Flood victim rages at politicians 'with clean shoes' coming for photo opportunities: 'Come and help'


Exhausted flood victim takes aim at ‘politicians with clean shoes’ for showing up for a photo-op during crisis: ‘Come here and help’

  • Queensland disaster victims facing new super storm after catastrophic flooding
  • SE Queensland residents’ clean up ruined by more rain, 21,000 without power 
  • Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk slammed over messaging, posing for cameras


A flood victim has unleashed at politicians for showing for a photo-op instead of pitching in to help.

Auchenflower resident Andrew Brady, who helped clean up his Brisbane suburb after devastating floods this week, was back at work clearing the site on Thursday after a supercell storm deluged exhausted locals.

Mr Brady said many tireless neighbours had been working around the clock and become too fatigued to continue.  

‘Please don’t let another politician come down here with clean shoes, they just want be on camera, doing nothing,’ Mr Brady told 9News.

‘Come down [and] help.’ 

Mr Brady's swipe comes two days after Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk posed for cameras in front of floodwaters at Jindalee

Mr Brady’s swipe comes two days after Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk posed for cameras in front of floodwaters at Jindalee 

Mr Brady’s swipe comes two days after Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk posed for cameras in front of flood waters at Jindalee.

The gigantic clean-up in south-east Queensland was going well in many flooded suburbs before the premier, faced with the threat of more rain, ordered some people to stay indoors for 48 hours – and others to stay away from their homes.

‘We’re asking you to please, do not go back into your homes over this period because we don’t want to put your lives at risk,’ she announced on Thursday.

That instruction persuaded thousands of ‘mud army’ volunteers to stay away, after they had been helping distraught homeowners to salvage whatever they could.

They also helped with the soul-crushing task of clearing out ruined possessions and debris in their streets, homes and yards. 

Auchenflower resident Andrew Brady begged politicians to pitch in and help instead of posing in front of cameras. 'I don't know who to trust,' he said

Auchenflower resident Andrew Brady begged politicians to pitch in and help instead of posing in front of cameras. ‘I don’t know who to trust,’ he said

Brisbane residents worked for days to organise ruined possessions and debris for collection before floodwaters rose again

Brisbane residents worked for days to organise ruined possessions and debris for collection before floodwaters rose again

Many isolated flood-fatigued families, thousands of whom were still without power, were in despair. 

‘The people that kept it together, who were probably my strongest locals, are breaking down, they’re just saying ‘I can’t take this no more’,’ Mr Brady said.

‘I don’t know who to trust.’

Residents in 21 brisbane suburbs were flooded, especially those living near the Brisbane river. 

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been criticised for her mixed messaging during the devastating SE Queensland flooding

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been criticised for her mixed messaging during the devastating SE Queensland flooding

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and police commissioner Katarina Carroll meet four year old Beckham Waghorn while inspecting floodwaters at Jindalee

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and police commissioner Katarina Carroll meet four year old Beckham Waghorn while inspecting floodwaters at Jindalee

As of Thursday evening 21,000 south-east Queensland properties were without power.

That included 12,000 people in Brisbane, and over 1,000 in Logan.

Ms Palaszczuk’s messaging was slammed as confusing by many.

She urged parents to pick up their children from schools from the northern Moreton Bay region, Sunshine Coast, Gympie, Wide Bay up to Bundaberg region due as weather conditions deteriorated.

More than 8,000 volunteers have signed on to help with the massive relief and recovery effort underway across the southeast

More than 8,000 volunteers have signed on to help with the massive relief and recovery effort underway across the southeast

But opposition Leader David Crisafulli claimed the premier had sent three different messages to parents in one hour on different social media platforms. 

Frustrated parents criticised her for ‘mixed messaging’ when calling for children to be picked up from school early as the flood crisis deteriorated. 

‘As we speak parents, schools and teachers are scrambling in different directions and acting on mixed advice. This is downright dangerous,’ said said Queensland opposition education spokesman Christian Rowan.

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