Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he understands why bushfire victims are angry and that he's not taking abuse directed at him personally, despite being called "an idiot".
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But NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance said locals in his fire-ravaged electorate of Bega gave Mr Morrison "the welcome he deserved".
The prime minister was heckled in the streets of Cobargo on Thursday, the town where father and son Robert and Patrick Salway died in a bushfire earlier this week. One resident yelled that Mr Morrison was an "idiot" who wouldn't be getting any votes around there.
Despite both being Liberals, Mr Constance was scathing in his assessment of the prime minister's response to bushfires blazing across Australia and demanded more support.
"I'd say this to the prime minister today: the nation wants you to open up the cheque books," the senior NSW MP told Seven News.
"The only two people who are providing leadership at this stage are (NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner) Shane Fitzsimmons and (NSW premier) Gladys Berejiklian."
Mr Morrison said it not his job to take the criticism personally but added he'd apologised to Mr Constance who wasn't told the prime minister was visiting his electorate.
NSW has declared a state of emergency and Mr Morrison said he understands the criticism being directed his way because people are "hurting".
"I don't take it personally, I just see it as a sense of frustration and hurt and loss and anger at what is the ferocity of these natural disasters," Mr Morrison told reporters in Bairnsdale, eastern Victoria, on Friday.
"People are angry, if they want to direct that at me, that is up to them. It is not something that will distract me, it is something I will empathise with."
During the Cobargo visit the prime minister was also filmed approaching a woman with her right hand by her side and reaching down to shake it, before fleeing when she demanded RFS funding.
The woman, Zoe Salucci-McDermott, said the interaction "broke my heart".
"I would have happily sat down and had a cup of tea with him if he just had of asked am I OK, what can we do to fix this situation," she told Network Ten.
"I told him outfront what this situation is here, it's a war zone, and he walked away as I asked for help."
Mr Morrison claims he did speak to Ms Salucci-McDermott.
"She did raise the issue of her concerns about the level of support for the local brigade that was there and that was the matter that she raised with me and I said I would pass that on to the NSW Rural Fire Service," he told the Nine Network's A Current Affair.
Federal Natural Disaster Minister David Littleproud on Thursday announced disaster relief payments would be extended to bushfires survivors in the Bega Valley.
Payments of $1000 per adult and $400 per child can be claimed through the Department of Human Services.
On Friday Mr Littleproud said up to $18.1 million in new disaster-recovery assistance would be extended to the Bega Valley, Eurobodalla, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Shoalhaven, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys and Mid-Western council areas.
The joint funding with the NSW government would give farmers and small businesses recovery grants of up to $15,000.
"Getting back to business is one of the best ways to recover," Mr Littleproud said.
Mr Morrison, who has received a warmer reception visiting fire-ravaged parts of East Gippsland in Victoria on Friday, indicated he's likely to cancel a visit to India planned for mid-January because of the bushfires.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has offered to send more firefighters to Australia after reinforcements arrived from across the ditch on Friday.
Australian Associated Press
