The head of the government's disaster recovery agency has brushed off calls for him to resign following controversial comments about flood victims in NSW and Queensland.
In an interview with the Nine newspapers, National Recovery and Resilience Agency head Shane Stone criticised flood victims for attacking the government after natural disasters.
"You've got people who want to live among the gum trees, what do you think is going to happen? Their house falls in the river, and they say it's the government's fault," Mr Stone said.
Mr Stone, a former Liberal chief minister of the Northern Territory who was appointed by Scott Morrison to the agency role, called for an end to development on flood plains and said residents had to "face realities".
"Australians need to have an honest conversation about where and how people build homes," he said.
"The taxpayer and the ratepayer cannot continue to pick up the bill for these huge, catastrophic damage events."
Despite members of Labor, such as Queensland senator Murray Watt calling for Mr Stone to step down from the position following the remarks, the head of the agency doubled down.
"The senator has been trying to get me sacked for a while, I mean, this is a hard job," he told Sky News on Friday.
"There was nothing flippant about it at all ... we've got people in the bushfire zone who are wanting to go back and build exactly where they were before."
Mr Stone said the conversation about what should happen following natural disasters had started, and teams were already on the ground.
"People can be reassured that we are there to help," he said.
"We are there to help the survivors, and we'll do everything we can. That other conversation will be ongoing."
Senator Watt said Mr Stone should no longer be in his position in the agency.
"Shane Stone should be sacked today. Scott Morrison's mate and hand-picked disaster tsar blames flood victims for their hardship," he said.
"Tell that to businesses in the main streets of Lismore and Ballina and the residents of Brisbane, Ipswich and Logan, who are cleaning up today."
Senator Watt said Mr Stone was blaming flood victims for his own incompetence.
"Families are piling up their destroyed belongings on streets, they need our support right now," he said.
"They don't deserve to be kicked by the man who is supposed to be helping them right now."
It comes as floods continue to devastate large parts of southeast Queensland and northern NSW, while fresh evacuation warnings have been issued for parts of north-western Sydney.
Communities are still cut off by floodwater, with rain also hampering clean-up efforts in many areas.
Mr Stone told the Nine newspapers his comments were "fighting words" but also said it was a hard part of the solution to recovery efforts.
