Australian PM did not say flood victims should be 'grateful' for government help in press conference

The image was shared on Twitter here on March 21, 2022.

It was reshared more than 900 times before it was deleted.

The caption reads: "Breaking: Morrison complains that flood victims are 'weaponising their trauma' against the government #auspol #floods2022."

The tweet features a purported screenshot of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaking on Australian broadcaster ABC News.

The chyron at the bottom of the image reads: "PM: Flood victims should be grateful for government assistance".

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Screenshot of the misleading post. Captured March 21, 2022.

The screenshot circulated online after a near two-week deluge along Australia's east coast killed 20 people in March, AFP reported.

Screenshots of the tweet received hundreds of interactions on Facebook after being reposted by Australian-based users, including New South Wales Greens MP Cate Faehrmann. The posts can be seen here, here and here.

Comments on the Facebook posts from some social media users indicated they were misled by the screenshot.

One user wrote: "This clown needs to keep his mouth shut. Surely it's time for him to go on another holiday."

Another user wrote: "I am so glad he's still making clangers - says just the thing to make people feel angry with government." 

But the posts feature a manipulated image.

A Google search of recent press conferences involving Morrison found a live stream broadcast recording of the event from Australian newspaper The Age, which featured a funding announcement for southeast Queensland.

A further search on Facebook found ABC Brisbane streamed the press conference live on its official Facebook page.

In ABC’s live broadcast, Morrison does not say flood victims should be "grateful for government assistance".

The official transcript released by Morrison's office also does not include the purported statement.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the live broadcast by ABC Brisbane (left) and the image in the misleading post (right):

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Screenshot comparison

ABC responded to the manipulated chyron in this March 21 tweet.

"It appears the caption on this image has been altered," the tweet reads in part.

A further keyword search for the phrase "flood victims should be grateful for government assistance" on Google found no corresponding transcripts from the Prime Minister's office or media reports.