Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Childhood Learning) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Minister, Taskers New Holland, a family machinery dealership in Deniliquin in my electorate of Farrer will not be taking on two new apprentices next year as a result of their concerns for future business prospects given the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s guide. Why didn’t the minister give any consideration to the impact on businesses and families of drastic cuts prior to the release of the Murray-Darling Basin guide?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the question from the member for Farrer is ‘Why didn’t I intervene on the authority?’—that is effectively what she is asking, because none of the things that were just referred to could occur without me intervening on the independent authority—the question is about why I was not willing to act contrary to the Water Act. There is a pretty simple answer as to why a minister in the government is not going to act against the law. The authority is independent under the Water Act, which was brought in under the coalition government and which was supported by the member for Farrer.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Childhood Learning) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: now the minister has intervened and asked for a socioeconomic study. My question was—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Farrer will resume her seat. On the point of order of relevance, the minister is responding directly to the question.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I find it extraordinary if the argument is that the seeking of legal advice amounts to intervention. If that is the argument, that is absolutely extraordinary. For the benefit of the business that is referred to, and for the decisions that that business is undertaking, can I say this: if the decision is taken in the framework that they do not believe they should be taking any decisions at the moment because there will be water reform, that is a business decision in the context of water reform. If they are making a decision based on a belief that the numbers in the guide are government policy then that is a mistaken belief. The numbers in the guide are not government policy. There is only one side of this chamber that ever promised to implement a draft document, and it was the Leader of the Opposition, during the campaign, who was going to release the draft within two weeks and proceed to implement it immediately. That was never our policy. Our principle has always been that we will implement the final plan. The final plan will be brought down after there has been an opportunity for direct ministerial involvement, and that is the way the act is constructed. That is the way we will operate. Anybody presuming that the guide somehow represents a final landing point misunderstands the intention of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and also certainly misrepresents where the government is at.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Pyne interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sturt has had a fair degree of charity today. He will not use unparliamentary remarks; he will not talk over everybody.