Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm the proud representative of river communities in South Australia, and that makes me the number one fan of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, because I know that it's South Australia and my communities in particular that stand to gain the most from the implementation of this plan in full and on time. But that also means that South Australians stand to lose the most from this plan being wrecked. Sadly, last night, in the other place, an unholy coalition of Labor, the so-called SA-BEST party, who are, quite frankly, acting like 'SA-WORST', and the Greens operated to vote down the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, effectively opening the door for New South Wales and Victoria—who, let's face it, have been reluctantly brought to the table on many of the issues that need addressing in the plan—to crab walk away from this plan.

I believe in a plan that delivers 3,200 gigs to the environment. That's not achievable now. What we saw was the SA-BEST team, Labor and the Greens playing petty politics in the other place. You might ask me, 'Why would South Australian senators vote against a plan that is so squarely in South Australia's interests, a plan that was fought for tooth and nail by South Australians?' Well, it has something to do with St Patrick's Day this year, not because it's St Patrick's Day but because that is the date of the next South Australian state election.

I haven't seen any more obvious examples of playing petty politics with the Murray-Darling Basin than last night's. Sadly, it's my communities that stand to suffer. Irrigators along the Murray-Darling Basin and those who enjoy the unique environments have struggled with uncertainty in and around their entitlements for over a century. That was resolved, thanks to the stellar efforts of the member for Watson. I wasn't even in this place when the Murray-Darling Basin agreement was reached. While I'm the No. 1 fan of the plan now, I was certainly the No. 1 cheerleader then because I knew we needed a plan. I knew that, if I was given the great privilege to come into this place and represent the interests of river communities, my job would be to implement the plan. To watch now the member for Watson—no doubt pressured by the Premier in South Australia and the arch-populist Nick Xenophon from, as I say, the 'SA-WORST' party—walk away from what could've been his great legacy in this place proves to me that nothing is above politics. And it is so sad.

I spoke to irrigators and community members overnight and this morning, and there is a deep sense amongst river communities of feeling betrayed. It's one thing to beat your chest and say you're standing up for the Murray. It's another thing to look an irrigator in the eye and say: 'Well, the truth is we're going to take your entitlement away from you. The truth is we're playing petty politics. The truth is: yes, we had an agreement to do a northern basin review, and yes, there's an SDL, but, quite frankly, there's a state election coming and we'd actually prefer to cheat our way into an election win. It's been great knowing you on this journey, but you're now politically expedient.' That's how they feel this morning. Whether at Meningie on the Lower Lakes or all the way up at Lock 6, they feel cheated and they know this is all about politics and has nothing to do with the plan.

My call is to the member for Watson and the 'SA-WORST' candidate in Hartley, Nick Xenophon—please, come back to the table and work with South Australians to implement this plan because otherwise you are selling South Australians down the river, and I pity you for that choice.