John Tyson has challenged politicians to spend a night in a flood-hit town to see why people are so angry at the slow recovery process.
Mr Tyson's wife Donna Rice and son Jordan were killed on January 10 when a wall of water swept through Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.
On Friday, he said he felt he'd been used as a political pawn by Premier Anna Bligh and Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and the two leaders had not listened to him and other victims.
Mr Tyson said both leaders had met him at media events, but he felt they didn't really care about his plight and that of others who had lost so much.
"They've let us down to no ends," he told ABC Radio.
"They've grandstood (sic) on the whole thing, used it for political gain, and when it comes to people they've just put all that aside and just kicked back and continued on with their life.
"(They've) cried plenty of crocodile tears.
"But if they were genuine tears they would be still be doing things."
He said he was angry at the slow pace at which money from the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal was being distributed.
Only about $70 million of the $256 million donated to the fund has been paid out so far.
Some victims have reported difficulties finding builders to get quotes in order for them to apply for funds, but the Master Builders Association says builders are available.
"They should make every politician go and spend a night in Goodna or Ipswich, or Grantham or Murphys Creek or Postmans Ridge," Mr Tyson said.
"They'd learn that life in a sleeping bag isn't that much fun."
Mr Tyson, who gave money to the relief fund, said he wanted it back so he could give it instead to the Red Cross for distribution.
Deputy Premier Paul Lucas said he realised he could not relate to the terrible circumstances victims found themselves in.
But he did not agree Mr Tyson and others had been used as political currency.
Mr Lucas said the state government had done a good job in responding to the natural disasters and encouraged people having trouble finding builders to contact the government.
Premier Anna Bligh said appeal applications had not closed yet and she expected many more to come in the next few weeks.
"We have the extra staff ready to take those applications and process them quickly," she told reporters on the Gold Coast.
"And we're doing what we can do to help people get those builders' quotes."
Ms Bligh said quotes were necessary to rebuild.
"And I don't think that the public who donated would want me to be giving $80,000 grants to people who, for example, might only have $10,000 worth of damage," she said.
"So we do have to have some evidence from a qualified builder of the amount of damage."
The government has urged people to apply for payments even if they were still waiting to hear from their insurance companies.
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