SUBJECTS: Labor’s $300 vaccine incentive proposal; vaccine rollout; need for national quarantine facilities; Doherty Institute data; AstraZeneca vaccine; lockdowns.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Labor is being constructive whilst this pandemic has been going on. We've put forward positive ideas such as when we put forward the ideas for wage subsidies last year. Today, we've put forward a constructive idea yet again. A $300 one-off payment for all Australians who get fully vaccinated by December 1. It's very clear that the Government had two jobs this year. The effective rollout of the vaccine and purpose-built national quarantine facilities. And it failed at both. But we are where we are. We're not in the top 80 countries when it comes to the rollout of the vaccine. And we have major issues with regard to making sure that we lift ourselves up the league table. At the moment, we remain around about last or near last in the developed world when it comes to the rollout of the vaccine. This payment is put forward as a constructive idea. We know economic incentives are being used overseas, including being advocated by President Biden, being advocated and used in Europe, being used in various US states. And we know that this would provide a discussion point as well around the bowling clubs, around communities, to talk about whether people have been vaccinated or not and to encourage the take up of it. And we also know that there's a context for this, which is the potential negative quarter in September for our economy. A $300 payment just like in the past, when economies have been struggling, provides an incentive for people to spend, for people to support local jobs, for people to be given a reward for the tough couple of years that they've endured during this pandemic. So this is a positive initiative. That's consistent, as well, with what the Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly, has said, that we need to use every incentive possible. Consistent, indeed, with the advice of phase B, released by the Prime Minister just last Friday, that spoke about incentives for people to be vaccinated. Labor has put forward this idea as a constructive contribution. And we say the Government should give it proper consideration. They dismissed the idea of wage subsidies last year too early. And it was only when the queues formed around Centrelink offices, around corners, that they finally acted. We need a Government that's prepared to not just sit back and wait. But this Prime Minister has acted consistently too late and with the responses being too little. We know that the impact of lockdowns is severe. And it's an impact that occurs not just for those people directly affected, but of course, has an impact on our entire national economy, which is why we need to do whatever we can, use whatever measure at our disposal, to make sure that we fix the vaccine rollout and also that we fix national quarantine. And I'll make this point on national quarantine. Our athletes, when they arrive back in Australia this morning, of course, are going to Howard Springs, the only purpose-built facility that is currently being used. These outbreaks consistently are related to hotel quarantine, 28 of them at least that have led to lockdown, that have led to restrictions. There's a reason our athletes are going to Howard Springs. Because it's safe. It's safe for them and safe when they return to their communities. We need purpose-built national quarantine facilities. And the Government needs to advance that part of fixing this response to the pandemic as well.

JIM CHALMERS, SHADOW TREASURER:Thanks very much, Anthony. This is the shot in the arm that the economy needs. A shot in the arm for small businesses and families. And a shot in the arm when it comes to the vaccine rollout. This is our opportunity to do something about the causes and consequences of these lockdowns at once. The causes and consequences of these lockdowns. The vaccine rollout, which is well behind where it needs to be, and an economy which is flagging. And we've said for some months now that the recovery in the economy is hostage to the vaccine rollout. And that's what we're seeing. The economy is weaker than it should be. The vaccine rollout is slower than it should be. This is our opportunity to address both of those failures from the Government at once. Now, we've seen today the predictable criticisms from the Government. They want to talk about what's responsible. What could be more responsible than investing public money in fixing the vaccine rollout and supporting small businesses and families and local economies at the same time. We won't be taking lectures on budget responsibility from the most wasteful Government since Federation, the Government of Sports Rorts and Carpark Rorts and Safer Communities Rorts, the Government that sprayed around billions of dollars in wasted JobKeeper payments to businesses that didn't need it. Spare us the lectures on economic responsibility from the most wasteful Government since Federation. This price tag is minor compared to the billions of dollars which are bleeding from the national economy as a consequence of the Government's failures on vaccines and quarantine. They want to talk about what's insulting. Insulting is being at the ass-end of the medal tally when it comes to the vaccine rollout. That's insulting. Because the Government can't get its act together. They say that this won't work. Let me tell you what's not working. The vaccine rollout is not working. We have no business being at the wrong end of the medal tally when it comes to the vaccine rollout. We have no business as a country, with this Government, who ignored our warnings about withdrawing support too early and the recovery being hostage to the vaccine rollout. That's what we're seeing now. If these characters think that the vaccine rollout is perfect and the economy's going gangbusters, then they're from another planet. Something needs to change. And we are proposing a constructive change with what Anthony and I are putting forward today to try and fix the mess that this Government has made. Now, as Anthony said, we've seen this movie before when it comes to a Government initially dismissive, eventually picks up and runs with the Labor idea. We want that to happen again. They were dismissive of JobKeeper wage subsidies, they picked up and ran with them. Now they take credit for them. We're entirely happy for them to do that once more.

