Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I do not mind taking interjections when senators opposite are talking rubbish. I have been down there and I will be down there again, Senator Bernardi. I might not have my blue singlet on, driving my truck, but I am dying to hear from the people who rely on the lower lakes and the Coorong. And we supported that reference. I will be on that committee, I will be down there listening and I will be taking back to the minister everything that I hear down there because it is a major issue. Minister Wong should be congratulated because she is doing something about it. Minister Wong was talking about this in opposition. Minister Wong did not wait 12 months out from the election to say all of a sudden, ‘Uh-oh! We stink because of what we have done with Work Choices; we had better start talking about other things like climate change and drought.’

There was a statement earlier from Senator Fisher about Minister Wong mentioning, because there is not a lot of water down there, drought and climate change. Senator Fisher queried that. I ask you, Senator Fisher—and I said to Senator Bernardi—did the Chinese pull the plug out? Is that what happened? Or on the other side of the earth did they let the plug out so the water has just run away? How ridiculous! Of course it is climate change. We know it is climate change. We are going through one of the greatest droughts ever. But we will not be talking about it; we will do something about this and it will be led by one of the best water ministers that this country has seen for a long, long time. In fact I take that back; the best water minister. She is actually going to do something. She is not going to sit back there and talk about it. (Time expired)