Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended his record as Australia’s leader during the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking from the Liberal Party’s official campaign launch in Brisbane,the PM said that in March 2020 – as the extent and the severity of the pandemic became apparent – Australia was “a nation gripped by fear and uncertainty”.
“We stood on the edge of an abyss,and as we stared into it,Josh[Frydenberg,the treasurer] and I were confident of one fundamental truth:If we backed Australians,Australia would prevail,” he said.
The PM then ran through the billions of dollars the Coalition spent on the pandemic response,money which he says was spent so Australians could be supported “to fund their way forward”.
“We kept our head in the crisis,” he said.
But governing is a matter of knowing when to step in and knowing when to step back,according to Morrison.
“We made sure we got it right as best as we could,but we weren’t perfect. And not everything went to plan but,you know,when it didn’t,and while others were criticising,we just worked feverishly to turn it around and make it up.”
The PM added that “just getting through” is not enough,and that “long-term success would be determined by what we did during the pandemic to set up for success on the other side”.
The challenges facing Australia are now different,he said.
“This requires a different approach from us as a government to the mode we’ve had to be in over these many difficult years. But it’s also been one that we have been preparing for. And we are ready to get on with it if you give us your support on Saturday. We stand on the edge of a new era.”