Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Attorney-General (Senator Cash) and the Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience (Senator McKenzie) to questions without notice asked by Senators Sheldon, McAllister and Watt today relating to the Government's response to the recent floods in Queensland and New South Wales.

I begin by acknowledging that the people of northern New South Wales and South-East Queensland again today face a very dire flooding situation. I think all of us are shaking our heads at the fact that, particularly in northern New South Wales, the very same communities that were badly affected by floods only a month ago are facing evacuation orders again because of the flooding that is occurring there right now. We have seen over the last few weeks some extremely unusual weather systems and highly unusual levels of rain, and it is tragic that people are being put through this situation yet again when they are still in the process of cleaning up from the last floods, let alone beginning the job of rebuilding. I'm sure I speak for everyone here today when I pass on our very best wishes and solidarity, particularly to the people of northern New South Wales but also to the people of South-East Queensland, as these floods progress. We do hope that people remain safe and listen to all of the warnings that are issued by authorities.

Today in question time we asked a series of questions to Ministers Cash and McKenzie about the way the government handled last month's floods. As I look back on it, it's very sad that throughout those floods and in the weeks afterwards we saw all the worst qualities of the Morrison government and this Prime Minister on display. We saw people being abandoned in their hour of need by their federal government. The government and the Prime Minister were completely missing in action as the flood waters rose, as they receded and as the clean-up began. And, true to form, we saw the politicisation of grant payments by a government during a natural disaster. We've become used to this government rorting every possible funding program it can get its hands on, whether it be car parks or sports rorts—every kind of rort under the sun—but to see a government politicise the allocation of grant funding in a natural disaster by basing it on colour coded spreadsheets is a new low even for this government.

I know we've heard members of the government object to Labor describing this as politicisation. I can hear Senator McDonald doing it now. Well, if Senator McDonald and her colleagues don't like listening to Labor politicians describe this government's behaviour as politicisation, perhaps they'd care to listen to some of the people from their own side of politics, such as New South Wales upper house member Catherine Cusack, who announced that after a distinguished career in the New South Wales parliament she was going to resign because of what she called the Prime Minister's 'unethical approach' to distributing flood funding. What she was referring to was the fact that the communities in the Nationals-held electorate of Page—which did suffer extremely bad flood damage—were receiving higher levels of disaster assistance than the communities who were equally affected a little bit further up the road in the Labor-held electorate of Richmond. A New South Wales Liberal MP described the Prime Minister's approach as unethical, and that was backed in by the National Party state member for the seat of Tweed, Mr Geoff Provest, who labelled the Prime Minister's behaviour 'disgusting' and 'deplorable'. He went on to say that he 'would struggle to vote for' the Prime Minister.

Park to one side whatever anyone from Labor might be saying about the way this government has handled these floods. Let's just listen to some of the local members, who are actually from the coalition. More importantly, let's listen to people who are on the ground. I can tell you, having been in Lismore through the floods—and I know Senator McDonald didn't think I should be there—and in Queensland floods for over a week, that people in Lismore did feel abandoned. The question that I was asked most often by people who were suffering from the floods in Lismore was simple. It was: 'Where is the government?' During the floods, in the immediate aftermath of the floods and in the clean-up from the floods, there has barely been a member of this government or an official of this government present lending a hand to people who had suffered terrible damage or had lost loved ones. They were exhausted, yet they were left there on their own to clean up by this government. Of course, we've seen this before.

It is a disgrace, Senator McCarthy. We've seen this before. This is a Prime Minister who went missing in action after the bushfires, who didn't bother ordering vaccines or rapid antigen tests and who is only discovering that cost of living is a problem in the run-up to an election. (Time expired)

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt will be amazed to hear me in agreement with him on the terrible catastrophe that has been the flooding in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. You will find no argument from anybody in this place about what has happened, particularly in Lismore, which has been described as being as if a tsunami had been through there. There are townships where there is still no power and where businesses are boarded up because it will not be possible to repair them for months. Who knows how long that process will take as business owners decide what situation they're in and what position they will take? There are still thousands of people displaced from their homes. As the rain falls now, what a worrying situation that is for them. However, to say that the government has been absent and to try and link this to other political agendas is devastating. On top of the natural disaster, to then have their issues politicised in this way is incredibly unfortunate. I have seen so many of our ministers and other government members show their support, both physically and in any other way that they can.

I applaud Senator Watt's decision to go to Lismore, because that is the sort of help that Australians give to each other and the community. As the floodwaters rose, there was no way for government officials, the NBN or anybody else to enter that region, because the roads were cut and the weather was so heavy. LifeFlight from Queensland had the only helicopter with suitable infrared detection to be able to detect people in roof spaces and pluck people off roofs. This is the sort of equipment that was required in that time, and my sincere thanks go to the members of LifeFlight who had to oversee that particular mission. Members of the community—people who had jet-skis and kayaks or other boats—turned to help their neighbours, as Australians do in the immediate aftermath or during a disaster. I think we should be acknowledging that community help and what happened in the days afterwards.

