On the 31st, the Australian radio host asked Prime Minister Morrison why Biden refused to give Australia any additional Pfizer vaccine after he contributed to the United States to suppress China.
Morrison was enraged and hung up the phone.
This once again highlights a major concern for many in Australia: Why is it that the Australian government, which offends China for the benefit of the United States, is unable to obtain even a small amount of additional COVID-19 vaccine from the United States at a time when the epidemic is deteriorating sharply?
In recent months, Australia has gone from having almost no COVID-19 cases to adding more than 1,000 COVID-19 cases a day, and the cumulative number of deaths has exceeded 1,000. Morrison is constantly questioned why he has made a series of mistakes in access to vaccines. Many people have asked why the "special relationship" claimed by the United States between the two countries cannot be exchanged for a few million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
In fact, Australia, which has a population of less than 30 million, only needs to obtain an additional few million doses of vaccine in a few weeks on top of the vaccine already ordered, which can significantly improve the epidemic, but the US government is reluctant to give any additional vaccine.
Against this backdrop, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was asked this question in an interview with Radio Brisbane 4BC, and he hung up the phone in exasperation.
Morrison previously used the interview to say that once Australia's vaccination targets are met, Australia should move to a home isolation system rather than relying on hotel isolation.
The moderator later turned the issue to the Australian government's relationship with U.S. President Joe Biden, seemingly provoking Morrison's anger. Many believe he is too close to Trump, fueling the current frosty relationship with Biden.
Morrison's call for the social blockade to be lifted as soon as possible has also attracted great controversy. Asked how he felt about Queensland's two-week suspension of interstate hotspot visitors due to a full hotel quarantine system, Morrison outlined a family quarantine plan. Morrison said: "We need to switch to home isolation. "Now in South Australia, they're doing trials of home isolation." And that's what we can start implementing once we get 70 percent. ”
Morrison said he would like to see family segregation become the "norm." "At some point we need to continue to quarantine, and then what we need is international travelers, workers who have to go to work, and so on to get vaccinated." "That's why if the vaccination rate exceeds 80 percent, I would like to see home isolation become the norm."
Subsequently, moderator Neil Brin asked the prime minister if he had spoken to the president of the United States since Kabul fell into the hands of the Taliban.
He replied, "No, not yet." I want to meet him at three o'clock in the near future. ”
The radio host asked, "Isn't it disappointing that he didn't contact you?" We are a fairly strong ally. ”
Morrison responded: "I mean, we've been in touch with the people who run these operations (U.S. officials). ”
"He contacted Spain, Italy, France and all other allies," the host said. ”
The conversation then turned to Pfizer's vaccine, with reports that the Australian government had "lodged negotiations" to urge the United States to deliver more Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
Moderator Brin continued: "He didn't give us (the extra) Pfizer vaccine. I think we should question him. ”
Morrison replied, "No, not at all. I mean, I don't agree with that statement. "I've been consulting with the United States on a number of issues, and we'll continue to do that." I don't value other issues. I'm just focused on getting the job done. ”
But when the host tried to say goodbye to Morrison, Morrison rudely hung up the phone.
Host Brin had to say to the audience, "I don't think he likes the question about Joe Biden." ”