Former Labor advisor Darrin Barnett says “on balance” Australian authorities have done a good job this year and that he “trusts them to make the right decision” on a possible COVID-19 vaccine.

The federal government is planning for a wider roll out of a COVID-19 vaccine for every Australian who wants it by October 2021.

It is expected frontline workers at the coalface of COVID-19 as well as the elderly will be able to receive a COVID-19 jab by March, but the government plans to roll it out for the rest of the nation in October.

It comes as a vaccine against the virus is currently being rolled out in the UK and the US, with calls also coming for Australia to implement a vaccine faster.

“We do have our own processes for approving medical technology in Australia,” Mr Barnett said.

“The problem that we have is that there’s a long queue for the vaccines, and whoever gets the vaccine first is probably going to pay a higher price for it because of that competition.

“Now, because of our relatively low numbers, the government is probably figuring that we’re not at the front of the queue for need and that we may be able to save a little bit of money by being in the middle, or further back in the queue,” he said.