Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question. I think, at the outset, it is important to assure the Australian people of the coalition government's absolute commitment to the health of the Murray-Darling Basin. Indeed, that has been very obvious for some period of time. We can look back at the National Water Initiative under John Anderson. We have seen the Murray-Darling Basin plan come into creation—and I do have to credit the current Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, for the work he did on the water plan. Interestingly, it has been a difficult period. It has taken 100 years to get this plan into place. There have been times, of course, when we have had to make concessions on both sides, but I do acknowledge that the opposition, the Labor Party, has worked with us from time to time to ensure that we do get good outcomes for the Murray-Darling Basin.

In relation to the senator's question, I do not think it is an exclusive thing that one jurisdiction should take responsibility to respond to the allegations that were made. Of course, primarily, the allegations were made in New South Wales, so New South Wales is the appropriate jurisdiction to take the lead in the response. But, of course, the Commonwealth is committed to the health of the Murray-Darling Basin. We do have the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, and it was quite appropriate to ensure that the Murray-Darling Basin Authority conducted a review of the compliance regimes which were ordered. I don't see that it is mutually exclusive—that one jurisdiction should take the lead in the response. Indeed, I think everybody out there in the community would want us to respond to those allegations—and I do note that they are allegations. They should be treated as such. We have seen a methodical, sensible response from both New South Wales and the Commonwealth to those allegations.