Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister recall that in November 2003 the government promised to give the Murray River 500 gigalitres within five years under the Living Murray First Step program? Up until the beginning of this month, three years after this announcement, how much water has been returned to the Murray River as a result of the government’s Living Murray initiative? Prime Minister, isn’t the answer to this question, according to the Living Murray website, zero—not a single drop? Prime Minister, isn’t there more water in this glass than you have returned to the Murray?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Grayndler for such a riveting question! I would have thought that it was impossible for any Australian, let alone a member of the Australian parliament, not to know we are in the worst drought in 100 years. I find it incomprehensible.

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Crean interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Hotham is warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But as you have invited me to talk about the Murray, if there is one government amongst the partner governments of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission—

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why did you make the promise?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Sydney!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

that has delivered beyond what it promised, it is the Commonwealth government, because not only have we delivered the hundreds of millions of dollars we agreed with the premiers that we would deliver back in 2004 but, in the last budget, without being required under any of the intergovernmental agreements to do so, we put another $500 million in.

I pray for rain every day and I hope the member for Grayndler does, but it is a bit hard to meet aspirations about returning water to the Murray River when it does not rain. If the member for Grayndler has access to a solution to this problem, I am prepared to amend the opinion I currently have of him. If he is a rainmaker—if he has powers beyond what anybody on this side of the House ever thought he had—I am prepared to say I am totally wrong, I am prepared to apologise to him, I am prepared to say that he is a genius.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Plibersek interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney is warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am prepared to say all of these things. That is about the most stupid question you have ever asked.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table the relevant pages of the Living Murray website, which show that the government has not delivered a drop to the Murray.

Leave granted.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I’ll get under your skin, bonehead!

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler is warned!