Bushfires: Scott Morrison doubles family assistance payments

Scott Morrison doubles some payments and announces a series of changes after criticism of his initial cash injection.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces additional bushfire relief funding. Picture: Getty Images

Scott Morrison has doubled the family assistance payments for those affected by bushfires from $400 to $800 for each child amid criticism the initial cash injection was not enough.

The Prime Minister on Wednesday revealed that a series of changes have been made to a number of schemes, including the child payment, as the government seeks to simplify and improve the way financial aid is being rolled out.

Before the announcement, welfare groups had voiced concerns the level of the payment had not been increased in 14 years.

“Right now it is all about focusing on the basics people need right now, and that is where our fiscal and financial effort is being targeted and directed and where our focus as a government, together with the state governments, is so strong,” Mr Morrison said.

“I would let you know that we are also going to provide an additional $400 under the disaster recovery payments for every child who has already received that initial $400 in any family.”

As part of the announcement Mr Morrison said the process for volunteer firefighters that apply for compensation has been simplified with paperwork waived for those who apply for up to $200 a day in compensation. The payments are currently capped at $6000.

It comes as Labor leader Anthony Albanese lashed the unnecessary red tape faced by those seeking assistance during an earlier press conference in Melbourne on Wednesday.

“It should never have been the case that people who have been impacted by the fires were told, ‘No, you’re not in the right area because the maps are wrong’,” Mr Albanese said before Mr Morrison’s announcement.

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When asked what his advice would be to his colleagues that disputed or debated the existence of climate change, Mr Morrison said all MPs had the right to “speak their mind.”

It comes as a split emerged in the Coalition’s ranks as Science Minister Karen Andrews declared the time for debating climate change was over.

“Every member who comes here has a right to speak their mind, of course they do. I think Karen has set out the government’s policy,” Mr Morrison said, referring to Ms Andrew’s comments on ABC Radio earlier on Wednesday.

“Let’s not keep on having debates about climate change. Let’s accept that the climate has changed,” Ms Andrews told ABC Radio on Wednesday. “The climate is changing, and we need to look at what we’re going to do about that.”

Her views put her at odds with outspoken coalition backbencher Craig Kelly, who courted controversy last week after he was blasted by two British television presenters for failing to acknowledge the link between climate change and a horror bushfire season.

Ms Andrews is scheduled to meet with representatives from the CSIRO, the Academy of Science and bushfire researchers in Canberra on Tuesday to discuss ways to address the bushfire crisis through science and technology.