Labor's handling of algal bloom disaster ‘woefully inadequate', Ley says
The Albanese government has been accused of dragging its heels on a federal response to the bloom, with Environment Minister Murray Watt hesitant to call it a natural disaster, even as thousands of marine animals wash up on South Australian beaches.
Senator Watt announced on Thursday that he had asked for a review into disaster classifications, similar to one that took place after the Black Saturday bushfires.
But the Opposition Leader said it 'sounds like the sort of bureaucratic explanation the Labor Party would use'.
Speaking to the ABC from Adelaide, Ms Ley said the Albanese government had 'a long list of excuses they've been making for not acting on something that has captured every single South Australian'.
'I'm looking forward to meeting the people who are hurting so badly in these regional communities today,' she told the national broadcaster.
'The response so far from the government has been woefully inadequate.
'This is a natural disaster and it is a national disaster.'
She also called out Senator Watt directly, accusing him of dodging whether Anthony Albanese would bring extra federal funding when he visits South Australia next week.
'Don't wait for the Prime Minister to come for a pic-op,' Ms Ley said.
'Actually deliver the support now if you know it's coming and help ease the pressure, including the real financial pressure, that these communities are facing.
'This is just not good enough.'
Appearing on the ABC shortly before her, Senator Watt said there was 'no doubting whatsoever that this is a very severe environmental event'.
'On the natural disaster declaration, and I realise there's been many calls for that to occur,' he said.
'This is much more like a drought, in the sense that it is a long-running event and builds up over time.
'We're waiting for weather conditions to intervene before it ends and that's quite different to what we think of as a natural disaster and the rapid onset like floods and cyclones and bushfires that come through an area, leave a trail of destruction and move on.
'That's not the kind of situation we're dealing with here and that's why we've come up with a support package which is probably a bit more like how we respond to droughts with state and federal governments responding to thinking about the short-term needs and long-term needs.'
Senator Watt added that he had not 'spent too much time into how to jam this event into particular definitions'.
'What I've been trying to do is come up with the money to support South Australians and get expert advice on what the impact will be,' he said.
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