Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to respond to the comments made by Senator Ian Macdonald in relation to the answers in response to questions without notice given today by the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong, particularly as to the initiatives that the Rudd government has undertaken in respect of environmental matters, initiatives that are desperately urgent. We have taken them because we have had to, because the previous government failed to address significant issues of climate change during its 11 long years in government. Senator Macdonald referred today to a ‘classic opportunity’. Well, a few classic opportunities have gone begging over on your side, Senator Macdonald; that is for sure. You have had the classic opportunity this week to pass the Rudd government’s budget legislation and deliver to Australia’s working families the budget initiatives that we promised them prior to the election, which they are waiting for. But, instead of taking the opportunity to assist Australia’s working families, you have taken the opportunity to go on strike in fact. We have had a lot of discussion by the coalition today about strikes. It seems to me that is what you over there have done by refusing to deal with important legislation, so jeopardising some $284 billion worth of initiatives that could have assisted Australia’s working families.

As part of our budget initiatives, we have numerous things to do with addressing the dire situation of the Murray-Darling Basin and Australia’s environmental issues in general. Senator Wong referred to one of the extraordinary things that we were able to achieve in the first four months of government: getting COAG agreement on what we were going to do about the Murray-Darling Basin. I take a particular interest in the Murray-Darling Basin because I live in Adelaide, which is towards the end of the Murray-Darling Basin, and I am well aware of the dire situation of the lakes at the mouth of the Murray. It was therefore heartening indeed to see, under Senator Wong’s leadership, the state governments and the federal government of Australia finally reach agreement on what to do about the Murray-Darling Basin. In this budget we have brought forward $384.8 million in funding to accelerate water purchases and to begin some infrastructure projects in the basin. That $384.8 million is on top of another $15.2 million that was brought forward during the 2007-08 estimates. That $400 million forms part of the Rudd government’s $12.9 billion Water for the Future package, a package that focuses on four key priorities including taking action on climate change, using water wisely, securing water supplies and supporting healthy rivers. The government has already started a $50 million buyback program and has secured entitlements to an additional 35 billion litres of water for the Murray-Darling Basin. I acknowledge that, while we have had water buybacks and the other initiatives that we have speedily implemented to try to save the Murray-Darling system, nothing can compensate for the necessity to have additional rainfall in this country.