Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Attorney-General, Senator Ludwig. The minister would be aware of the floods that devastated the Western Australian communities in the Gascoyne region of WA, including Carnarvon, in late December 2010 and early January this year. Can the minister explain why after seven weeks no payments have been made under the natural disaster recovery scheme to any affected residents? Those payments—a minimum of $1,000 for each adult, regardless of income, with $400 per child—would allow those people to start rebuilding their lives. Will the minister guarantee that this government’s failure to release these funds to affected Western Australian families will be addressed immediately?

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are a hypocrite. You just want to raise money for the Liberal Party.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, you need to withdraw that comment. Even I heard that.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Commonwealth continues to be committed to those people who need assistance in flood affected communities in Western Australia and is providing a range of joint Commonwealth-state funded assistance in 24 local government regions in that area. Seven local government regions—Ashburton, Carnarvon, Exeter, Murchison, North Hampton, Shark Bay and Upper Gascoyne—are receiving the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Don’t you want to hear what these people are receiving out of the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements? Clearly, you do not want to hear that we are providing support. That would be right: the opposition just want to decry and make claims. Maybe they do not want these people to receive any support from the Commonwealth government.

The assistance includes personal hardship and distress assistance, including the provision of emergency assistance, emergency accommodation, food, essential clothing, other personal items, payments of up to $388 per eligible adult and up to $194 per eligible child on the first day of assistance. There are also payments for temporary living expenses of between $110 and $150 per day for every adult for families in the metropolitan area. It also includes the restoration of essential public assets.

Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on relevance. The question to the minister was not what is in the market to be supplied or what is in the bucket. The question was: why have none of them received one cent under this particular natural disaster recovery scheme after seven weeks?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe that the minister is answering the question.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In addition to those 17 local government areas, there is a range of payments that are available in that region. Further to the Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy, there is also a fortnightly payment equivalent of up to the maximum rate of Newstart or youth allowance. The Commonwealth government continues to support and work with the Western Australian government and affected communities to ensure they receive the support and assistance they need. (Time expired)

Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister explain why, following the declaration by Premier Barnett that this was a natural major disaster and its confirmation by the Prime Minister, this payment was not paid immediately to flood victims through Centrelink?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I have said, there is a range of assistance being jointly provided through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements. What the opposition fail to understand is that right across Australia, through Emergency Management Australia and the relevant emergency departments in the states, we have arrangements in place. Perhaps they should understand this because they fail to grasp that there are natural disaster relief and recovery arrangements available. When states activate an area and advise the Commonwealth that there is an area that has suffered a natural disaster—

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order on relevance, the question from Senator Back is very clear: why are these payments not being made? Either the minister is deliberately misunderstanding the question or he is simply incapable of understanding it. We know the payments are available, but they are not being paid. Could you direct the minister to answer the question or sit him down if he cannot?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was the most spurious point of order yet today, which is a record for the good senator. Senator Ludwig has been addressing the question specifically. If you have worded your questions poorly that is your problem. Take it to your tactics committee. Senator Ludwig could not be more on message and on point.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I cannot instruct a minister how to answer a question. The minister has 25 seconds remaining to answer the question. I draw the minister’s attention to the question.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was explaining to the opposition, who fail to grasp what arrangements are in place, there are joint arrangements between the state and the Commonwealth. In this instance, they are administered by the state under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements. If we had been in a state parliament they may have been able to provide the exact figures. On behalf of the Attorney-General, I can seek the information— (Time expired)

Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. The minister needs to understand that it is a federal government disaster recovery scheme. Can the minister assure the Senate that those families recovering from the natural disaster that has occurred over the last few days in Perth, in which 72 homes were destroyed and 32 damaged, will not suffer the same fate as those in the Gascoyne by missing out on vital federal funding?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a matter that we should not take lightly. Houses have been burnt. The government is committed to supporting individuals and communities affected by the bushfires in Western Australia. I also acknowledge the tremendous effort of the personnel involved in fighting those fires. The Commonwealth assistance is being provided to the Western Australian government through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements. It currently applies to the local government districts of Armadale, Canning, Chittering, Serpentine, Swan and one other. The natural disaster relief and recovery assistance includes emergency assistance for people who have suffered personal hardship. This includes the provision of emergency assistance such as accommodation, food, essential clothing and other personal items, and payments of up to $388 per eligible adult and up to $194 per eligible child. (Time expired)