Battlelines have been drawn over Australia's hospitals ahead of national cabinet, with ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr unconvinced by assurances from Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt.
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State and territory leaders will meet their federal counterparts on Friday afternoon, with the lag in Indigenous vaccinations, international border, and future of quarantine to be discussed.
But Australia's hospital capacity will be central to the meeting, the first national cabinet in a month, after becoming the focus of a brawl between the states and Commonwealth.
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He said he had confidence in capacity, with NSW, Victoria and Queensland having had nearly two years to plan for reopening.
"They've done their preparatory work and, faced with the challenge, they've come through in an outstanding fashion," he said.
"It hasn't been easy. COVID is not easy, but our hospitals have risen, our medical staff have risen and, frankly, Australians have have risen."
Despite accepting the ACT's soaring vaccination levels would ease the burden, Chief Minister Andrew Barr remained unconvinced.
"I am still concerned that the modelling the Commonwealth is presenting to national cabinet on hospital capacity adjusted for population sizes still does not account for cross-jurisdictional patient flow demand," he said.
"This is a significant issue for the ACT, as the modelling does not factor in demand from the Southern NSW catchment."
National cabinet discussed modelling on hospital capacity in September, with Mr Barr warning it painted a more dire picture than first thought.
Mr Hunt, who has refuted that suggestion, said there were "no barriers" from the Commonwealth on releasing the modelling. But he said whether to make it public would be a collective decision made on Friday.
"From our perspective, our intention has always been that if national cabinet approves that, we would certainly make it available," he said.
It came as a Senate inquiry heard GPs had been stretched by the vaccine rollout, which had led to appointments being delayed in regional areas.
Australian Medical Association vice president Dr Chris Moy warned of a "desperate need" to fix a shortfall in funding from successive governments.
"Investment has not matched the increase in costs and demands," he said.
'No doubt': Andrews, Perrottet to join forces
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday revealed he and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet would present a united front at national cabinet, over plans for booster shots and the prospect of expanding vaccines to children aged under 12.
Pfizer has begun its application to vaccinate children aged between 5 and 11, and Mr Hunt insisted the federal government was ready to launch a rollout as soon as it was given the green light by medical regulators.
The US Food and Drug Administration approved vaccines in the age group, with the White House revealing millions of doses were being readied.
"Hopefully our federal government's doing the same. It'd be great to think that we could make a dent into that before the school year ended," Mr Andrews said.
The national rollout of third doses will also begin in earnest on November 8, with Australians aged 18 and over eligible for Pfizer regardless of which vaccine they originally received.
Mr Hunt confirmed Moderna was set to file its own application in the coming weeks, with Mr Andrews warning the pandemic will not be over "until we get boosters in people's arms".
"The Premier of NSW and I will be putting a number of very important points to the PM, and by the end of the meeting, if not before, he will be in no doubt about what Victoria and NSW need," he said.
"Victoria and NSW are in very similar circumstances, and it's very important that we provide that leadership given the unique experience [we have] been through."
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Mr Andrews experience an at times frosty relationship with former Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who regularly threw barbs at Victoria's handling of the pandemic.
But he declined to twist the knife after Ms Berejiklian's appearance before the Independent Commission Against Corruption earlier this week.
"I think Gladys has got enough to deal with without me reflecting on [that], I'm not into that. That history can't really change that," he said.
"I've got a good relationship with Dominic Perrottet. I had a good relationship with Gladys, as well, but everyone's different."
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