Scott Morrison snaps at Albanese for undermining national vaccination plan

Scott Morrison has lashed out at Labor for seeking to undermine the national vaccination plan amid a tense back and forth during question time.

Scott Morrison has lashed out at Labor for seeking to undermine the national vaccination plan amid a tense back and forth during question time.

Amid pressure from his state counterparts, the prime minister has sought to rewrite the narrative and put the national focus on the plan to progressively reopen the nation once a 70 per cent vaccination target is reached.

But in question time on Tuesday, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was keen to remind the prime minister of his vaccine rollout blunders.

“Isn’t the reason vaccination rates are not higher is because the prime minister failed to order enough vaccines when it counted and failed also to fix national quarantine?” Mr Albanese asked.

“It is so important that people stand up for the plan rather than standing in the way of the plan, Mr Speaker, like those in the Labor Party seem intent on doing,” Mr Morrison replied.

The niggling between the two leaders continued, but Mr Morrison finally snapped when asked if he had failed his job as prime minister.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was grilled by the opposition leader during question time. Picture: Gary Ramage / NCA NewsWire

“Would Australia be closer to reopening if the prime minister had not failed his two jobs on vaccine and quarantine?” the Labor leader asked.

“Anyone who thinks the prime minister of this country only has two jobs isn’t up to the job,” he hit back.

“I can say that because those of us who have been dealing with one of the most serious situations that we have had to address during our time in government and that is to seek the evacuation of what has almost been 1700 people out of Kabul right now.

“They would understand that a prime minister at any given time has more than two jobs.”

His answer resulted in the intervention of Speaker Tony Smith, who chided the prime minister and cautioned him to stick to the topic of the question.

Before returning to the dispatch box, an inaudible interjection from Mr Albanese caused the prime minister to bite back.

“I note the aghast by the leader of the opposition with his interjection, Mr Speaker. This is a leader of the opposition who always hopes for the worst,” he said.

Mr Morrison is also facing pressure from the states over the national plan. Picture: Gary Ramage / NCA NewsWire

Australia’s road map to Covid-19 normal has come under threat after Western Australia and Queensland expressed their concerns with the modelling undertaken by the Doherty Institute.

Both Mark McGowan and Annastacia Palaszczuk have indicated they intend to keep their borders shut to stop the virus from seeping in from NSW.

The prime minister, facing a splintering of national cabinet, has turned his attention to warming Australians to the idea we must live with Covid-19, not in fear of it.

“The national plan provides the safety for Australians to move forward, out of the lockdowns,” he told parliament.

“It enables them to see their ability to live with the virus in the future … We need to support and stick to that plan, not stand in the way.”

Earlier, the prime minister issued a rallying cry to his coalition colleagues in a joint party room meeting.

He said he supported lockdowns as long as they were required, but once Australia reached the next phase of the national plan, lockdowns would do more harm than good.

Deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce echoed Mr Morrison, telling the room the government needed to be honest with the public and acknowledge people will die due to Covid-19 when the nation reopens.