JOURNALIST: (Inaudible). What more can be done to pick up the vaccine rate? Do you think this sort of incentive will get those hesitant people over the line?

ALBANESE: We think this incentive can start a discussion in those communities and in every community around Australia. We need to talk about the need to get vaccinated and why it's necessary, why it's the key. The key has always been getting people vaccinated and fixing national quarantine. They've been the two jobs that I've spoken about. This is a constructive proposal put forward in a positive way. We ask the Government to not react in the way that they do. Perhaps they don't recognise the idea of a program that's applicable to everyone rather than done with a colour-coded sheet based upon marginal electorates. That's how they dole out money. This is something that would provide support on an equal basis, be very simple to implement and something that should be given proper consideration, rather than the response that we've seen, which is the immediate dismissal, which does remind me of the dismissal of the idea of wage subsidies that the Prime Minister did initially last year.

JOURNALIST: How did you settle on this $300 payment? What is the underpinning advice?

ALBANESE: Well, we gave consideration to it, including consulting some economists who I consulted, and others do as well in our team in terms of behaviour. I studied economics at university. The fact is that economic incentives are used across a whole range of areas to change behaviour. What this will do is enough to start a discussion, but not excessive. We think this is a sensible and modest proposal. But if the Government has a different one, by all means, put it forward. 

JOURNALIST: (Inaudible).

ALBANESE: Look, we think the simplest way is something that is universal, in terms of not worrying about bureaucracy, not getting into arguments about who's eligible or not eligible, that it makes sense for it to be universal. And that is the most effective way, which is why we chose it. I've sat around a Cabinet room during another economic downturn, potentially one that didn't go into recession, but where we spoke about there, remember Ken Henry's advice about 'Go universal' in terms of payments. So this is through the Medicare records, of course. There's a record of people who have received their vaccinations. So we went for simple rather than complex. But we're more than happy to talk to the Government. We want to bring the country with us on this journey. 

JOURNALIST: If we haven't reached the 70-80 per cent vaccination target by the end of this year, will you still be implementing the policy even after the December one cut-off?

ALBANESE: We will make that decision at the appropriate time. But what we can't afford to do is to continue to languish where we are at the bottom of the table when it comes to our vaccination rates. We need action now. Now, if the election is before December, that's still possible, I have various pundits amongst you suggest that is the case, then we would certainly implement it before December.

JOURNALIST: (Inaudible).

ALBANESE: They say lots of things.

JOURNALIST: (Inaudible).

ALBANESE: Well, look, this is a constructive suggestion put forward in the context of the failure that was there. Let me tell you, if we were at a circumstance that other countries are with vaccination rates above 50 per cent, then we wouldn't be putting this proposition forward. This time last year, I stood in this courtyard with Chris Bowen and spoke about the need to do five or six deals, the need to get vaccines here, the need to make sure that we had enough vaccines early enough, the need to have a proper public information campaign. The Government hasn't had any effective public information campaign. Let me tell you, the idea as well of a $300 payment is about getting a public information campaign by voice-to-voice.

JOURNALIST: (Inaudible) the message could be counterproductive. (Inaudible). 

ALBANESE: I haven't heard that response yet. But this is a constructive idea. We put forward wage subsidies. We put forward the need to have five or six vaccines. We put forward the need to have mental health support. We put forward the need for national quarantine facilities. We put forward the need to have a public information campaign. We put forward the need to manufacture mRNA vaccines here. We have a range of ideas that we've put forward constructively. We will continue to be constructive. 

