3 years ago
MORRISON’S EMPTY BUSHFIRE PROMISES EXPOSED
Murray Watt MP
It’s taken less than a day for the Morrison Government to backflip on its commitment to natural disaster resilience, with the Prime Minister snubbing vital recommendations from a Black Summer bushfire Senate inquiry.
In a televised speech on Wednesday, Scott Morrison declared that he was “determined to keep Australians safe and support the recovery of communities and regions right across Australia”.
But by Thursday, his Government was back to its old tricks, quietly refusing to support three quarters of the recommendations put forward by the Senate inquiry into the 2019-20 bushfire season.
This pitiful response to the interim report a whopping seven months after the report was presented to the Government shows that this Government is more interested in flashy announcements than making sure money hits the ground.
Of the 13 recommendations put forward by the inquiry to improve the response to and recovery from natural disasters, the Government refused to support nine, including:
In a televised speech on Wednesday, Scott Morrison declared that he was “determined to keep Australians safe and support the recovery of communities and regions right across Australia”.
But by Thursday, his Government was back to its old tricks, quietly refusing to support three quarters of the recommendations put forward by the Senate inquiry into the 2019-20 bushfire season.
This pitiful response to the interim report a whopping seven months after the report was presented to the Government shows that this Government is more interested in flashy announcements than making sure money hits the ground.
Of the 13 recommendations put forward by the inquiry to improve the response to and recovery from natural disasters, the Government refused to support nine, including:
- Implementing monthly reporting requirements for state and local governments and non-government organisations that have received funding from the Morrison Government’s National Bushfire Recovery Agency to ensure that recovery funding is actually getting into communities;
- Developing a business case to establish a sovereign aerial firefighting fleet, a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements;
- Reviewing, with the view to increase, the Disaster Recovery Payment and Disaster Recovery Allowance so bushfire victims aren’t scrambling to pay for food and accommodation;
- Reversing cuts to the ABC, Australia’s national emergency broadcaster during natural disasters; and
- Telehealth initiatives that were announced on a temporary basis to support victims suffering from mental health issues following the bushfires.
It is disgraceful that the Government has ignored three quarters of the recommendations put forward by the inquiry, which were proposed following extensive consultation with Government agencies, not-for-profits working in bushfire communities, the insurance industry, firefighters, emergency service workers, victims and survivors.
Just last week, the Senate inquiry was in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, hearing from locals that recovery funding has been extremely difficult to access and the community is still struggling.
It’s clear Scott Morrison loves an announcement. But with the federal Budget next week, it’s time for him to show that he will actually support bushfire communities.