House debates

Thursday, 21 February 2019

Adjournment

Queensland: Floods

11:25 am

Photo of Cathy O'TooleCathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Every day I have stood in this place and fought for the people of Townsville during one of our most difficult times. The Townsville floods have devastated our community. Over the last six years our community was already doing it incredibly tough. Every time we have tried to stand up we seem to get knocked down. We have experienced the closure of QNI, the mining downturn, the local economy downturn, our unemployment rate doubling and now the floods. The Townsville community are so incredibly resilient though. We prove that you can't keep a good Queenslander down. We will get back up again and again, but we need the government's help.

It's not good enough that this LNP government has put such harsh restrictions on the disaster recovery payment. People living in Queenslander homes that have been destroyed are being denied vital assistance because the water didn't reach the first-floor floorboards. Kevin in Rosslea had water come through the bottom floor. He was nine days without power. His hot water system, his fridge, his freezer and numerous belongings on the bottom floor were destroyed. There is mud throughout the bottom floor and now the house is covered in mould. He shouldn't be denied because he lives in a Queenslander. The Queenslander style home is the iconic piece of architecture that people identify with North Queensland. These homes are our Buckingham Palaces. They are just as iconic. For this LNP government to deny people living in Queenslander homes is not just disgusting but also un-Australian.

Then there is the LNP's denial for small business to access category C funding—the $75,000. Insurance in Townsville is incredibly costly. It costs small businesses in some areas up to $20,000 a year. Small businesses are experiencing a huge economic downturn as it is. As such, there have been many cases where businesses have been unable to afford the insurance coverage. This cost would kill their business. As this is a one-in-1,000-year flood, the damage to small businesses has been huge and expensive. The LNP government cannot turn their backs on small business owners when they need them the most. I am demanding that the LNP government allow small businesses to access category C funding—with $75,000.

After the floods many of our community went straight back to work and worked extra hours to help each other out. Our Defence personnel worked incredibly long hours. Bureau of Meteorology staff, local council workers, waste workers, radio staff, cleaners, taxidrivers, SES and volunteers—the list goes on—all worked extra hours, because that's what you do when your community needs a hand. This LNP government is refusing to work even one extra hour to pass Labor's bill that would assist in protecting the Townsville flood victims with their insurance claims. One of the urgent recommendations from the banking royal commission was to give ASIC the power to have oversight over the claims-handling process.

This bill is vital for Townsville flood-affected victims, who are right now fighting with their insurance companies just to get what is owed to them. People like Matt and Nicole in Townsville have been subjected to repeated bullying and intimidating tactics by their insurance company, CommInsure. CommInsure neglected to offer policy entitlements to financial compensation for alternative or emergency accommodation and instead encouraged them to accept an emergency cash payment for temporary emergency accommodation at every query. It was only after hours on hold and multiple interactions with staff that they learnt that the emergency cash payment will get deducted from the final settlement for contents. This is disgraceful and unconscionable conduct. The LNP government are allowing the insurance companies to continue to do this because they refuse to work even one extra hour to pass Labor's bill that would protect people like Matt and Nicole. The LNP refuse to put the interests of Townsville victims first, ahead of their banking and insurance mates. This is a shame.

Townsville needs government assistance now more than ever. The LNP government should not be turning their backs on us at every stage during this disaster. Townsville shouldn't have to fight to lift the LNP's rigid restrictions on disaster recovery funding. Townsville shouldn't have to fight to get their fair share of small business assistance funding. Townsville shouldn't have to fight with the LNP government, who would prefer to put the interests of bankers and insurance companies ahead of the flood victims in Townsville. I will always vote for my community. I demand that the LNP government stand up and start looking after the people of Townsville, because now is when we need this help.