Barnaby Joyce responds to criticism of Australia’s four-step plan

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Text by Frank Chung

Barnaby Joyce claimed that the PM’s four-phase plan to end the lockdowns, which did not include any thresholds or targets, in fact had a key number.

The Deputy Prime Minister appeared on SevensSunriseon Monday morning to defend Scott Morrisonsplan announced on Friday, which drew criticism for lack of concrete action 18 months after the start of the pandemic, and for failing to set a clear timeline on when the country’s international borders may reopen.

In particular, the plan has failed to address Australia’s vaccine shortage, despite the large-scale vaccination needed to get past the first phase.

It’s not really a plan, is it? Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon told the program.

You don’t get to steps two, three, and four until you complete step one. You can’t go back to any form of normalcy, we can’t get over these ridiculous blockages, we can’t get the economy going again until you get a full-scale vaccination.

Sunrisehost Natalie Barr asked Mr. Joyce why there were no numbers, no dates in the plan.

The figures are there in what was done, replied the Deputy Prime Minister.

The numbers will surpass eight million by the end of this week, we’ll be well above nine million, and that’s the measure you’re working for, he continued, referring to the number of doses of vaccine administered.

Mr Joyce said the vaccine rollout was accelerating, with the AstraZeneca vaccine now also being offered to young Australians, despite concerns about rare blood clots.

More and more people have had a stroke and are heading for the second stroke, he said.

You see it in your own community and in your workplace, so many people have had a chance now it’s happening.

Mr Joyce said the problem was that there was not enough Pfizer for everyone.

Weren’t they the only country in the world facing this, other countries like Canada and Mexico also have to rely on the Pfizer vaccine, so this idea that the Pfizer vaccine problem is a unique problem? is not correct, he said. .

There is a vaccine supply AstraZeneca, as I said, were trying to get hold of Pfizer just like Canada and Mexico.

Rushcutters Bay Park Sunday during the lockdown. Photo / Getty Images

Emphasizing why the government had not included targets in the four-phase plan, the deputy prime minister said he could not explain why to other people.

But I would suggest I wouldn’t because what you want to make sure is work on a plan that says we’re going to have to live with this virus, we’re not going to get rid of it, he said. he declares.

Even if everyone is vaccinated or if you are 90% vaccinated, you will still have the virus in the community. So you have to make sure you condition people to the idea that our job is to keep you alive, and to keep you from getting sick, you’re not going to be able to eradicate Covid-19, that just won’t happen.

Mr Joyce said Australia must learn to live with the virus like the flu or measles and mumps.

We don’t want them, but we don’t shut down the economy because of them, he said.

And that is precisely what was being done and I think the States are now embracing this idea. It puts the nation in a much stronger position.

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