I know government services who spent days in motels just trying to be able to get physical access to some of these regions. The Army, who were on the ground, didn't have the benefit of some of the organisation they might have had from, say, the Brisbane City Council, which was able to mobilise hundreds of workers to get out, take photos and document the places where the Army needed to be. Remember that in Lismore the council workers had lost their homes. There was not a connection of resources and support as there was in Brisbane, where a portion of the town had been flooded. All of Lismore had been flooded, and to say that the government's response was not adequate absolutely does not understand that. The Prime Minister, in the weeks following, had COVID. The opposition leader had gone to Western Australia. But the community kept going and government services poured in. As part of that flood response and recovery, there has been hundreds of millions of dollars in support, including financial support and support from the Army. Nearly a billion dollars in services has gone into that region in clean-ups and pick-ups.

This is a one-in-500-year disaster. The local member, Kevin Hogan, the member for Page, has lived through the trauma of his family and friends as well as the people who live in his community being without a home and without a business, yet those on the other side seek to make this a political issue rather than do what Australians do best: pull together, support those people and drive additional resources as they are identified. We should be thinking more about the people who are in such desperate circumstances and how we can assist, rather than seeking to criticise.

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

The people of northern New South Wales and South-East Queensland have been devastated by extreme flooding and rainfall over recent months, and this disaster is continuing. As we meet here today, people in Coraki, Lismore, Tumbulgum, Billinudgel, Mullumbimby, Kyogle, Murwillumbah and Condong are all subject to evacuation orders and warnings. These floods have caused the destruction of property and, tragically, the loss of life. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, and the damage caused to these communities is actually difficult to adequately describe. These communities cannot be left on their own.

I do know these communities well. I was born in Murwillumbah, in the hospital, and I was born there in a flood. Yes, flooding is a fact of life for people in the Northern Rivers—there's something in the name that gives you a clue there might be a bit of water about—but these natural disasters are becoming more severe, and we should be better prepared for them. This is not what the Morrison government has delivered.

The floods that struck the region last month had a very personal impact. First, I was stranded there with my mum and dad in the midst of that emergency, although fortunately in a safe location. Sadly, so many others in my communities were not so lucky. A week later I returned to assist with the clean-up, and I met with locals. Many people have commented on this, but it was evident in Lismore that the community spirit was overwhelming. Volunteers had set up community centres. They were incredibly well organised. Young people were fronting up with brooms, gloves and mops. People were preparing food. Emergency services and frontline workers were working around the clock. I can't thank all those people enough for everything that they were doing then and everything that they continue to do.

But on that visit there were plenty of tears. The damage is enormous. I think it's difficult to imagine what it means to lose your home and lose your place of work. There is nowhere to go. This community is resilient, it is caring, but it is a community that has been through a lot. People have lost everything. They should not have to beg for support, and that support should not depend on whether they are in a National Party seat or a Labor Party seat. Locals are hurting. Our candidate in Page is a man called Patrick Deegan, and he said this:

I've seen the pain and desperation in people's eyes. I've heard the stories of loss, shock and helplessness. The people of the Northern Rivers need to know that the Government has their back, that there is a plan, that they are not on their own.

I hear people in this chamber say we shouldn't be discussing it in these terms; that it's not proper to point out where government has let people down. But when an announcement is made for support for some communities, in a National Party electorate, but not for other communities then we actually have a problem with the way that support is being administered. The truth is that on the ground people are saying they feel abandoned. Flood victims across Queensland and New South Wales say this. They feel that they've been left to fend for themselves in the immediate response to the flood and now in the recovery as well. It was made worse by the fact that when the Prime Minister finally travelled to Lismore it was for a photo opportunity and not to meet with the flood victims, who wanted to know why his government had abandoned them at a time of desperate need.

My friend, Janelle Saffin, the local member, lost her home. She was forced to swim for her life through Lismore's floods, and she has continued to work tirelessly for her community. She has continued to show up every single day. This is Janelle Saffin: this is her putting her community first. And there are so many more like Janelle who have been doing what they can to support their communities. This is what leadership looks like: it means taking responsibility when things are tough. These communities are in desperate need of government support, and the Prime Minister could learn a lot from representatives like Janelle.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to start my contribution by expressing my deep concern and sympathy to all those communities in northern New South Wales and South-East Queensland who have suffered and who are continuing to suffer from the disastrous floods. Lives have been lost, and I express my sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who have tragically died.

I also put out my hand of support to Senator McAllister and her family, who are among many families from the Northern Rivers who are directly impacted and who are suffering from these floods. I have at the moment a very good friend who is living with me because she was caught in the floods. She didn't lose her house, but everything else has basically been wiped out. She lived in a very small community called Crabbes Creek, north-west of Byron Bay. When she sent me the video of the way that Crabbes Creek had erupted into an horrendous flood it was absolutely frightening. So, while I am a senator for Victoria and I haven't yet been up to the Northern Rivers and South-East Queensland, I have seen and experienced firsthand the trauma that this has and is continuing to cause.

