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Rachel Lang
Anthony Albanese has copped a roasting from a Liberal MP over his response to NSW's latest flooding crisis.
In a radio interview with 2GB, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor accused the Australian Prime Minister of being more concerned with his 'reputation on the global stage' than the thousands of Aussies currently struggling in the flood crisis.
"Almost every day during his election campaign Albanese said he would step up and take responsibility as leader," Taylor told radio host Luke Grant.
"It was flooding for 48 hours, Luke, and he has only just picked up the phone to [NSW Premier] Dominic Perrottet to ask if he needs a hand."
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Taylor added: "There’s 30,000 people who have been told to evacuate their homes but the PM is more concerned about his reputation on the global stage than making sure people in NSW have a place to sleep."
Taylor's criticisms came after Albanese visited war-ravaged Ukraine to see the damage for himself.
He only emerged from 'radio silence' while in Ukraine once he entered Poland.
It's not as if he had plenty of advance warning that New South Wales would be battered by rain.
He said on Twitter: "My first actions were briefings by Murray Watt and Dominic Perrottet on the NSW flooding and ensuring federal government assistance is being provided."
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Albanese urged residents to keep across advice by the NSW State Emergency Service and the Bureau of Meteorology on the 'constantly changing situation'.
Albanese will touch down in Australia on Tuesday (July 5) night and will head straight to flood-impacted areas, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Despite the Australian Prime Minister being in a literal warzone, conservative MPs have come out swinging.
Nationals Leader David Littleproud pointed out that Labor was eager to slam former Prime Minister Scott Morrison when he went on holiday to Hawaii in the middle of the 2019 bushfires.
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"I appreciate that but there’s a difference between a media blackout and whether you can pick a phone up, and whether that puts you in harm’s way. I think we want to be fair and equitable on this, but you can’t have your cake and eat it too," Littleproud said, as per Kiis1065.
"They were pretty quick to throw a few grenades at Scott Morrison. Yes, he was on holidays but again, let’s get the facts out there. Let’s understand, but at the core of this has to be the victims."
Littleproud did not mention Morrison's slow reaction to the last NSW floods, or the former PM's controlled, media-banned tour of Lismore to avoid bad press in the lead-up to the election, which he ultimately lost.
Federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt declared a state of natural disaster in parts of NSW on July 4.
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This means residents in impacted areas may be eligible for relief payments.
"We have seen some of these impacted communities being hit by floods for a third and fourth time in 18 months, which is extremely distressing to the residents of these communities," Senator Watt said.