An RMIT ABC Fact Check investigation has found claims made by Labor leader Jodi McKay, at the height of the bushfire crisis in NSW last month, that the NSW firefighting budget was facing a $40 million budget cut, to be wrong.
The independent analysis found Labor’s claim “doesn’t stack up” and that crucial information such as tens of millions of dollars spent on retrospective reimbursements made in 2018-19 for natural disasters had not been taken in to account.
The report also said changes to legislation that made it easier for firefighters to claim workers compensation for cancers, which caused spikes in funding to cover retrospective claims, had been ignored.
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said Jodi McKay had no option but to apologise to emergency services workers and the people of NSW for making a false claim in the midst of a bushfire crisis.
“Playing politics like this in the middle of a bushfire crisis was simply appalling behaviour and the Opposition Leader needs to admit she was wrong,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Hundreds of homes were destroyed, people lost their lives, and we had the Opposition Leader claiming the Government had cut funding.”
‘‘Given her constant claims of integrity this is a damning report, it shows Labor has no idea how funding works unless it comes delivered in an Aldi bag.”
“At a time of crisis the role of people in public office is to bring people together, not undermine public confidence in the work of the thousands of fire fighters and emergency personnel putting their lives on the line.”
“The reality is we are spending more than ever before on emergency services and keeping people safe.
“Labor tried to cook our books this time … and they got caught … again.”
Read the RMIT ABC Fact Check report here: https://ab.co/364yd7U
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