Disappointing to see that some 27,700 claims for flood damage up north are being treated as ‘suspicious’ and fraudulent. Reportedly 793 are now criminal cases. As Minister Bill Shorten observes, the fraudsters take money from people who genuinely need it. Some 3.5 million claims have been lodged between February and July and $1 billion in financial support has been handed out so far.

To order photos from this page click here