stock to do that?

PRIME MINISTER: I'm intent on not pre-empting any decisions of medical experts and speculating. That's what I'm intent on doing. And so I'm going to wait for the advice to come forward and then we'll allow that advice to lead the response the Government will make. Chris?

JOURNALIST: There's reports there might be a coronavirus case in New Zealand. Do you have any advice on that? And are you concerned that events like this may derail the travel bubble?

PRIME MINISTER: No, I don't at this stage. Sam?

JOURNALIST: Just quickly, in relation to Brad Hazzard, he made some surprising remarks on the 7.30 Report last night. He said that the states are in the dark about how much vaccines were being produced. He said, "All the health and state and territory governments are keen to work with the Federal Government but it's difficult if we don't know what the supplies are and it would appear the Federal Government aren't very sure, are we?" He also went on to claim that “7.30 Report is a very good programme, we get a lot of our information from you.” What's going on if Brad Hazzard says he's getting his information off the rollout from Leigh Sales?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the states were given 12-week forward plans of distribution of vaccines. That was provided to all the states and territories. And on that basis, I'm sure the Minister of Health in New South Wales will be looking forward to the further provision of public information that we’ll be discussing at National Cabinet tomorrow. I'm very keen for there to be a more widespread dissemination on the vaccination programme and the doses that are made available. As I explained yesterday, I think, this is a very complex vaccination programme, the biggest Australia has ever engaged in. I think people are coming to terms with the process and understanding how the process works. There's been a lot of confusion between a vaccine that's on the shelf and ready to be administered, whether it be in a hospital or in a GP's surgery. A vaccine that is having been produced, as we discussed yesterday, Sam, is in the process of having batch-testing or formal approval out of AstraZeneca overseas, or one that is actually in the process of distribution at any given point in time and that can take up to a week for them to be moving around, and to be put into position to be available and on the shelf for distribution. So I think a lot of these supply numbers are used interchangeably and I think that has led to some confusion. And so I'm looking forward to being able to provide that information very transparently with the support of the states and territories, but it is the case that the states have had a forward 12-week plan. I'll be discussing how we will continue to update those forward plans for distribution. The key issue, though, that I think that is being made very clear, particularly in the last few weeks, is that the pace of the vaccine rollout is a function of the supply of the vaccine. Vaccines are being distributed, they're being made available. We are likely, by this time tomorrow or soon after when I stand before you after National Cabinet, to be able to say we will have reached the millionth vaccination in Australia. We expect that to happen over the next 24 hours. And that vaccination programme is dependent on the supply of vaccines, whether that be from overseas and I have already been fairly clear about what the issues were there, or, indeed, the supply of the vaccines out of CSL and their distribution. So those are the issues that we'll continue to work on. If the supplies are not in place, then you can have as many stadiums as you like. You can have as many distribution points as you like. You can have the fastest trucks in the universe. But the supply will determine the pace of the vaccine rollout and there are a lot of variables when it comes to supply and sometimes those variables impact on the nature of that supply. And so I know people would like things to be more certain, I know that they would like to have guarantees going out months, but the Commonwealth Government doesn't have those and, as a result, they're not ones we can share with others. So we will continue to provide the forward dose distribution to the states as we have been doing, and that information will be more timely. I want to see it being done at the most top-line level, if not more detailed, on a daily basis with more deep weekly statistics that set out, I think, the issues which I think will help both in your reporting and the Australian public's understanding of all of these issues. Thank you very much.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43303

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

7 April 2021

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PRIME MINISTER: Good morning everyone. I’m joined by the Secretary of the Department of Health.  First of all, I want to express my condolences to the family of the elder gentleman who passed away as a result of COVID-related illness in Queensland. A dual national who contracted the virus in Papua New Guinea. It’s a further reminder of the very serious situation that is occurring in Papua New Guinea and the Government continues to make every effort we can to provide assistance to Papua New Guinea during this incredibly difficult time for them. Also, I’d just note in passing, condolences to the family of Tommy Raudonikis. A well-loved Australian and individual and all of those who love their rugby league will certainly know about Tommy Raudonikis. He was one of the game’s biggest characters and he’ll be sadly missed amongst the rugby league family and community and our sincere condolences to his family and to that rugby league family as well.

