David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management) Share this | Hansard source

No, I'm about making sure that we get the bill through this place and into the other place, the Senate, as quickly as possible, because I do not have confidence around the passage of that bill through the Senate because of the actions of those opposite in October. We need as much time as we can possibly get, because it could go to a committee. We don't know what will happen in the Senate. And I don't have the days to play with anymore. This is about us making sure we get this through.

It was important, over the last couple of weeks, that we got this bill right and that we incorporated the amendments by the former member for Indi to make sure that they are truly reflective of what we are putting before this place. I have to acknowledge the former member for Indi for her leadership and maturity through this. She is truly a great Australian. She worked in a pragmatic way for an outcome for regional and rural Australia, and she was able to achieve it through good communication and cooperation. She deserves a lot of credit for what we are trying to put in place.

It is time critical for me to put in place these structures by the day, to be able to deliver by 2020, so that I don't have to walk into to this place and have those opposite condemn me for not having that bill passed and implemented by June 2020. That's why we sit here today making sure that we can put that through.

We're making sure that those opposite understand the bill. In October last year you had every opportunity to tell us what was wrong with it. You were able to go to your caucus. You did go to your caucus and you said no. You cannot deny it. Since then you have not asked for a briefing. In fact, I reached out to the Leader of the Opposition and I said did he want a briefing. This is what we are trying to do, because this is time critical.

I represent those people out there. My electorate has been in drought for eight years. This is above politics. This is about—

See this speech in context