Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience, Senator McKenzie. New South Wales Liberal Catherine Cusack MLC has described Mr Morrison's politicisation of flood relief as 'probably the most unethical approach I have ever seen'. She has said she will resign. She said, 'I can't defend it, and I am outraged by it.' How can the Morrison government defend its own approach when even New South Wales state Liberals won't defend it?

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Slade Brockman (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Watt! Senator Paterson and Senator Reynolds, you are not assisting. Minister.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience) | Link to this | Hansard source

The rainfall and subsequent flooding event which occurred in late February and early March and which continues even today has caused devastation throughout these communities, particularly northern New South Wales and the seven local government areas of the Northern Rivers.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience) | Link to this | Hansard source

Many of those opposite are choosing to yell and scream about this devastating impact which has caused Australians to lose their lives, rather than actually hear about the things that we've done as a federal government in conjunction with the state government to support these communities. Right now at the peak of Operation Flood Assist 2022, there were 7,000 ADF personnel present across Queensland and New South Wales. Right now, there are around 4,000 ADF personnel in Lismore itself, and they're assisting that community with the very tough task of getting the piles of rubbish on the streets of Lismore—which I know you've seen, Senator Watt—off the streets and of heading out into smaller communities of Wardell, Coraki, Broadwater and beyond to assist with the very long task of the clean-up. They've been welcomed with open arms in these communities. I know it was quite hard for the ADF—

Slade Brockman (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister. A point of order, Senator McAllister?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is relevance. The question went to the comments by Ms Cusack and in particular her comments regarding the ethics of the Morrison government's approach to flood relief. The minister hasn't gone to that question at all.

Slade Brockman (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

I have been listening carefully to the minister's answer. I cannot instruct the minister on how to answer a question. I believe she was being directly relevant to the question. Minister, you have 43 seconds.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience) | Link to this | Hansard source

As we know, disaster recovery funding arrangements that were set up in 2018 are jointly funded by Commonwealth and state governments. On the very day that these flooding events were occurring in New South Wales, these were activated by the New South Wales government, as is the appropriate governance arrangement for the disaster recovery funding arrangements. In the first days of the flood event we were rolling out temporary accommodation assistance with the New South Wales government. We were funding it; they are responsible for rolling it out. We were also assisting them with local council grants and the like for that immediate response. Now we've shifted to recovery— (Time expired)

Slade Brockman (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McAllister, a supplementary question?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) | Link to this | Hansard source

New South Wales Nationals MP Geoff Provest has said:

… the federal government have really messed this up … This is like a remake of the bushfires some two years ago.

How can the Morrison government defend its own approach when even New South Wales Nationals won't defend it?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience) | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said in my previous answer, we've been able to get, at a Commonwealth level, non-financial aid, being the ADF boots on the ground and the Taipan helicopters rescuing people off roofs in Lismore itself within hours, because we did preposture ahead of that request from the New South Wales government. We have, even now, 4,000 ADF on the ground. So non-financial support rolled out in record time, and financial support rolled out in record time through Services Australia and our own disaster payment and disaster recovery allowance.

It might not suit the Labor Party's narrative; they want to politicise natural disasters. But what Australians in need want to hear from their political leaders—

Slade Brockman (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, you're not assisting.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience) | Link to this | Hansard source

irrespective of whether they're federal or state and irrespective of whether they are Labor or Liberal, is actually working together to get the response where it's needed and when it's needed. (Time expired)

Honourable senators interjecting—

Slade Brockman (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

It is becoming increasingly difficult to hear the minister's answers. Senator McAllister, a second supplementary question?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Provest also declared that he was 'disgusted' by Mr Morrison and said, 'I'd struggle to vote for him.' When even members of the New South Wales Liberals and Nationals can't defend Mr Morrison, can't stomach voting for him and are disgusted with him, does the minister really expect Australians to feel differently?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience) | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, Australians in need are quite offended by cheap political pointscoring by those in the privileged positions that we hold. They want us to get on with the job of assisting them in their time of need, including in the immediate response phase in the immediate days when people are actually—thousands of people are homeless here—getting temporary accommodation sorted and making sure they have cash in their accounts to purchase petrol and clothes. That's exactly what the Palaszczuk government partnered with us to do, as the Perrottet state government did with the Commonwealth.

Once we move into the recovery phase, which we are now in—and this is going to last a long time—we are rolling out additional measures, depending on what the state governments decide. So the Palaszczuk government wanted to give, in the category D response, $20,000 to community groups. The Perrottet government— (Time expired)