Scott Morrison concedes Australia’s vaccine rollout ‘problems’

While refusing to say the word “sorry”, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the prime minister and federal government have “accepted responsibility” for Australia’s slow vaccine rollout.

The federal treasurer has joined the prime minister in accepting “responsibility” on behalf of the government for Australia’s lagging vaccine rollout.

Refusing to say the word “sorry” while appearing on breakfast television on Thursday, Josh Frydenberg concluded the situation was “really, really difficult”.

“He (Scott Morrison) has accepted responsibility and most importantly is putting in place the solutions that are required to roll out that vaccine as quickly as possible,” Mr Frydenberg told Channel 9.

”We accept responsibility, that’s even more important, because what is key here is what takes us forward. Our focus is on ensuring as many people get the jab and that we can move through those stages of reopening.”

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

With the rollout two months behind schedule and under pressure to say “sorry” for delays, Scott Morrison said on Wednesday he believed Australians just wanted the federal government to “get it right”.

“I take responsibility for the problems we’ve had, and I’ll also take responsibility for the solutions we’re putting in place, and the vaccination rates we’re now achieving,” he said.

Australia has just passed 14.5 per cent of the population fully vaccinated, with more than 174,500 doses delivered on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he takes responsibility for Australia’s slow vaccine rollout. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Mr Morrison argued that even without international supply issues and the AstraZeneca advice changes, Australia was only about two months behind where the rollout was originally supposed to be.

“Those delays are regrettable but we all know they’re the result of many factors,” he said.

The Daily Telegraph has compiled every major Covid-19 vaccine decision, announcement and setback in the past year and found Australia has long trailed behind the US, UK and Europe when making deals and getting jabs into arms.

Frustrated with the rollout, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the Commonwealth did not have enough GPs giving out the widely available AstraZeneca vaccine.

He claimed NSW was “ready to go” with AstraZeneca for anyone who wanted it from a state hub.

But Mr Morrison said he wanted to see more of the AstraZeneca vaccine being distributed through state clinics.

Figures obtained by The Daily Telegraph show Victoria has administered more than 400,000 AstraZeneca doses through its state vaccine clinics, compared to NSW only completing about 105,000.

Sources familiar with the rollout said NSW had not ordered AstraZeneca for its state hubs in at least two months.

Australians of any age can get the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine if they speak with a GP. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

In a radio interview on Wednesday Mr Morrison repeatedly avoided saying “sorry” for the problematic vaccine rollout.

“We’ve had problems and we’ve dealt with them,” he told KIIS FM.

“The government is accountable for this … I’m accountable for this.”

Mr Morrison said no country had got every aspect of the pandemic right, with Australia having at least saved “more than 30,000 lives” and got “a million people back to work”.

Though he also warned the nation’s stunning economic recovery would be derailed for at least the next three months as a result of having more than 13 million Australians currently in lockdown.

“We anticipate (the lockdowns) will have an impacted on obviously the September quarter GDP and will have a near-term impact on employment,” he said.

“It is impossible to avoid it.”