Mal Brough (Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I am not quite sure that you have got the PM’s words right—and I am not trying to be funny here. I think you will find that he said ‘uninhabitable for 48 hours’. What we are trying to do is bring this in line with what we have done for Cyclone Larry and other disasters. The normal circumstances are if you are without power for 14 days. I am not doing that. In fact, I have instructed my department to tell Centrelink that without power—and if that is the only issue—it is seven days. However, because obviously this is not Far North Queensland, I am aware of the issue that you are raising. If, for argument’s sake, it is without sewerage et cetera, a house is inhabitable for 48 hours. So 48 hours stands—14 days is what was applied apparently in Far North Queensland. I think it is inappropriate, given the conditions down here, and we have said if that is the only issue it is seven days. But if there are a multitude of things which would make a house uninhabitable then clearly it needs to be shorter periods of time, and that is where the 48 hours apply. That is what we are asking Centrelink to be mindful of.

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