Doorstop, Parliament House, Canberra
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MINISTER ROBERT:
Well, good morning. Thank you for coming out. I intend to give an update today on three matters, being the unfolding situation in Afghanistan, on our vaccine rollout, and vaccine certificates. Can I start, though, by acknowledging all those who have served, as a former serving ADF officer and a fellow veteran. We who’ve served don’t get the option of where we stand up and serve. Governments of the day will always send the ADF into situations from peacekeeping to peacemaking and into harm's way to serve the national interest. And to all those who have served, can I say, thank you. Thank you for what you have done. Thank you for serving, thank you for serving the Australian people and Australia's interests.
Last night, a third ADF flight arrived from Kabul with over 80 people on board, including Australian citizens, permanent residents, visa holders, locally engaged employees, which is Afghan interpreters and the like who have worked with us and a number of New Zealanders. This brings to over 240 people that we have moved out of Afghanistan in the last few days. In terms of locally engaged employees, it brings the total to 690 visas issued to Afghan locally engaged employees who served with us since April, and of course 1,900 since 2013. The Government, of course, has also announced a further 3,000 places for our humanitarian program will be going to citizens of Afghanistan, with priority given to obviously women and children, and those who have affinity, relatives or closeness to Australia. That brings the number from 1 July 2013 to 8,500 visas that have been offered under our humanitarian program to those in Afghanistan. To those who are still in Afghanistan; the message remains constant. Keep in touch with DFAT, make sure your details are recorded with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and DFAT will co-ordinate with you whatever the next steps are. DFAT will contact anyone in Afghanistan regarding flights. The important thing is, keep details up-to-date with Foreign Affairs and Trade, and they will provide all details and all requirements in terms of flights.
Can I move on to our vaccination program, yesterday had a record day of vaccinations at 310,524. It was an extraordinary vaccination day, it brings the total number of vaccinations to over 16,815,000. Of yesterday, we saw over 180,000 vaccines given through primary care networks, and over 126,000 given through state networks. There are now 8,631 sites providing vaccinations across Australia, to ensure every Australian has the opportunity to get vaccinated. That includes 2,479 pharmacies. In the last three days, over 900,000 vaccinations have occurred. 900,000. It’s equivalent to 215 per minute, which is an extraordinary rate of achievement that’s being built. A number of days ago, the Prime Minister announced the primary – or the number of vaccinations for Australians on the first date was at 50 per cent. Here we are a few days later here, it’s 51.8 per cent. Showing the speed that the rollout is occurring.
Can I now move to the issue of vaccination certificates, I’ve been working with my state and territory colleagues now for many, many weeks at the state and territories’ requests to provide access to the Australian Immunisation Register, the register of all vaccines, to allow the states to include whether you’ve been vaccinated or not within their state-based QR apps. The intent of working with them is to allow an ease for Australians, so when they use that state-based app, not only can they use the state-based QR code in terms of the state processes, but can also demonstrate at the same time, that they’ve been vaccinated. That process will be ongoing, and I suspect at this stage, that this will be live across states and territories into September. Happy to take questions.
QUESTION:
Just on the rescue flight out of Kabul. What was the destination of that flight after leaving Afghanistan, and when would these people expect to come to Australia?
MINISTER ROBERT:
At present, all of our flights, when they leave Hamid Karzai International Airport go to our mounting base in the Middle East, from where we’ve got temporary accommodation. And then from there, moving back into Australia.
QUESTION:
And this was an Australian operation?
MINISTER ROBERT:
This was an Australian-led operation, on Australian aircraft.
QUESTION:
Minister, what concerns do you have for Afghans who may have helped Australia in the past, Afghans who helped Australia recently, or indeed Australian citizens who are yet to get out?
MINISTER ROBERT:
It is a very difficult situation in Kabul. It’s difficult at the best of times, I’ve been there four times. And hard, let alone now with streets choked, and issues of course with the change of power. So it’s very uncertain, it is certainly dangerous. Hence the message remains, contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. For those who are looking to get a visa under the locally engaged employee scheme, that needs to be applied for now. But it is very difficult, it is changing, it’s evolving daily. Hence, connecting with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is just so vital.
QUESTION:
There have been some that have been flown out to the United States, to their air base in a similar sort of mountainous region where Australia’s is outside of Dubai. And there were calls for some of those people who, again, helped Australia to be bussed from the US facility into the Australian facility, by DFAT, organised for that, and then processed to come to Australia. Can you update as to whether that is going to be possible? To move people from a US site into an Australia site, and process them to come here?
MINISTER ROBERT:
We’re working exceptionally closely with our partners overseas, especially with the likes of the United Kingdom and the US. But the first priority remains moving people out of Afghanistan into a safe area. In this case, our Middle East operating base. From there, ostensively anything is possible. But the first priority remains moving Australians, citizens, permanent residents and visa holders safely out of Afghanistan.
QUESTION:
How many are left? I think initially there was 130 Australian citizens. Have you got an idea on how many we still need to get back?
MINISTER ROBERT:
We have 240-odd, have arrived over the last few days, and we’ll continue to work on getting the remainder out, in short.
QUESTION:
They’re citizens and visa-holders, correct? The 240?
MINISTER ROBERT:
Citizens, visa holders, including locally engaged employees. And on the flight last night, a number of our kiwi cousins.
QUESTION:
In relation to the idea for vaccine certificates integrated with QR codes, is that something National Cabinet has actually formally agreed to incorporate for exempting people from restrictions at places like cafes, restaurants, cinemas and the like?
