Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

As Leader of the Nationals in the Senate and a proud regional Victorian, I'm very pleased to be able to participate on behalf of those communities and contribute to this matter of public importance raised by the Labor Party, which is quite ironic. It's nothing more than a stunt, but I guess we shouldn't be surprised—a really cheap and tawdry attempt to politicise the bushfire recovery.

Our regional communities have been hit by a triple whammy—the drought, bushfire and COVID-19—and we're doing everything we can as a federal government to support them through that. Labor is not interested in bushfire recovery. They're interested in any single distraction to take the spotlight away from their grubby ALP branch wheeling and dealing. If Labor were actually interested in the people of Victoria, you'd think the senator that put this matter forward would actually have shown some interest.

I think, Senator Van, you raised a very valid point: when the government offered a briefing so it could get across the detail to all senators—because we know that, when we work together across political parties and across jurisdictions, we achieve great things; we've done it in flattening the curve with COVID-19, and we can do it with bushfire recovery—no-one showed up. No-one showed up from the Labor Party. And guess what? No-one showed up from the Greens. But those of us who live out in these communities are actually not surprised by this fickle and offensive politicisation of something that is very real and is impacting people's daily lives.

We've just heard in the debate tonight—Senator Rice gets on her high horse—the typical Green talking points rolled out yet again. You know what? The royal commission into the bushfires in our home state, Senator Van—those horrific bushfires that occurred on 7 February 2009 and killed 173 people—said our volunteer and professional firies need to work better together. Do you know what makes a difference to fires? An ignition point, a fuel load, access to tracks and access to the national parks and the state parks et cetera to actually manage the fire. Fuel burns also make a difference. That was over a decade ago, and here we are.

I want to also put on the record: thank you to our CFA volunteers, the RFS and the South Australian volunteer firefighters who spent day and night. I remember going out into Cudgewa and Corryong and Tallangatta and talking with the CFA volunteers after New Year. They were exhausted. They'd be out defending their neighbours' property and they would get home to find their own backyard burnt.

So that is a bit disappointing, but you know, here we are, batting it away. At the end of the day, I know my Senate colleagues on this side of the chamber have gone through the significant support that our government has put on the ground and into regional communities to support those bushfire affected communities: an initial $2 billion for those recovery efforts; for financial counselling, we've already paid out $1 million; we've already paid out $18.2 million in small business grants; there are the $10,000 small business grants already paid out; $173 million—I could go on and on and on.

The reality is: we all know in this place that, while we come with bags of money and good intent, it is state governments that are responsible for the frontline rolling out of these programs. And to come in, particularly in Victoria, with young Daniel—young Daniel Andrews had a big day; I hope he watched 60 Minutes; I know I really enjoyed it last night. Not a lot of surprise there for me—

Senator McGrath interjecting—

I don't know where the cameras were, Senator McGrath! But it is time for state governments of all colours to get serious about supporting regional communities.

I just want to put on the record: Natalie O'Connell, former mayor of East Gippsland and an Omeo resident, and David Wortmann, Towong mayor: thank you for your leadership in our communities over summer.