Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Peter Malinauskas have visited the Riverland in recent weeks to show support for flood-affected communities, but the federal opposition leader has been encouraged to hold back until the recovery phase.
The federal MP for Sunraysia's Victorian seat of Mallee, Anne Webster expressed interest in the Opposition Leader visiting recently on Flow soon after the recent flood peak passed Mildura. Both the PM and emergency management minister Murray Watt visited the region in in early December, travelling on to the South Australian Riverland. A lesser of the two anticipated flood peaks was moving through Renmark this week but the local MP in the seat of Barker, Tony Pasin, has discussed the appropriate timing of his Liberal leader visiting the seat.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton told Flow on Friday:
"She (Anne Webster) spoke with me a few times, I spoke with Tony Pasin yesterday as well on the projections and peak periods, I'll come down at the right time. I don't want to come down and interrupt the preparations, people are exhausted coming into Christmas. We'll get the timing right and get a proper look at what people have gone through and try and provide some encouragement instead of getting in the way which is always the balancing act here."
Tony Pasin explained his advice to the Opposition Leader to hold off on a visit, speaking with Flow on Friday:
"My sense is right now the last thing people in the Riverland need is a conga line of politicians. People are focused on getting what they need done and politicians need to be working on a plan for the recovery.
"The best work I can do at the moment is on my phone dealing with issues for people, it's not necessarily bringing a press pack for photographs on a levee bank. People are sick and tired of politicians flying in a flying out."
Hear the full interview with Tony Pasin MP on the Flow podcast player below:
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