MINISTER ROBERT:
The states and territories have formally asked me through the Digital and Data Ministers meeting which I chair, and National Cabinet of course has acknowledged that formal request from the states and territories. We’ve been working with them now over a number of weeks to provide access to that information, so states and territories can incorporate it and use it. How the states and territories use that will be up to them. Whether that vaccination certification data is used will depend of course, upon state and territory public health orders, and that’s a matter for those states and territories.
QUESTION:
Minister, 825 cases in New South Wales today, another record. Now, the Doherty Institute, I think on page seven for modelling, talked about moving to Phase B when we’re at 70 per cent, but it models it at about 30 cases a day. We’re nowhere near that. [Indistinct]… Gladys Berejiklian said to that, and I’ll read it, [Indistinct] having conversations with my cabinet and colleagues around the nation, there is a change in attitude. We accept that Delta is here, we accept heading to zero across the nation especially once you open up and live freely, will be an impossible task. Is she singing from the same song sheet as the other Premiers? And the national plan already dead in the water?
MINISTER ROBERT:
No, the national plan remains agreed by all states and territories. Moving to Phase B at 70 per cent, and Phase C, of course, at 80 per cent. The priority is getting Australians vaccinated.
QUESTION:
But we’re talking in Doherty. I mean, Doherty talked, I should say, about doing this – making this move at 30 cases across the country. We’re close to 900 today across New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT.
MINISTER ROBERT:
The Doherty Research also makes it clear as you read through, that there won’t be a situation where Australia or any nation frankly on earth will be COVID-free. That once our vaccination rates are up at those levels, there will still be cases that come through into the community. All of that is very clear in the Doherty modelling, and is spelt out clearly in that modelling.
QUESTION:
Do you think New South Wales will be able to get down to 30 cases, let’s say, or 25 cases by November of this year?
MINISTER ROBERT:
The key to reaching low levels is vaccination, and that’s why we saw 310,000 vaccinations yesterday; 900,000 over three days alone. That is the key. And it’s the key for all Australian citizens. Advised walking in here that there may be a demonstration in Victoria. I’d say to anyone who wants to demonstrate: don’t bother demonstrating, go and get vaccinated. If you want to stand around somewhere, stand around, socially distanced and safe, out the front of a vaccination centre. There’s 8,600 of them. It doesn’t take long to move until you run into one. Get vaccinated.
QUESTION:
Just on Victoria. You touched on Victoria there. The Premier’s announced a state-wide lockdown effective in 18 or so minutes time. Childcare restrictions are coming into place again there. Is there Federal Government support for parents affected by childcare closures?
MINISTER ROBERT:
I’m not aware of what the Premier’s announced, so it’s difficult for me to comment in that respect. If you look to what we did last year, to assist in the childcare sector, and of course, we’ve made certain announcements with respect to New South Wales that if parents found themselves disadvantaged, that there would be assistance. So that’s what we’ve done previously. I can’t comment on where we’ll go further.
QUESTION:
There are reports that some countries are using security contractors to extract people from Kabul to the airport. We know it's been an increasing challenge seeing the scenes of chaos outside the airport. Is the Australian Government considering that type of option, any way to help people get from Kabul to the airport given that the PM has indicated that we're not going to be leaving that precinct?
MINISTER ROBERT:
Well, at present, our force disposition is five aircraft, including a KC-30 for fuelling, which is part of the coalition effort. Two C-17s, two C-130Js, and of course, 250 soldiers. That's our current disposition on the ground. We're currently using an all ADF effort to do the job, and that's the current position as we speak.
QUESTION:
But how are we going to get people from Kabul to the airport? I'm sure you've seen the scenes yourself.
MINISTER ROBERT:
It is a very fluid and difficult environment. And the key is DFAT is working with Australians, permanent residents and visa holders. We're working with our Coalition partners and looking at what the options are for us on the ground. And the key message to visa holders and Australians, including permanent residents, is stay connected to DFAT, follow the DFAT guidance, and DFAT will assist them with every step of their journey out.
QUESTION:
Including getting them to the airport, because the advice from DFAT and Smartraveller has been get to the airport when those flights are available.
MINISTER ROBERT:
That’s right, and DFAT will be contacting them regarding their flights and when that flight availability is for them.
QUESTION:
And Minister, sorry, just one last one, on the vaccine certificates idea. Some Government MPs have threatened to cross the floor if the Government moves to bring on vaccine passports, allowing interstate or overseas travel effective on this. They’re worried it will create a two-tiered class system. How do you actually go back getting this idea over the line if you want to?
MINISTER ROBERT:
These are questions for states and territories. For the last few weeks, we've been working to ensure that a state and territory app can also include the status of someone's vaccination. It's that simple. What states and territories do with that information, it's up to them. It's up to states and territories, how they use their public health orders. It's up to states and territories, how they determine it. Now, we've seen some states, for example, WA and Queensland, have required vaccinations with respect across all the borders. We've seen issues in terms of aged care and the use of public health orders. Again, those are issues for states and territories. My job as the senior Data and Digital Minister is to ensure the states and territories have got the information they need securely, fraud-proof, with consent, to allow them, allow a citizen to be able to demonstrate that they've, a, been vaccinated and do it within a seamless customer experience within the state base apps. Thanks very much.
QUESTION:
John Alexander, just one more, sorry. John Alexander has indicated he wants to see 12,000 additional places committed to Afghan nationals [indistinct] he mentioned the 3,000 we’re offering, but do we need to do more or do you think there is sentiment in the Coalition for further action to be taken?
MINISTER ROBERT:
Well, that’s on top of 8500 since 2013, so it brings the number to 11,500 Afghans we’ve brought through on our humanitarian program, and of course, 1900 through our Locally Engaged Employee Visa structures. So Australia is doing some pretty serious lifting here, noting the humanitarian program we run per capita is one of the most generous on earth. Thanks very much.