[Theme music starts]

RUBY:

From Schwartz Media, I’m Ruby Jones - this is 7am.
This week the federal government was caught out without a clear plan on two of the biggest crises facing the world right now: the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan. In both instances, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been accused of not sufficiently preparing for outcomes that many had predicted, and responding too defensively.
Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on whether being underprepared is now a feature of Scott Morrison’s leadership - and what the consequences are.
It’s Friday August 20
[Theme music ends]

RUBY:

Morning, Paul, how are you?

PAUL:

I’ve gotta say, not having been in lockdown for 12 months in Canberra, you forget just how closed in it really is. And that's from someone who lives in a house with a garden. So I really do feel sorry for the hundreds of thousands or indeed the millions who live in apartments.

RUBY:

How are you surviving? Are you making use of the garden Paul, doing some gardening?

PAUL:

Oh, yes. Well, fortunately, it's winter, so there's not a lot to do. But I am raking up leaves and other debris.

RUBY:

Ok so if you’re good to go then Paul… the federal government has been desperately trying to secure more doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to try and speed up the rollout, particularly to support the hardest hit parts of NSW. This week it worked, they managed to get some more supplies. Can you tell me a bit about that?

PAUL:

Well, Ruby, you're right. It seems clear that in New South Wales the virus is outrunning the lockdown's exposing a vulnerable population that is now rushing to get vaccinated much later than would have been ideal.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“I want to turn now to some good news. And the news today is that Australia's vaccination rollout is continuing to ramp up; over 15 million vaccines have now been administered...”

PAUL:

The Prime Minister is now scrambling to secure the Pfizer vaccine from wherever he can find a willing seller.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“But there is hope indeed. There's a million more than a million doses of hope on its way.”

PAUL:

And this week it was Poland.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“Earlier today, a plane left Dubai, having left Warsaw last night. We have been in discussions with the Polish government now for several weeks...”

PAUL:

On Sunday, Scott Morrison announced Australia will receive an extra one million Pfizer vaccine doses from Poland with young people in Covid affected parts of Sydney to be given priority access.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“...and we have secured an additional just over one million doses of Fizer and they'll start landing in Australia tonight.”

PAUL:

The Prime Minister said the outbreak in New South Wales was a key factor in Poland's decision to release the doses to Australia.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“And I particularly want to thank Prime Minister Mravinsky, who I've had numerous discussions with over these last few weeks and been in regular contact. I want to thank him personally and his government for their support of Australia's Covid-19 response during this very challenging time.”

PAUL:

But it wasn't the only acquisition of vaccine doses that made headlines, the other news was more controversial, and that was the revelation that Australia had raided a half million doses from the Covax scheme.

RUBY:

So let's talk a bit about the COVAX scheme. Paul, why was it controversial for Australia to tap into it like this?

PAUL:

Well, Ruby the scheme is operated by the World Health Organisation, a key UN agency. And the idea is that rich countries such as Australia provide money to ensure vaccines can be set aside for poorer nations. But under a second stream, countries including Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand have also purchased vaccines, arguing that their own supplies have fallen short of expectations. In June, when the government was desperate to secure more vaccine, it tapped into the COVAX scheme and secured 500,000 doses of Pfizer. You know, that's more than twice the amount of doses distributed to the entire continent of Africa in the same month. Well, it's a decision that's been blasted by the international aid community who point out that for the pandemic to truly end, we need to vaccinate the entire world, not just Australia. And developing nations should not be punished because of our own mistakes or derelictions. Now, Ruby, it really speaks to the Prime Minister's lack of planning on vaccines, but also on the other key issue of the pandemic.

RUBY:

And one of the ideas that has been raised again and again going right back to the beginning of the pandemic Paul is purpose-built quarantine facilities so that the country isn't as reliant on hotel quarantine. That is something that many states have been asking the federal government to help them with. So where are we up to it with that, Paul? Is anything being built?

PAUL:

Eighteen months into the pandemic, Scott Morrison is clearly anxious to start looking like he's getting ahead of the game. And I learnt this week of a bizarre intervention on the issue of hotel quarantine, to that effect.
The Palaszczuk government in Queensland had briefed the media this week, that it had finally reached an agreement with the Commonwealth on the construction of the nation's third dedicated Covid camp at Pinkenba near Brisbane Airport. But apparently Morrison wasn't all that happy about the announcement getting away from him, his people went ballistic.

Archival Tape -- Newsreader

“A memorandum of understanding lead to a misunderstanding…”

PAUL:

The feds had taken great exception to being preempted and the fact that elements of the Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding - the IMU - on the plan to build the site had made their way into the public domain. I have to tell you, it left Queensland government officials bemused at what they described to me as over-the-top and petty comments. But Ruby, I suppose it gives us an insight into the Prime Minister and his office right now caught on the back foot, desperately trying to look like they're in control when the evidence clearly paints a very different picture.

