Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker Buchholz. Speaking of agriculture, the shadow minister for agriculture spoke just before the member for Riverina in this debate, and it was quite a scrappy and erratic display. It was almost as though he was auditioning for the voice role of the member for New England on some new take of the 1980s show Rubbery Figures. But we all know that the member for New England would like to play the part that the member for Maranoa currently holds. Time will tell.

But on this bill the member for Maranoa yelled into the void, wondering where the Minister for the Environment and Water was to answer all of his rhetorical questions, of which there were many. However, since the introduction of this bill into the House last sitting, the minister has been in this place every single question time—every single one. And now for a rhetorical question of my own: did the member for Maranoa ask any of these questions directly of the Minister for the Environment and Water? Absolutely not. It was completely superfluous of me to fill you in on that tidbit of knowledge. However, did anyone ask questions of the minister about the bill and the Murray-Darling Basin Plan? Absolutely. They did so on three separate occasions during question time.

None of those questions were asked by the member for Maranoa, of course. Two questions were asked by the member for Boothby and a third question was asked by the member for Makin during the previous sitting week, nothing since. But who's surprised? Would it be a shock to anyone to know that the member for Maranoa's first instinct when he doesn't know the answer to—

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