Tuesday, 8 February 2022

Ministers statements: COVID-19

Mr MERLINO (Monbulk—Minister for Education, Minister for Mental Health) (14:21): I rise to update the house on the successful return to school for students and staff across Victoria. Last week we saw more than 1 million students and 110 000 staff safely return to the classroom, just as we promised they would, and it has been wonderful to see parents, students and teachers so excited about the return from holidays back to face-to-face learning.

The Andrews government will continue to make sure that the return to school remains as safe as possible through a suite of COVID-safe measures. We said we would deliver 51 000 air purifiers by the start of term 1, and that is exactly what we have done. We are now delivering 15.6 million rapid antigen tests to schools and early childhood centres for surveillance and close contact testing, and an additional 30 million face masks. On face masks, we have got the requirement, as you know, to wear face masks indoors. Well, I can tell you that kids in grade 3 are better at wearing face masks than the Leader of the Opposition—children who are more mature than those opposite.

We have got 30 pop-up school sites, 200 partnerships with GPs—

Ms Staley: On a point of order, Speaker, I know we are just back for the first run and the Deputy Premier might have forgotten the rules, but you have repeatedly held that question time, including ministers statements, is not an opportunity to attack the opposition. I perhaps think you might need to remind them.

The SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order. The Deputy Premier to come back to making a statement.

Mr MERLINO: Mental health support in schools, thousands of tutors to support kids, additional camps, excursions and sporting and cultural events, and we have mandated a third dose vaccine for all school staff because we know that vaccines offer the best protection against COVID-19.

But there is an alternative approach. There are those who oppose vaccine mandates, who prefer to listen to conspiracy theorists, to Neo-Nazis, to Wobbly the Wizard on the steps of Parliament, chasing the preferences of anti-vaxxer micro-parties and putting politics ahead of public health. On this side of the house we have a clear position on mandatory vaccination for school staff, not five positions like those confused people opposite.