Overnight, there have been some statements made by the European Union in relation to vaccine supply. And so I’m joined with the Secretary of Health, here today, just to run through some facts about the nature of supply of vaccines from Europe. First of all, I want to stress that at no time yesterday did I make any comment about the actions of the European Union, nor did I indicate any of the background reasons for the lack of supply that we have received from those contracted doses. And so, any suggestion that I, in any way, made any criticism of the European Union yesterday, would be completely incorrect. I simply stated a fact - that 3.1 million of the contracted vaccines that we had been relying upon in early January, when we’d set out a series of targets, did not turn up in Australia. That is just a simple fact. Now, that fact has been the key reason for the early phases of the supply shortage in the rollout in the vaccine. It’s straightforward maths - 3.1 million out of 3.8 million doses did not come to Australia. That obviously had a very significant impact on the early rollout of the vaccination program, until we got into a position when the domestically produced AstraZeneca vaccine would be in place. Now, I do stress that the supply of Pfizer vaccines has proved, while at a slightly reduced amount, a reduced amount, has been quite reliable in these early phases and that is greatly assisted with the vaccination rollout. And so, it has been different for different vaccines. So let me just go through a simple timeline that I think sets out the facts of this issue. AstraZeneca contract for 3.8 million doses on 9 September to be delivered in January and February from the offshore manufactured product. That’s what we contracted back in September of 2020. In late January, the EC introduced strict export controls, which were further expanded on 24 March. In late January, mid to late January, AstraZeneca provided updated advice that only 1.2 of the 3.8 million offshore manufactured product could be delivered in February and in March. That was 500,000 in February and 700,000 in March. That was because of a range of issues, which included not just the vaccine shortage in Europe, AstraZeneca’s awareness of the increasing restrictions on export controls, and so applications were not made for those 3.8 million doses. In fact, an application was made for 500,000 doses to be released, and in February, that application was made. Those 500,000 doses were being manufactured in Italy. On 19 February, Minister Hunt called the EU Health Minister to advocate for release of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia. On 20 February, AstraZeneca was advised by the European Commission to withdraw their application and submit a revised application for 250,000 doses manufactured in Italy. On the same day, I had a discussion with Ursula von der Leyen from the European Union to discuss vaccine supply. In that discussion, this was the discussion, over 500,000 vaccines which I was advised would not be approved, that they needed more time, and to create some time for them to consider these issues further. I agreed to do that and to work with the Commission to ensure we could get to a position where we could gain access to some of these supplies. Subsequently, an application was made for 250,000 doses out of what was to be 500,000 doses, and on the 3rd of March, the European Union denied export of those 250,000 doses to Australia. On 15 March, Minister Hunt wrote to the EU Health Minister seeking the EC to review their decision to deny export of AstraZeneca vaccines to Australia. On 17 March, I wrote to the President of the EC requesting the export of one million doses from our original 3.8 million which were originally to be for Australia, to ensure that we could make them available to Papua New Guinea to deal with the humanitarian crisis that was emerging in that country. We have still not received any response to that request. Minister Hunt wrote to AstraZeneca Global to request them to resubmit their export application to the EC for further doses and we have been seeking further calls with the President of the EC to discuss these matters. Now, I am pleased to hear that the European Union overnight has indicated that they are not seeking to restrict these vaccines to Australia. So I’ll be very pleased, as will the Minister, to write again in parallel both to AstraZeneca, to seek the export licences for the full amount of the doses, the 3.8 million, to be provided to Australia. And I can assure you that the first million of those will be used to support the humanitarian effort that we’re putting in place for Papua New Guinea. So, if it is indeed the position of the European Union that they are happy for these export licences to be granted and their 3.8 million doses to come to Australia, then we would encourage them to do that in response to our request to ensure that we can do two things. Firstly, to provide support to our Pacific family in Papua New Guinea that are undergoing a humanitarian crisis and to support them with those one million doses, and to ensure that those contracted doses for Australia can be part of the vaccination rollout here in this country. So, with those remarks, I might ask Professor Murphy to make a couple of comments on these issues, and then happy to take questions.

