TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR EDUCATION
SHADOW MINISTER FOR WOMEN
MEMBER FOR SYDNEY
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
SKY NEWS WITH ALAN JONES
THURSDAY, 12 AUGUST 2021
SUBJECTS: Liberals’ failed vaccine rollout; Walgett; Government response to Institutional Child Sexual Abuse.
ALAN JONES, HOST: Let's go to a federal panel, two very fine women at a time when the disillusionment with political leaders has never been greater. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, the Senator from New South Wales; and the former Deputy Leader of the Labor Party, Tanya Plibersek. I just want to go firstly to vaccine rollouts because, Concetta, we raised this here and you said you'd speak to the Minister in your own government and get something done. You've done a lot of work following our comments here to get the vaccine rollout. You were told that, as at July 16 which is gone, 3,900 community pharmacies who’d expressed an interest in joining the COVID-19 rollout would be invited to participate and it said, you wrote to me, '1,262 suitable community pharmacies from regional and remote areas’ - now of course, some of the Pfizer vaccines have been taken away from them – and ‘2,668 identified in metropolitan areas'. Now, why I'm saying this, I note today the number of pharmacies authorised to deliver the vaccine in New South Wales is 321, and we're told that will go to 844 by the end of next week. That's in the whole of New South Wales, and in Australia the number of community pharmacies will increase from 676 to 2,565. Nothing like the numbers that were told to you. Concetta, what is going on? The Government promises one thing, delivery is different.
CONCETTA FIERRAVANTI-WELLS, SENATOR FOR NSW: Well, Alan, as I said, I'm advised that next week there’ll be approximately 2,500 pharmacies administering the AstraZeneca vaccine across the nation, and a number of pharmacies were given the opportunity late last week to come on board in a expedited order process which they've done so - and as a result, we will see these numbers by the end of next week.
JONES: Are there vaccines? I mean, there's no vaccines, they have taken the vaccines away from regional New South Wales. Tanya, what do you make of all of this?
TANYA PLIBERSEK, SHADOW MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, SHADOW MINISTER FOR WOMEN: It's just hopeless, isn't it? I mean, the community pharmacists were supposed to be helping out by May this year. They want to help, they're prepared to help. We know that our GPs are under a lot of pressure at the moment and pharmacists are good at this. You can get your flu vaccine at the pharmacist -
JONES: And they know the community.
PLIBERSEK: They know the community, it's a good spread geographical spread across the country. I think this is another example of the failed rollout of the Government. Things can't back to normal until we get vaccination right.
JONES: You're right. You are right. It is failure. It's hard not to be critical. I just come to you Tanya, again and Concetta, what do you make of this fiasco at Walgett? Now, a 27 year old man at the Bathurst Correctional Centre - which is gaol - was tested on Saturday while in custody, then released on Monday before the test is returned. Tested positive on Wednesday, he wandered around Dubbo and Bathurst - they are now in lockdown. He finished up at Walgett - 40 per cent of the Walgett population is Indigenous, which means they're at high risk. 80,000 are now in lockdown. How do you describe this, Tanya, as anything other than a failure?
PLIBERSEK: It's hard to explain how something like this can happen, but it reminds us yet again that it's important to get vaccines into every community. It's tempting to imagine that if you're living in a smaller town or a long way away from places like Sydney that have a big spread of the virus at the moment, that you're safe, but it shows that nobody's safe. We've got to get the vaccination right across the country.
JONES: But we don't have the vaccines.
PLIBERSEK: I know.
JONES: Concetta, I mean, you're in the government I know and you're a very independent thinker. How do you come to a conclusion other than the fact that some of these people running the show are all talk, but know nothing about delivery?
FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: Well, Alan, I have to say mistakes do happen and in New South Wales, we've seen the dire consequences that followed the fiasco with the limousine driver; and I have to say, it’s hard to fathom how this happened in Walgett. But can I just say this, the Commonwealth has borne the responsibility in relation to the supply issue, but having said that the States and the Territories also have to bear their responsibilities for institutions, particularly like the prisons.
JONES: Well look Tanya coming back to this, I mean there was a Royal Commission to child sex abuse, now to just move away - a Royal Commission into institutional responses. Now, in 2017, it recommended that the Federal government, that's four years ago, in conjunction with the states establish and fund a national centre to raise awareness and understanding and the impacts of child sexual abuse. The Prime Minister, in his apology to the victims and the survivors and so on, three years ago, October 22 2018, committed to funding 'the establishment of a National Centre of Excellence to raise awareness and understanding of the impacts of child sexual abuse and to deal with the stigma'. 2018, tenders were called in August last year, 2020. The tender was supposed to be announced in February 2021. The Alliance for Forgotten Australians is a partner in two tenders and they've heard nothing. What are the people meant to make of this three years on, Tanya?
PLIBERSEK: It really is disgraceful, isn't it? I mean, this was recommended in 2017 by the Royal Commission, as you said. It was promised by the Prime Minister in his apology in 2018 and forgotten Australians are still waiting. There are people who have died waiting for this to be set up. It's a centre where you'll see people able to turn to to support them in looking for help in response to the sexual abuse they suffered as children. What a cruel thing to promise it in 2018 and still not have delivered it.
JONES: Concetta, I know they most probably don't listen to you because you're so independent in your thinking, what influence can you bring to bear to see that the Government delivers the Prime Minister on what he promised?
FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: Well, Minister Ruston, the commitment for $22.5 million for the establishment of the centre and the first 5 years of operation is there, the Minister is consulting with the sector. The procurement process is underway, but the Minister is also consulting with the states and territories, including their financial contribution to the centre, and at this stage only South Australia and Western Australia have committed to co-funding. Now, of course, we will proceed regardless, but it's disappointing that the states are not committing. Can I also say that parallel to this there's also the redress scheme, which is underway and we have received over 10,000 applications in relation to that. And in addition to that, there's also the National Office of Child Safety, which has been established in Prime Minister and Cabinet. So, Minister Ruston is working on this and this is a sort of a situation report as we are at the moment.
JONES: Can I just say to my viewers? I'm sure you're thinking at home’ what's going on here?’ These ladies have no idea what the question is going to be. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells doesn't have a portfolio and every night we ask questions here, you can see here is a person in government across issues. There has to be questions asked, as to why people like this aren't on the frontline of government activity, rather than shelved because she said things about Chinese expansionism into the Pacific, and Malcolm Turnbull didn't like her and she got sacked. Equally, Tanya Plibersek has been in the Parliament for 21 and more years. These people are on top of the issues. They do not get any access to the questions and I’m really grateful ladies that you appear and you give us the benefit of your knowledge. Thank you for your time tonight. Concetta, I hope some of those things you can talk to someone there to get something done, and vaccines - for God's sake, it's no use saying vax, vax, vax if we don't have the vaccines. But great to talk to you both, have a good weekend. Thank you Concetta and thank you Tanya.
ENDS