RUBY:

We'll be back in a moment.
[ADVERTISEMENT]

RUBY:

Paul this week, there were devastating scenes in Afghanistan as the country fell once again to the Taliban, we’ll be covering that in more detail on Monday with The Saturday Paper’s Karen Middleton, but can you tell me a bit about the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison's response to those events?

PAUL:

Well Ruby, yet again, it was clear there was no plan to help either Australians stranded in the country, the local Afghan staff who work with our forces or those seeking asylum. None of this should have come as a surprise. We knew the US led withdrawal was happening because we were part of it. Yet we saw the government scramble and change position multiple times during the week on what kind of assistance would be offered.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“This is not a simple process. It's very difficult for any Australian to imagine the sense of chaos and uncertainty that's existing right across this country, the breakdown in formal communications, the ability to reach people.”

PAUL:

Initially, Scott Morrison said that he wished things were different in explaining that not everyone who deserved our protection would get it.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“So it isn't just a matter of people coming along and presenting a payslip from the Australian government saying, I used to work for you. It is.. I wish it were that simple. It is not that simple. It is incredibly complicated.”

PAUL:

But by the middle of the week, he changed his tune somewhat, following a backlash from many, including Australian Afghan veterans.

RUBY:

OK, so what did he eventually decide on then, Paul? What's the position now?

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“Last evening, Australia's operation to commence evacuating Australians and visa holders, Afghan nationals and others from Kabul commenced”

PAUL:

On Wednesday, Morrison announced that an Australian Air Force plane would go into Kabul to rescue citizens, visa holders and some local former staff.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“We were able to get our first flight last night, enabling us to also transfer in key personnel from foreign affairs and trade home affairs and defense to facilitate the evacuation of citizens, residents and visa holders, Afghan nationals from Kabul.”

PAUL:

But that really is the bare minimum. And only 26 passengers made it. It's a far cry from former Prime Minister Bob Hawke in 1989 when he granted permanent residency to more than 19,000 Chinese nationals after the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Archival Tape -- Bob Hawke

“I just made the decision on the spot that the Chinese students here in Australia would be permitted to stay. And when I went off the stage, the senior bureaucrats said, ‘Prime Minister, you can't do that’. I said, ‘it's done.’”

PAUL:

There are currently 53 Afghans in long term immigration detention here, as well as more than 4000 on what's called temporary protection visas. Now they're mainly from the Hazara minority who are regularly targeted by the Taliban. So there's no way they could safely be returned home.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“What I can confirm is this, though, and I have a very clear message on this, we will only be resettling people through our official humanitarian programme, going through official channels.”

PAUL:

The Prime Minister spoke of allowing 3000 more Afghans in as part of our humanitarian cohort, but not if they attempt to come illegally.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison

“We will not be allowing people to enter Australia illegally even at this time. Our policy has not changed.”

PAUL:

And I have to say that's a cynical description, given that no matter what way they come, it's not illegal to claim asylum.

RUBY:

Hmm And a number of countries around the world have offered to accept tens of thousands of Afghan civilians fleeing the country right now. So far, it sounds like Australia will not be doing something similar. Is there any chance of that changing, do you think?

PAUL:

Well, Ruby, the Prime Minister has point blank ruled out following Canada, the UK and other nations in offering to take up to 20,000 Afghan refugees. He's even ruled out following Tony Abbott's special exemption, which saw 12,000 additional refugees from Syria and Iraq allowed into our country after heightened hostilities in 2015.
And the vehemence of Morrison's assertion of an unchanged boat people policy. Well, it smacks to me of a desperate Prime Minister itching for another border security election. Now, that may have worked for a similarly hard pressed John Howard in 2001, but two decades later, in light of all that's happened, it's looking particularly tawdry. And in my view, it's not the lifeline that Scott Morrison needs to rescue his political fortunes.

RUBY:

Paul, thank you so much for your time.

PAUL:

Thank you. Ruby, bye
[ADVERTISEMENT]
[Theme music Starts]

RUBY:

Also in the news today,

New South Wales recorded 681 locally acquired cases of Covid-19 and one death on Thursday. At least 59 of those were infectious in the community. The state's premier Gladys Berejikilian announced a one week extension of the lockdown in regional NSW after the region recorded 25 more new cases.

And in Victoria, none of the 14 people currently in hospital with Covid-19 have been vaccinated - despite nine being eligible. Authorities say it highlights the "critical" role of vaccines to prevent serious illness. Yesterday marked Melbourne’s 200th cumulative day in lockdown. There were 57 new cases of Covid-19 recorded.

7am is a daily show from The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. It’s produced by Elle Marsh, Michelle Macklem, Kara Jensen-Mackinnon and Anu Hasbold. Our senior producer is Ruby Schwartz and our technical producer is Atticus Bastow.

Brian Campeau mixes the show. Our editor is Osman Faruqi. Erik Jensen is our editor-in-chief. Our theme music is by Ned Beckley and Josh Hogan of Envelope Audio.

I’m Ruby Jones - this is 7am - see you on Monday
[Theme music ends]