I do want to reflect on Senator McAllister's words when she said that some people would say that it's not proper for us to make these political points in relation to flood disaster relief. I would simply say, 'Yes, Senator McAllister, it is not proper.' That's because, first of all, in the distribution of some $1.33 billion which Services Australia has paid out in Australian government disaster recovery payments and disaster recovery allowance to over 1.4 million people in urgent need in Queensland and New South Wales, I want to put on the record very strongly that there's no differentiation as to where someone lives—whether they live in a National Party seat or whether they live in a Labor Party seat. Every single person who has suffered and who meets the criteria is entitled to that payment.

I really reflect on the experience that I had when I was supporting my local constituents in Wye River and Separation Creek after those communities were wiped out by bushfire in 2015. Despite the terrible trauma they suffered—116 homes were lost; miraculously, no-one died—and while I have been a continuing critic of the Victorian government, led by our Premier, Daniel Andrews, I did not see the politicisation of that natural disaster that I see now from those opposite. I say to Labor: it is so regrettable that you have stooped to such a low, to so politicise a natural disaster. I would say, 'Please: yes, there are people who are hurting; yes, there are people who are angry but, for goodness sake, let us work together to support Australians in their hour of need.' Senator McAllister is quoting the Labor candidate, which is clearly all about politics, at a time when all of us need to be focused on those residents who are living in these areas and thinking: 'Where am I going to live? How am I going to earn a living? Where's my next night's accommodation?'

We understand how absolutely devasting this is, but Australians don't need to be confronted with this low-level politicisation of a natural disaster like we have never seen before. I have lived through, as we all have, many natural disasters and seen them firsthand, whether it's Ash Wednesday, Black Saturday, Black Summer or the Wye River bushfires. I just say to Labor senators opposite and to the Labor Party: please, you can do better than this.

To characterise the Prime Minister's visit as a photo opportunity is just so revoltingly offensive. He met with many families behind closed doors. I say to Labor: please, at this time, let us work together to support those who need our help and just keep the politics out of this.

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

My thoughts are also with those people impacted by floods at the moment, particularly those who are facing it for the second time in a short period. Through my work as a senator for Queensland, I visited Gympie a couple of weeks ago which had suffered its second flood this year. The flood that they suffered just recently was actually their worst flood since 1890 in a town that unfortunately does flood regularly. I got a sense of how traumatic that experience is for those people who have gone through it a second time in such a short period from my visit to Gympie. So, I hope those communities are getting the support that they need.

I want to respond to this claim of politicisation, because I think it is important. When you've got nothing else to say and when your response is incompetent, all you have to rely on is claims of politicisation. That's actually what they've come into this chamber and tried to defend today. But it's because of their lack of response, and the tragedy for the Australian people with this government is they actually are incapable of learning a lesson. And it wasn't us saying it; it was actually the National Party member for Tweed. It was actually a Liberal member of the upper house. So they're the politicians, not us, and all Senator McAllister, Senator Watt and the excellent member for Richmond are doing is their job of voicing the concerns of local residents. That's actually what they were doing, and if it wasn't for the work that they were doing, adding a voice to those people who were impacted, the government response would have been more lacking than what it was. That's how disgraceful their efforts have been.

The Liberal upper house member Ms Cusack called it unethical. The member for Tweed Geoff Provest said:

… the federal government has really messed this up …

…   …   …

This is like a remake of the bushfires some two years ago.

So exactly the point that I am making was made by the National Party member for Tweed who said that this government haven't learnt their lesson from more than two years ago when it comes to bushfires. And, unfortunately, Australians are having to put up with more of these natural disasters. We've seen it in Queensland. We've seen it in other parts of the country as well. The problem with this government is that they're not actually learning any lessons. They are not actually getting better in their response, and then when they do respond it's actually more political. As we've seen today, people in Gympie are getting $1,000 compared to people in Lismore who are getting $3,000 as part of the response. There are people living in tents in Gympie, as they are in other parts, months after this has happened, and the government are doing nothing for those people as well.

So, it is unfortunate that we've got to speak out on these people's behalf because the government don't listen. They're incompetent. They don't actually respond and fix these problems, and all too often their response is political. They get out the spreadsheet. They decide where they give additional support, because that's how this government operates. That's how they've always operated and, unfortunately, the only way things are going to improve is if this government are voted out. That's the only way we're actually going to see some change, and an example of why they don't deserve to be re-elected is their incompetent response to the floods. It also flows on from two years after their incompetent response to bushfires. It is evident for the Australian people now that when it comes to disasters the Prime Minister doesn't hold a hose, he doesn't respond and the government have learnt no lessons on how to respond to that in government.

We also know that when it comes to the crisis of ordering vaccines the government, again, were too slow to act, despite saying we would be at the front of the queue. Over summer and in recent months when the country so desperately needed rapid antigen testing, again, the government was missing in action. It is actually an incompetent government. There are so many ways that that is highlighted, and all they can do is try and claim politicisation of issues. That's because they can't actually defend themselves. They are incompetent. The only way this will be improved—because they have shown, over almost 10 years now, that they don't learn any lessons—is if we vote them out. That is the only option left to the Australian people. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.