Scott Morrison slammed for failing to set up quarantine hubs to prevent coronavirus leaks

Scott Morrison has been accused of failing to establish stronger quarantine hubs to prevent coronavirus leaks and slammed for his delay in assisting thousands of stranded Australians in Covid-ravaged India.

Speaking on The Today Show on Friday morning, Richard Marles, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, was highly critical of the federal government.

Mr Marles declared quarantine hotels in Australia are ‘not fit for purpose’ in a tense exchange with Defence Minister Peter Dutton.

He also claimed the federal government has shirked its constitutional responsibility for quarantine.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition Richard Marles (pictured) declared quarantine hotels in Australia are currently ‘not fit for purpose’

The tense exchange between Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and Richard Marles was played out live on The Today Show on Friday morning

‘(The) hotels are not fit for purpose,’ he told the Nine Network.

‘Quarantine is the government’s job. The federal government’s job. They have had advice from the middle of last year that they should have purpose-built facilities to deal with quarantine.

‘[Quarantine] leaks have caused major state capitals to be shut down at huge economic cost.’

Mr Marles went onto spruik the proposed quarantine facility on Melbourne’s northern fringe, catering for international arrivals on federal land in Mickleham.

The 500-bed quarantine centre will require $200million in federal funding with the state government prepared to allocate $15million for design and planning.

Mr Dutton indicated the federal government has no plans to back the ambitious project, which was announced by acting Victorian Premier James Merlino on Thursday.

‘I have seen some political smoke and mirrors over my time and I think this is right at the top of the list,’ Mr Dutton fired back on the Today Show.

‘This is a $15 million generous donation from the Victorian government to do the planning for a $700 million bill that they want the Commonwealth to pick up.’

Peter Dutton (pictured) is adamant hotel quarantine is ‘working well’ in Australia despite a ‘few blips’

Apart from a few ‘small blips’ which have resulted in state wide lockdowns in Victoria and Western Australia, Mr Dutton was also adamant hotel quarantine is ‘working well.’ 

‘They [hotels] are able to be scaled up,’ he said. ‘It gives us the ability to bring people in, quarantine them and send them back home to get on with their lives.

‘We have now had half a million people who have come back from overseas for different reasons and it’s working.’

Ongoing quarantine arrangements will remain high on national cabinet’s agenda when Scott Morrison meets with premiers and chief ministers on Friday.

The federal government maintains hotels are the preferred option to facilitate overseas guests and returning residents – despite state pleas to set up purpose-built facilities.

PM Scott Morrison (pictured) is said to reject radical proposals from state governments to have their own quarantine hubs