Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: It's great to be here with Michael Gunner, the Chief Minister, because it's great to thank the Northern Territory for the amazing job. Michael, that is been done here at Howard Springs. This facility has been running for some time now and we are about to go to a whole new level. But I think what you've all achieved here, Cath and to Len, has been truly extraordinary. I would quite confidently say that I suspect this is the best run quarantine facility for COVID anywhere in the world. And that's happening here in Australia. It's happening here in the Northern Territory. It's happening right here at Howard Springs - I was going to say Humpty Doo. And that is a great credit to your professionalism. It's a great credit to your skill. But I think beyond all of that, it's a great credit to your compassion and your care for your fellow Australians who are going through a very distressing and very anxious time, whether it's dealing, as we were discussing, with mental health issues, concerns about family that are left behind, the stresses they've been dealing with over a long period, the health challenges that they're indeed facing, particularly if they’ve attracted COVID themselves. And so I just want to thank you for the service that you've provided to your country. I'm very proud of what you've achieved and I know you'll keep doing that job for the country. It's incredibly important for us because you're one of the key reasons we can get Australians home and get them home safely. So on behalf of them and all of their families and all Australians, thank you very much.
MICHAEL GUNNER, NORTHERN TERRITORY CHIEF MINISTER: Thank you, Prime Minister. This has been a partnership. I think everybody is here because we genuinely want to make a difference and look after people and it's been over a year. It's extraordinary to go back in time but that first phone call about can we look after Australians stuck in Wuhan? And ever since then, people have been here doing it pretty tough. It's not an easy climate to wear PPE in and you’ve done an extraordinary job. It is gold standard, not just for Australia, but for the world, genuinely led the way. And I've never been prouder to be a Territorian than I have during this pandemic and seeing all of you do everything you've done. We are the safest because you are the best. Thank you all and thank you, Prime Minister, for all your support. This could not happen without the Australian Government getting in behind and making this work. So it is very much genuinely a partnership. Thank you all. Thank you, everyone.