Scott Morrison has side-stepped a question highlighting his reluctance to rebuke government MPs spreading misinformation about Covid-19 treatments and vaccines by declaring Craig Kelly “is not my doctor”.
The prime minister opened the new parliamentary year with a scene-setting address at the National Press Club, declaring on Monday he wanted Australia to get to net zero emissions “as soon as possible” and “preferably by 2050” – his strongest formulation to date.
Morrison also resumed efforts to invite a diplomatic and economic rapprochement with China, and outlined further details of the coronavirus vaccination program.
But with the looming vaccine rollout a key focus, Morrison was asked whether the government was wasting taxpayers money by embarking on a $24m public information campaign to build community confidence in the safety of inoculations when some of his own MPs were intent on publishing false claims on social media.
The prime minister responded by saying people should seek information about the vaccination program from official government websites, not from Facebook.
But when pressed about the behaviour of Craig Kelly – a Liberal MP who has built a substantial following on Facebook – Morrison declared: “He’s not my doctor and he’s not yours”. He added the outspoken MP did a “great job” in his Sydney electorate of Hughes.
Kelly’s serial interventions have attracted a public rebuke from the chief medical officer and the Australian Medical Association.
But the Sydney backbencher has not attracted any significant criticism from senior players in the government despite being routinely at odds with public health messaging in the middle of a pandemic. The shadow health minister, Mark Butler, on Monday branded Kelly a “menace”.
Morrison used the press club speech to frame his priorities for the new parliamentary year, including on climate change, energy and the environment.
The prime minister’s language about the Coalition adopting a target of net zero emissions by 2050 has warmed up since the election of Joe Biden to the White House and Morrison’s comments about the target on Monday, while qualified, were warmer again, giving heart to Liberals who believe the government needs to shift.
While Morrison is clearly trying to nudge the government in the direction of adopting the mid-century target, he will face significant opposition from the National party if he activates the telegraphed shift with a concrete commitment.
The prime minister is also continuing to argue the pace of change will be governed by “advances made in science and technology”.
He said the government intended to proceed with the transition by “investing and partnering in the technology breakthroughs needed to reduce and offset emissions in a way that enables our heavy industry in particular, industry more broadly, jobs and living standards, especially in regional Australia, to continue and to keep energy costs down”.
Morrison also flagged a focus this year on agriculture and the environment – soils, water and oceans – including a soil carbon strategy that would be a focus of the May budget.
The prime minister addressed the government’s ongoing diplomatic difficulties with China. Morrison said when it came to geopolitical tensions, the incoming Biden administration would set the tone for the world for the “foreseeable future”.
Morrison said the government would continue efforts to engage China and reset the relationship after months of rhetorical clashes and escalating trade sanctions.
The prime minister said it was “not surprising that there will be differences between two nations with such different economic and political systems”.
“Our task is to ensure that such differences do not deny Australia and China from realising the mutual benefits of that partnership, consistent with our own respective national sovereign interests,” he said.
The prime minister said Canberra’s relationship with Beijing had changed since the two countries had entered a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Morrison said Australia could not “pretend that things are as they were” when the world had changed, but he said “an enduring partnership requires both of us to adapt to these new realities and talk with each other”.