Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

I am happy again to reiterate and confirm that the Basin Plan will be implemented consistent with what was agreed. And, under that agreement, there have to be certain tests outlined in that agreement. It will be met and we are committed to it. Can I say that this is an area that requires cooperation among the states and territories to create the plan and to implement the plan. It is an area where it is difficult, of course, to get that agreement from time to time. I refer the senator—through you, Mr President—back to a quote that Minister Tony Burke made in 2012, where he was referring to this when he was responsible minister. He said, 'If we worked on the basis that the only way to get an agreement was for every state to be completely happy, we would wait another century before we manage the Murray-Darling Basin.' And he is right about that that: it is difficult to get agreement among the states, but we have got an agreement. We are implementing that agreement; we are implementing it in exactly the way that it was designed and we are committed to it.