Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

July and August have certainly seen a lot of spin from the Rudd Labor government about the South Australian River Murray communities and, in particular, the lower lakes. It all seems to be words and no action. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Rudd came to Adelaide announcing an accelerated buyback. He misled the Australian public and perpetrated a fraud on South Australians. He continued his form of overstating what he would do. He promised 35 billion litres and delivered less than 10 swimming pools.

Penny Wong has waved the white flag on the future of the lower lakes. Senator Wong now says there are insufficient supplies that the government can compulsorily buy from interstate to reach the lower lakes. Senator Wong has this week confirmed that the Rudd Labor government will not offer any immediate assistance to the lower lakes communities whose livelihoods are dependent on the Murray. There are people in the lower lakes area who cannot even take a shower because they have not got access to the water, and this mean federal government will not do a thing for them.

Asked during question time in the Senate earlier this week whether the government would support the coalition’s plan for a $50 million emergency assistance fund, the minister ruled out supporting immediate relief for lower lakes communities. Minister Wong has shown absolutely no interest in immediately relieving the plight of South Australian communities. In June, Senator Penny Wong said, ‘In relation to this specific report I have asked my department for some urgent advice.’ What has happened to that urgent advice? The minister has refused to release the report’s findings. I call on the government to make this public so that all South Australians know the options the government are considering or whether they have merely abandoned the lower lakes communities to their fate.

We have seen nine months of intentional delay from Mr Rudd, Minister Wong and Mr Rann on action which would have delivered water by now. This is the Rudd government stuck on the spin cycle. Its time line for fixing the crisis in the Murray-Darling is far too slow and is certainly too late for the lower lakes and the Coorong area. The coalition has proposed a $50 million fund that would provide urgent assistance to the local people, their businesses, their communities and the wildlife of the lower lakes. Yet Labor in this country refuses to do a thing about it in the short term. There is nothing here for the lower lakes communities. They need access to water—just for showers and for drinking—and this government is not doing a thing about it.