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thanks, Prime Minister. So the point I want to make again is that our vaccine rollout is going well. The only thing that is limiting the rollout is vaccine supply. And obviously, the initial issue with vaccine supply related to that 3.1 million doses of AstraZeneca which really put us back in those first weeks because we didn’t have those doses. Now that we do have the CSL doses, which are starting to increase progressively, that is the limiting step is the international supply of Pfizer and the amount that we’re getting out of CSL, which was progressively increasing. But it is a complex process to get vaccines batch tested, quality released, then pre-positioned to delivery centres, and then finally delivered to well over 2,000 general practice sites and a number of state and territory clinics. So we are doing very well with our vaccine program at the moment. It’s ramping up rapidly. The primary care program is working well. The GPs are putting vaccines in arms. Some of them, you know, would like to have more. They’d like to have more than 50 doses a week. But that’s all we have the supplies to do. We are not holding back any vaccines anywhere, other than the second dose contingencies, which clearly you have to hold back. Pfizer has to be given a second dose three weeks later, so we have to hold that back. But we are pre-deploying and pre-positioning all the doses we need. It’s not possible to stand up a large number of additional mass vaccination clinics. We don’t have the vaccine to do that. We have a program that is finely tuned to the available vaccine supply and is delivering exactly as we have planned according to our vaccine supply. Just finally, I just want to mention the issue in relation to vaccine safety. There has been some attention related to this issue with clots potentially associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, and clearly there’s been the reports of a possible case in Australia. One case is not a strong signal, but we are working very closely with our counterparts in UK who have now done well over 18 million doses of this vaccine, and in Europe that have done many million, to look at the data that they’re getting from their signals and their regulatory bodies and their vaccine advisory committees, and that’s what’s going to give us the true picture of whether this is a real problem and whether it has any significance. So our expert advisory panels, the TGA, ATAGI, are meeting regularly this week. We’re having joint meetings with the Europeans and with the UK regulators and we are taking this matter very seriously at the moment. Our regulator and our ATAGI are advising we continue with our program, that the benefit of vaccination outweighs any potential risk. But we are continually reviewing the situation. Thanks, PM.

PRIME MINISTER: So at the end of the day, this is about supply. It’s about supply and as we continue to get greater confidence in the supply of, the production of the vaccine in Australia, then that only improves the performance of the vaccine rollout as those supplies become available. The other point I’d make is this - there are still risks to that supply. Those risks occur in one of two ways. Obviously, what we’ve seen in terms of import restrictions and those that we’re bringing in. But even domestic production, there can be impacts on domestic production. There is always the conditioning factor right across the vaccination rollout of the medical advice and the development of medical evidence that can in any way affect any of the vaccines. And so, there are no absolute guarantees when it comes to this. We will follow the medical advice. We will continue to ramp up production here in Australia. And we will continue to move through the distribution channels that can deliver the supply of vaccines that we have.

JOURNALIST: How many doses does Australia have in reserve right now?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: There are no doses that are in reserve, as you put it. We have a second dose contingency of Pfizer vaccines that we’ve kept in the warehouse waiting to be rolled out three weeks later. Every dose of AstraZeneca, we’re keeping some of those building a second dose contingency, every other dose is in the process of being pre-deployed or deployed. You can’t, it has to be in a GP’s surgery the week before it’s given and it takes a week to get there. So there, there are probably over a million doses in transit being put into position, but there is nothing that is not being allocated to be put in an arm. That’s to be absolutely clear. There is nothing sitting in a cupboard other than something that we’re planning to give three weeks later as a second dose.

