Coronavirus: Deputy Queensland Premier Steven Miles attacks David Littleproud amid vaccine row
Deputy Queensland Premier Steven Miles has launched a stunning attack on federal MP David Littleproud over vaccine supply.
Queensland has accused the federal government of hindering its rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, by failing to provide it with certainty of supply.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles came out swinging in Wednesday’s coronavirus briefing, accusing Prime Minister Scott Morrison of not calling Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk about the issue.
“We have not had certainty of supply to our hospitals through the vaccine rollout so far. That has required the holding back of enough doses to ensure we could administer the second dose,” Mr Miles said.
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— Steven Miles (@StevenJMiles) March 30, 2021
Federal Government Ministers have once again lined up to attack Queensland over our COVID response.
They attacked our borders and they attacked our lockdowns. Now they’re attacking our vaccine progress, something THEY’RE responsible.
#auspol#COVID19Aus#qldpol
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard also attacked the commonwealth government on the distribution of vaccines. “Let’s get this really clear: the NSW government was asked to roll out 300,000 vaccinations to the groups in 1A and 1B. Of that we have done 100,000,” he said. “The federal government was asked and is responsible for 5.5 million people and they have rolled out 50,000. I think the figures speak for themselves.”
He added: “Up until today, every state and territory government has maintained a collegiate approach because we want people to feel confident in a collective government decision. But, as Health Minister in NSW, I am extremely angry and I know there are other health ministers in the country who share similar views.”
Gladys Berejiklian and Mr Hazzard said it was not appropriate for the federal government to release misleading information regarding the distribution of the vaccine.
“I can assure the community that your state government here in NSW is doing everything possible to roll out the vaccines, as long as we get the plans going forward for the correct amounts of vaccine, we will roll it out as quickly as possible,” Mr Hazzard said.
Responding to questions that the NSW government hadn’t administered all the vaccines that had been delivered by the commonwealth, Mr Hazzard said the federal government should apologise to the NSW government and other governments around the country.
“One day we are the gold standard and the next day we are being told we are not,” said Mr Hazzard.
“We are still the gold standard because we have amazing front-line health staff.”
Mr Hazzard said he has contacted organisers of the Byron Bay Bluesfest, saying: “Those people who might be intending to attend and to the organisers themselves... just be alert to the messages that will come from the NSW government in the next 12-24 hours as we look at the unfolding situation on the north coast.
Qld deputy says states doing what they can
Mr Miles said the states needed certainty of supply, and the federal government needed to be more transparent.
“The states are doing what they can with what has been (supplied) to them,” he said.
He said there had been “almost no communication” from the federal government on the vaccine rollout.
Ms Palaszczuk questioned why the federal government was not vaccinating aged care workers at the same time as it was giving the COVID-19 jab to aged care residents. She also demanded weekly updated figures from the Morrison government on what could be expected in terms of vaccine supply.
Queensland’s vaccine rollout has come under intense scrutiny, with two active clusters in the state beginning at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
The first cluster, in which a returned traveller from Europe infected an unvaccinated doctor, now has eight cases.
The second cluster, in which a returned traveller from India infected a vaccinated nurse, has 11 related cases.
The nurse had received the first dose of the vaccine, but not enough time had passed for her to receive significant immunity, Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said.
All of Queensland’s frontline healthcare workers and hotel quarantine workers are due to be vaccinated by today. There will also be a new mandate introduced that only hospital workers who have received their first dose of the vaccine can treat COVID-19 positive patients.
Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud launched an extraordinary attack on the states’ vaccine rollout efforts in a television interview on Wednesday morning.
Queensland has only administered 60 percent of their COVID jabs, meanwhile, health workers have been treating infected patients while unvaccinated.
— 9News Gold Coast (@9NewsGoldCoast) March 30, 2021
"They have done three-fifths of bugger all and they are holding this nation back," says MP David Littleproud. #9Newspic.twitter.com/ta7VJzbDuM
“The fact is they have left these in the rack when they could have put these things in people’s arm,” Mr Littleproud told Nine’s Today.
“We have plenty coming through, you cannot leave them in the rack, you have to put them in people‘s arms and get us out of this whole situation,” Mr Littleproud said.
“That is the only way to get the jabs moving. We are going to help the states but they have to admit they have a problem because they have done three fifths of bugger all and they are holding this nation back.”
Mr Miles said Mr Littleproud should “give himself an uppercut”.
Dr Young said the issue was supply. Until CSL started manufacturing vaccines in Australia in significant numbers, she said the supply issues would not be solved.
NSW adds to criticism of feds
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Health Minister Brad Hazzard reacted angrily today to reports that showed the state was behind schedule in its vaccine rollout.
“I was very concerned to read particular reports in the press today about the NSW government vaccine rollout,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The facts that were presented are not true. To put things into perspective, around 150,000 people in NSW have received the vaccine, either the first shot or the second shot or both.
“100,000 of those were provided by the NSW government. 50,000 of those were provided by the Commonwealth.
“What is also extremely unfair is that when we are given 24 or 48 hours notice about how many new doses we are getting, and as you can appreciate, disseminating that within 24 hours or 48 hours is a difficult task.
“I just want to put the facts on the table because it is so important for us to not only vaccinate as many people as soon as possible, but also to make the vaccine available through multiple channels.
“We want to work with the Federal government to make that happen but I will not have untrue statements made publicly.”
Mr Hazzard said he would demand an apology from the federal authorities.
“Up until today, every state and territory government has maintained a collegiate approach because we want people to feel confident in a collective government decision,” he said.
“But, as Health Minister in NSW, I am extremely angry and I know there are other health ministers in the country who share similar views.”
Ms Berejiklian and Mr Hazzard said it was not appropriate for the federal government to release misleading information regarding the distribution of the vaccine.
“I can assure the community that your state government here in NSW is doing everything possible to roll out the vaccines, as long as we get the plans going forward for the correct amounts of vaccine, we will roll it out as quickly as possible,” Mr Hazzard said.
PM refuses to ‘play politics’
Scott Morrison has accused Queensland of playing politics after the state’s deputy premier lashed the Prime Minister for failing to reach its April vaccination target.
Earlier today, Queensland’s Deputy Premier Steven Miles said The Prime Minister had fallen well short of his target to vaccinate 4 million Australians by early April.
Mr Morrison said a delay in supply was due to overseas supply issues.
“That was dealt with months ago, so that being put up as some constant target is just politics,” he said.
“I’m not interested in people who want to play politics with vaccines and distributions.”
Mr Morrison said the country remained on track for every Australian to receive their COVID vaccination by October.
He also played down tensions between the state after Queensland accused the commonwealth of not promising enough supply to ensure second doses.
“They have a 12 week forward projection, but again, I have no interest in getting involved in tit for tat of vaccines,” he said.
Additional reporting: Adeshola Ore, Nicholas Jensen
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