Mal Brough (Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Herbert for his obvious interest in the people of North Queensland and also the member for Leichhardt, who clearly sits next to him. It has been a tragic time in Far North Queensland, as everybody is very much aware. There has been extensive damage throughout the north. As Prime Minister Blair indicated today, the great resilience of these people under great adversity needs to be warmly acknowledged and congratulated. The Commonwealth stood ready to immediately help get individual families and communities back on their feet. I would like to inform the House of some of the very significant assistance the federal government is offering to people of Far North Queensland at this difficult time.

We have announced ex-gratia payments to people whose family homes were destroyed or where, through loss of power or other amenities, they were unable to inhabit those homes for a minimum of two weeks—$1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child. The federal government made a million-dollar donation to the Cyclone Larry Relief Fund. I take this opportunity to congratulate the fans of Townsville who went along to the Cowboys game on the weekend for their great generosity—about $140,000, I believe, was donated on that one occasion, showing how they are supporting their country cousins in Far North Queensland.

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