PRIME MINISTER: With the vaccine stores as, there’s what’s produced at the plant and then it goes through the process I was explaining yesterday about batch testing and authorisation, and in AstraZeneca’s case, also through the AstraZeneca organisation. And then you’ve got vaccines that are then in distribution. Then you have vaccines that are pre-deployed into surgeries and other places ready for administration in the following week. And then you have the vaccines that I’d describe as being on the shelf, ready for administration to those that have come to receive the vaccine. So there are many stages in the delivery of the vaccine process, and I think one of the issues that we need to be even clearer about in the future is that when we’re talking about vaccines that are available for distribution, that’s the vaccines that are on the shelf in that week in the places where they’re being administered. Now, these are the issues, these are the metrics, these are the figures that I’ll be discussing with Professor Murphy, with premiers and chief ministers this Friday, so we can give an even clearer picture about the status of the vaccination programme. So we’re talking about things that are on the shelf. We’re talking about things that are ready to go on the shelf. So it’s a bit like being in the storeroom out the back. Then you’ve got those that are actually in the physical process of distribution, and then you’ve got those that are in the process of batch testing and clearance, and then you’ve got those that are going through the fill and finish process within the factory. Now, that process can take several weeks to get from fill and finish to being on the shelf, and once it’s in the shelf, on the shelf, and that means it can go in the arm. And those rates we are now achieving. As I said, just before Easter, we got to just shy of 80,000 a day. Now, that puts us on track with countries like Germany and many others who have been doing it at their stage of the vaccination program, and in advance of many other countries like Japan and South Korea and New Zealand and others. So that's where we're sitting now.

Yes, David?

JOURNALIST: What’s the capacity of the CSL factory this week? What's the forecast in terms of how many CSL doses we'll get this week? Why hasn't it got to a million a week already? What's the hold up there, technical or otherwise, and can the Government spend more money to ramp up CSL's local production faster?

PRIME MINISTER: I'll ask Brendan to comment on this because he's been dealing with CSL. I mentioned yesterday that we already achieved more than 800,000. That's something that we already achieved. The numbers do vary from week-to-week in these early periods and we've just gone through the Easter period, so that influences the numbers at this precise point in time. But they've already been able to demonstrate the capacity to get over 800,000 produced in a week and that's what I believe at least is achievable going forward and we would like to achieve more than that. But the idea of just throwing more money at it, that doesn't increase the volume. This is a manufacturing process and the rate of production is very much in the hands of the manufacturing company themselves, CSL. But everyone is doing everything that they possibly can to get that to the best number possible. Brendan?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So CSL are releasing batches, sometimes more than twice a week. So it's very hard to give an exact number and the batch release process takes time and it has to go at the moment through approvals both from AstraZeneca and CSL. But as the Prime Minister has said, we had 830,00 in the first week and we are working around that sort of range at the moment. We cannot be accurate until they actually complete the batch release on each particular batch. However, they are absolutely clear that in coming weeks, they are committed to regularly achieve over a million doses a week. That is their strong commitment to Government and the way that they want to achieve that is A) improve the time taken for the batch release process to get that streamlined so it doesn't have to go to several international clearance processes and B) they are working extremely hard on optimising their fill and finish line, the process that fills up the vials. They still believe that there is significant improvement that they can do with that and they are actively working on that now. So we can't give you an exact date when they will hit the million doses a week but they're strongly committed to achieving that in the coming weeks.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, trust in the Government is critical for Australians to actually take up the vaccine. In recent weeks, we've seen blame-shifting with the states. We're now bickering with the EC about supply issues and along with the issues with blood clotting, which still remains unclear to a lot of people. Are you concerned that the Government's handling of this may contribute to vaccine hesitancy among the population? And what are you going to do about that?

