George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Senator Xenophon, and thank you for your courtesy in giving my office advance notice of the question. I do not think you were in the chamber, Senator Xenophon, when a question was asked of the relevant minister, Senator Canavan, by the opposition. Senator Canavan in his answer gave a very, very detailed exposition of the government's position, and I would commend it to you.

But in any event, Senator Xenophon, as the Prime Minister stated this morning, we are committed to the Basin Plan, we are committed to the environment and we are also committed to doing the right thing by irrigators. We are committed to delivering the plan in full. The conditions around the expenditure of the Water for the Environment Special Account are that it must be used in accordance with the intergovernmental agreement agreed to by jurisdictions, including your state of South Australia. The additional 450 gigalitres must be recovered through efficiency improvements, with neutral and improved social and economic impacts—a point made by Senator Ruston, the Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, in her letter to the Premier of South Australia on 20 November. The measures are dependent on the voluntary participation of irrigators and water users. The act, and the intergovernmental agreement, which are both public documents, determine how the funding can be spent.