A Liberal MP Is Quitting Over “Unethical” Flood Relief Funding in NSW

A Liberal MP has announced her intention to resign from her position and has expressed “outrage” over how federal disaster recovery payments have been allocated.

Scott Morrison recently announced that people living in the federal seat of Page — held by the Nationals — would be eligible for a second round of disaster recovery payments. However, those living in the nearby Labor held electoral division of Richmond — including Ballina, Byron and Tweed — would not be eligible for the extra payments.

For context: Those who experienced devastating flooding in Lismore, held by the Nationals, can apply for disaster funding payments of $$2,000 each. However, a fifteen-minute drive east to the town of Alstonville in the Ballina Shire LGA — held by Labor –locals are unable to receive the same payments despite also suffering from historic flooding.

The divide between disaster funding led Liberal MP Catherine Cusack to resign from her position in the Upper House yesterday, saying that she couldn’t “defend” the funding.

“The idea that being a flood victim in a National Party-held seat makes you more worthy than a flood victim who is in the Richmond electorate … is probably the most unethical approach I have ever seen,” Cusack told the ABC. “The whole Northern Rivers should have been given funding according to their need, not according to their LGA, it’s unprecedented.”

Cusack has previously crossed the floor over the issue of Koala land clearing, providing the clinching vote needed to trigger an parliamentary enquiry. Cusack’s resignation will trigger a pre-selection on the North Coast.

A recent flood relief package worth $1.4 billion for NSW has reportedly been delayed, according to the ABC, due to the Prime Minister being unable to sign off on it while he continues his campaigning in Western Australia.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has previously argued that the government has given $1 billion to over 1 million people affected by the 2022 floods.