PRIME MINISTER: No, I'm not, and I think much of the conflation of the issues you've raised, I think, is more in appearance than in fact. I mean, all I've simply done today is set out very clearly that 3.1 million vaccines didn't arrive in Australia. That's just a simple fact. It's not a dispute. It's not a conflict. It's not an argument. It's not a clash. It's just a simple fact. And I'm simply explaining to the Australian public that supply issues is what's constraining and has constrained, particularly over the recent months, the overall rollout of the vaccine. Look, it happens before every single National Cabinet. You all write stories about how everybody is disagreeing with each other and we come together at National Cabinet, as always, and then I'll stand before you on Friday and I’ll talk about the things that are agreed. So I would just counsel people to see these things sometimes as maybe a lot more dust being kicked up than actual substance. People are working together to deliver these vaccines. Australia has a proud history when it comes to the vaccination of our people, particularly for child immunisation. We lead the world in these areas. We have the best regulator, I believe, in the world, and I think Australians can have great confidence about that. I think we just need to focus on getting more clear and transparent numbers out there and so that leaves less to speculation and commentary and more to fact. 

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Christine Holgate accuses you of throwing her under a bus over the Cartier watches scandal. She says the Chairman of Australia Post lied to Parliament. Have you got a response to these concerns? Do you believe that the head of a Government-owned corporation has misled Parliament?

PRIME MINISTER: I'm aware of those comments and those submissions and I understand that they'll be addressed through the Parliamentary hearing. This is a matter now that's substantively between Ms Holgate and Australia Post and that's where I note the predominance of her comments have been directed. Ms Holgate decided to leave Australia Post. That's just a matter of record. There was a review that was undertaken into the matters that were brought up by the Senate at Estimates, and before that was concluded, Ms Holgate decided to leave Australia Post. Now, that's just a matter of record and these issues now, as I understand it, are between Ms Holgate and Australia Post and I'll leave that matter there for the time being.

JOURNALIST: Professor Murphy, your tone is rather different on the blood clot issue than it was or health officialdom's was a few weeks ago. Could you explain that? And also, one of your predecessors, Stephen Duckett, has pointed to a number of flaws that he sees in the rollout program, one of them is transportation logistics. Are you sure that the delivery system is in best shape?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Sure. So I think that we are very confident with the delivery system. It is a very, very complex delivery because we have chosen to go, where possible, particularly for the over 70s and 80s, to people's own GPs. So we're choosing to go to over 4,000 GPs. That is a hugely complex logistic process and we have two logistic companies that are working seven days a week. Obviously, there will be occasions where things don't get delivered. Floods were a factor. Sometimes practices weren't there. But 99 percent of the time, it's working well. I know Professor Duckett has lots of advice for his successors in the Health Department on a regular basis. Yes, indeed he has. With the safety issue, look, all I'm saying is that there is a lot of action at the moment analysing the information in Europe and in the UK and we are taking a very close interest in it. Because Government and the Department have taken the view that safety is absolutely paramount. We will look at the data that's come out of the, England has had, the UK has had so much more experience than we have. They've got the better data. Europe has better data and that's why we're looking at their data to see whether this is a real problem and whether we need to do anything about it. At the moment, we don't have those answers. All I'm saying is that this is a very active, ongoing review.

JOURNALIST: You said that the supply issues were a matter of simple mathematics. But on the 5th of March, your Health Minister said when Italy's 250,000 doses were blocked, “We are very clear that this does not affect the pace of the rollout." How can that have been true?

PRIME MINISTER: We'd already adjusted the rollout. We'd already adjusted the rollout to not include the 3.1 million.

JOURNALIST: With what you're saying now, is it the fact that the Government has been overly rosy about the state of the rollout?

