Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I would suggest the Leader of the Opposition reflect very carefully on when the crisis in the Murray and the flow-through of waters actually began. Is he again suggesting—consistent with the question from the member for Maranoa last time round, who now returns to the chamber—that this problem mysteriously erupted on 24 November last year? I would say to the honourable members opposite, including the Leader of the National Party, how much did the Leader of the National Party authorise in payments to buy back water entitlements from the system? A big, fat zero. We saw 12 years of systematic inaction on a river system under gross challenge, delivered off the back of climate change and record low inflows, year after year after year. Those opposite, led by the ‘Captain of the Cow Cockies’, have the audacity to come into this parliament and say, ‘Why haven’t you fixed this problem in nine months?’ I think the people of Australia would ask those opposite to get real with this. We have a plan of action when it comes to the Murray-Darling. We have achieved more in our first nine months in office than those opposite achieved in 12 years. We will prosecute this program of action. It is a practical course of action and our first point of reference is what can be practically done to save the lower lakes.

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