Two Morrison-Joyce Government MPs have slammed the rollout of support for Black Summer bushfire victims, saying their communities have been ‘kicked in the guts’ and ‘retraumatised’.
Commenting on recent Black Summer grants allocations, former Minister Darren Chester took to social media saying the Government’s disaster recovery agency has a ‘complete lack of emotional intelligence to actually help a traumatised community’.
Senator Murray Watt Shadow Minister For Disaster And Emergency Management said “Let’s be clear - this is a Nationals MP slamming his own Government over its Black Summer grant process. And he’s not the only one.”
Liberal MP for Barker Tony Pasin blasted the Government over the same bushfire recovery grants. He says his community has been ‘forgotten’, ‘kicked in the guts’ and ‘retraumatised’ by his own Government’s actions.
“If this is how Government MPs feel, it’s no wonder bushfire survivors feel abandoned by Scott Morrison and his Ministers” said Sen. Watt
“At the same time as survivors cry out for support, Scott Morrison continues to sit on a $4.8 billion Emergency Response Fund that has done nothing to help.”
“We’re now in our third disaster season since the failed ERF was established. It hasn’t spent a cent on disaster recovery, or completed a single disaster readiness project. But this phoney fund has earned Scott Morrison nearly a billion dollars in interest.”
Sen. Watt said “This Prime Minister needs to explain why the ERF is helping his budget bottom line but failing to look after Australians who have battled unprecedented bushfires.”
“Australians deserve to be backed by a government that looks forward, plans and prevents the worst from natural disasters. And they deserve a government that stands with them as they recover.”