PRIME MINISTER: That would mischaracterise what the Minister was saying and fail to appreciate the context of what he said. We had already taken into account, and we'd already shared with this very gallery, in this very place in late January, the concerns that we had about the European distribution, at that point, and I've gone through the timeline again with you. I mean, I think what I'd urge the media to do is, circumstances change. There are a lot of variables in this process. Supply chains get disrupted. Medical evidence comes forward which requires us to address it and may cause us to make changes to the program in the interests of public health. There is an expectation, I think, of certainty and of guarantees here that the environment does not provide for and it would be very unwise, I think, to suggest that level of certainty exists around this. It simply doesn't. That has been true of our management of the entire COVID pandemic. If we go back to this time last year, there was much we did not know. We know a lot more now. And when it comes to the rollout of the vaccine, there is still much we do not know, as Professor Murphy has said in terms of evidence that's coming forward out of rollout of the program in other countries. We will take that on board. So I would urge, I have said, even when we released numbers in early January, we flagged that this is contingent on events and events will have a way of impacting on the distribution and rollout of the vaccination program. But I assure Australians that we're all working together to get this delivered. It will take as long as it takes. We have our clear targets and that is to get through 1A and 1B by midyear and to have offered to Australians that first dose for adult Australians by the end of October. That's what we're working to. It is obviously subject to supply issues, medical evidence and medical advice and we will continue working on both of those principles. I have a Cabinet meeting to get to this morning. So I'll go Chris, one and two here.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the Chinese ambassador is holding a press conference at 2:00pm this afternoon. I expect that we'll hear what we have heard before, that there is no problem with the Uighurs and we shouldn't interfere in Hong Kong and the Australian people or the Australian Government has been largely responsible for our relationship with China. How would you characterise our relationship with China at the moment? Do you have any optimism that they might start returning your calls at a ministerial level? And what are we to make of the strategic struggle that we see between China and the United States?

PRIME MINISTER: I'd make a couple of points, Chris. The first is the world is a lot more uncertain at the moment than it has been for a long time. I said in July last year, you may recall, that I said that we're living in a time not unlike the 1930s but I don't believe that it will end in the same way. I think we've learnt a lot since then, but we are dealing with a lot of global instability at present and there are many relationships which are strained, including the ones that you've referred to. But as the Defence Minister said, the new Defence Minister said on the weekend, and I share that view - we want a positive relationship. But we will have a positive relationship that is consistent with Australia acting in accordance with its values and its national character. And that will never be, that will never be something that we would yield for the sake of a relationship and I think that that is very important. And I think that Australians support that view very strongly. And so, we will continue to act consistent with our national character. We will continue to work with others around the world for a free and open Indo-Pacific. That is our goal, because we believe that is good for Australia and we believe that that is good for all of the countries of the region. We want to see a positive relationship between the larger countries that are impacting on our region. But again, those relationships can’t be achieved at the product of a less free and a less open Indo-Pacific. So our objectives here are very clear and we would be keen to work with China to those ends, as we’ve consistently said and so we’ll continue to work positively to that end and we would welcome discussions that are about those objectives. Last one over here.

JOURNALIST: Sorry, just on PNG, if you can’t get the requested assistance from the European Union, will Australia commit to provide a significant proportion of the domestically made vaccine to PNG? How much are you prepared to provide of the what’s being made on shore in Australia? Is it a million doses as you’re requesting from overseas?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we obviously want those million doses and that’s why I started today’s media conference by saying given the statements that have been made overnight that apparently there is no obstruction to that, then I would hope that could be readily addressed. If that doesn’t occur, then we have been working with a number of other partners around the world to see how we can address that and we’re also considering what it might mean for Australia’s provision of doses directly. But those issues haven’t been finalised yet. We are still getting reports from our teams up in Papua New Guinea and we are working closely with other partners in the region to see how we can best address that challenge. But it is a very serious one, it is causing real concern and I have been in contact by text and other measures with Prime Minister Marape over this period of time and I know how distressing it is for them. Again, the death of a dual citizen here in Australia who contracted the virus in Papua New Guinea is just another terrible reminder of the fact that this pandemic isn't over. We can't be complacent about this. Yes, Australia is living in a way that most of the world is not right now. Let's just remember that for a second. Australia is living right now in this pandemic in a way that most of the world is not. I'm grateful that over the Easter weekend you could meet with friends. If you wanted to, you could go to a sporting match. You could gather together in a park together. You could go out to a restaurant. You could even stand up in the pub and have a beer if you wanted to. In Australia, all of that is happening. In Australia, we have a domestically produced vaccine, which we're one of only about 20 countries that can say that, to have that sovereign capability to dealing with the problems that we have right now. I can tell you, most of the world would want to be right here at the moment and I'm certainly thankful…

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]

PRIME MINISTER: I’ve already said that we're considering those matters right now. OK, thank you very much.

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https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43300