Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Water. I refer to the Four Corners allegations of water theft and corruption. Can the Deputy Prime Minister confirm that the inquiry to be conducted by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority cannot compel witnesses to appear, cannot take evidence under oath, cannot seize documents, and cannot protect whistleblowers? Why won't the Deputy Prime Minister commit to a national judicial inquiry through COAG to ensure the Murray-Darling Basin plan is not undermined?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question and also thank him, I think, for one of the first questions he's ever given me. Might I say at this point: no-one condones theft. No-one condones theft or ever has. If a person is thieving something, it is as if they are thieving anything else—if they are thieving a car, if they are thieving water, if they are thieving cattle, if they are thieving sheep. If it's a theft, it's a theft. But these are allegations. Be very, very careful. These are allegations and have not been proved. However, there is a lot of work now going into the investigation of the allegations.

Might I remind the House that, right now, Ken Matthews, with the support of three people who have had experience in ICAC—that is, police officers—is currently investigating precisely this. Might I also say to the House that Mr Hanlon has referred himself to ICAC, right now, on this issue. Might I also say to the House that we have the Auditor-General investigating this. Might I also say to the House that the Murray-Darling Basin Authority is conducting an independent review and investigation into this. All of these have the capacity, and ICAC in New South Wales do not need anybody to encourage them to expand their investigations if they need to do precisely that. We are taking this thing abundantly seriously and we are pursuing this issue through to make sure that if someone has thieved something they will be found out. But right now, as I always say, you have to understand that these are allegations that have been put forward and allegations that are being tested.