More Rudd Government excuses for denying Coffs Coast flood victims one-off cash assistance

May 27, 2009

The Rudd Government has once again shown how out of touch it is with Coffs Coast flood victims by defending their decision not to provide one-off cash payments to those affected by the March 31 floods.

 

Federal MP Luke Hartsuyker today received a second letter from the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin.  

The letter was in response to Mr Hartsuyker’s request for a review of the Rudd Government’s decision not to provide one-off cash grants of $1000 per adult and $400 for children for those affected by the march 31 floods.

 

“Once again we are seeing hollow rhetoric from the Rudd Government.  They are coming up with mindless excuses on why Coffs Coast residents affected by the March 31 floods should not be entitled to cash payments, yet those affected by the May event will qualify for assistance.

 

“In her original correspondence to me the Minister rejected my request for assistance because she claimed most of the damage was to public infrastructure and not to individual property

 

“In today’s correspondence Minister Macklin now says the difference between the two flood events was that only four local government areas were impacted on March 31, where as 24 council areas were affected in May.

 

“This second response once again ignores the devastating impact the March 31 storm event has had on thousands of Coffs Coast residents. It overlooks the fact that Coffs Coast families whose homes were flooded in March suffered just as much as those who suffered flooding in the past week.

 

“Every day my office is fielding more and more calls from people who have suffered substantial loss of property and who are struggling to make ends meet. I simply cannot understand how the Rudd Government can have such double standards.”

 

Mr Hartsuyker said a petition will be launched calling on the Rudd Government to provide a fair go for Coffs Coast residents.

 

“We are aiming to collect thousands of signatures over the next week and then presenting the petition to the Federal Parliament,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

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