Economic recovery is tied to the health of the nation, as witnessed in today’s Deloitte Access Economic Business Outlook.

Federal Member for Blair, Shayne Neumann said Queenslanders would be experiencing a stronger recovery if not for Scott Morrison’s failures on the health front.

“The economic recovery is hostage to the Morrison Government’s incompetence, complacency and indifference,” Mr Neumann said.

“You cannot have a healthy economy without healthy people.

“One of the world’s slowest booster rollouts and a crippling shortage of rapid tests has economic consequences.

“You need look no further than the local supermarkets – the shelves are bare, workers are home sick or being laid off.

“Local people have done their jobs through the pandemic, adhered to regulations and received vaccinations.

“But they have been badly let down by a Prime Minister who is indifferent to their plight and unwilling or incapable of doing his job.”

Mr Neumann said the Prime Minister’s decision to make a handful of rapid tests free for a handful of people is unfair and unrealistic.

“Scott Morrison’s decision to leave local working families in the lurch - scrambling to find a test they end up paying an arm and a leg for - shows he is out of touch and out of ideas.

“This plan is to have potentially positive pensioners and others line up to apply for tests while leaving ordinary families behind.

“PCR tests are free for everyone through Medicare and the rapid antigen tests should be as well.

“Nobody should be denied a test because they can’t afford one.

“Labor has considered the options and it is clear that making them free to all is the simplest, most efficient, fairest and most responsible way to fix the mess that Scott Morrison has made of testing at this critical juncture of the pandemic.”