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Kochie Just Tore Into Peter Dutton Over The Government’s Response To The Floods 

“Thank god we’re not at war if it takes a week to get 5000 people organised! We’d be goners!"

by Charles Rushforth  8 March 2022

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Sunrise breakfast host David Koch tore into Peter Dutton today, channelling community outcry over the slow rollout of defence personnel to flood-affected areas on Australia’s east coast. 

The host of Channel Seven’s breakfast show started the interview with the Federal Defence Minister by asking, “Peter Dutton, where are the troops?”

“Are you embarrassed that ordinary Australians are having to do so much work in this,” he continued. “Ordinary Australians are having to get themselves to remote areas, in their dinghies, wading through floodwaters to help people to take them food and make sure they’re alright,” Kochie questioned. 

“Thank god we’re not at war if it takes a week to get 5,000 people organised! We’d be goners!’ 

Dutton, who remained largely unmoved by the criticism, stated: “I’m just not going to cop criticism of the ADF” while praising the efforts of community volunteers. 

“Community spirit only goes so far! They need Help!” Kochie retorted. “Residents are having to do so much themselves, that they shouldn’t be putting their own lives in danger to do that when we have authorities that can do it for them.

“Not criticising the people on the ground, there just aren’t enough there”

New South Wales Premier, Dominic Perrottet has recently apologised for the government’s response to the crisis, telling triple j’s Hack that he acknowledged that communities had faced supply shortages and “felt abandoned”.

“We will back review this properly in an incredibly honest way, whatever we find has gone wrong, or should have been in place, that has not, we will make changes” Perrottet said. 

The Premier also told ABC breakfast on Monday that the delay in the ADF rollout was due in part to torrential weather limiting the ability of aircraft such as helicopters.

Some residents have been critical of the ADF’s rollout to flood-affected areas, with locals stating on social media that the deployment of military personnel felt like a ‘photoshoot’.