CHALMERS: Just briefly on the question, I mean, one of the reasons why we are proposing that this be retrospective, that you can receive the payment even if you've already had two jabs, or if you get it between now and the policy coming into being, you still get the cash. And so our message to people who might be tempted to do what you're suggesting, is that you would still get the payment whether you had the jabs before today or you get the jabs between today and the policy coming into being. That's a very important thing. We want to encourage people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. And that's why the payment is retrospective. We want to reward people for good behaviour until now. We don't want people to unnecessarily delay it. And that's why we've designed this proposal the way that we have. You have been talking about the need to get people vaccinated, why have you been unable or unwilling to say that AstraZeneca is a good, effective and safe vaccine? I've said it 20 times. AstraZeneca is a very good, safe, effective vaccine. People should consult their doctors. If they can get it, they should get it.

JOURNALIST: (Inaudible).

ALBANESE: They should get it.

JOURNALIST: (Inaudible).

ALBANESE: The fact is that the Prime Minister earlier this year did a press conference and changed the advice on AstraZeneca. 

JOURNALIST: Your candidate has been on national television describing AstraZeneca as a population-level experiment. Do you agree with her?

ALBANESE: Our candidate made it very clear. If the one you're talking about is it, we have quite a few, but if you're talking about our candidate for Higgins, she made clear on Sunday that people should get AstraZeneca if they are eligible to do so.

JOURNALIST: (Inaudible). Isn't it the same principle?

ALBANESE: That's an interesting thing, Phil. Because you're suggesting that a company getting tens of millions of dollars that it didn't need, that increased its profits, is the same as an individual getting $300. If you don't see there's a distinction there, I'm not quite sure how I help you. 

JOURNALIST: (Inaudible).

ALBANESE: No. JobKeeper gave additional funds to companies that increase their profits, that then it went into corporate bonuses. This is about $300. A very modest sum going to Australians that will be spent in the local community, supporting jobs, supporting local small business. It is a modest proposal. This is a Government that has allocated $660 million in a pork-and-ride scheme, in commuter car parks, where there is no train station. This is a Government that allocated more than $100 million on Sports Rorts. This is a Government that spent money on a women's sports program where there's no women's team. This is a very modest proposal. And there is no parallel whatsoever with the more than $13 billion that's gone on JobKeeper to companies that have increased their profits.

JOURNALIST: There are various ways to give people incentives for vaccine. There are the negative incentives as well, things that you don't get if you're not vaccinated. Now, in France, Emmanuel Macron has legislated for digital passports so you can't go to things if you don't have a double dose. As well as the $300 payment that you're offering as a positive incentive, do you think there's a place for something in Australia like we see in France?

ALBANESE: Those issues will be examined, including issues about travel overseas, for example. One of the things that I'm saying is how do we bring the country with us in a positive way? How do we engage positively to encourage people? That's what I'm about here. This was a proposal put forward very constructively. I await the Government changing its mind. Scott Morrison, if you wait long enough, you'll get a different position, sometimes from day to day.

JOURNALIST: Do you think Macron has gone too far by actually imposing that law? 

ALBANESE: Well, I haven't examined all of that proposal. So I'm not going to comment on it. What I want is an Australian response to an Australian problem. And the Australian problem is we don't have enough vaccines in enough arms and we don't have enough quarantine facilities. 

JOURNALIST: We're going to get a bit of a peek on the Doherty Institute's data a bit later today. Do you think Australians need to prepare for the time when we do experience deaths when even if we get to 80 per cent, there's necessarily going to be deaths and infections because you cannot get everyone protected?

ALBANESE: Well, the Doherty Institute data needs to be released. It's pretty hard for me to comment on something that hasn't been released yet. So it should be released. This Government needs to be more transparent. This Government needs to bring Australians into their confidence. Australians are good people. They've been making incredible sacrifices. They've been doing the right thing. What this proposal today is about is rewarding Australians who are doing the right thing.

JOURNALIST: (Inaudible).

ALBANESE: Well, I can't comment on the Doherty Institute data that hasn't been released, with respect. I'll give you the big tip. This won't be my last press conference this week. And I'll be happy to comment on data once I get a chance to see it. Thanks very much.

ENDS