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

We can probably best see what the consequences of not acting are by looking back on what we've done in the past and what that has achieved and delivered for our nation. The last major dam built in northern Australia—I know Senator Macdonald would know it very well—the Burdekin dam, was built under a coalition government in Queensland. There was a federal Labor government at the time. Bob Hawke, the former leader of the Labor Party, on the opening of that dam, said:

For almost a century the dream of a dam upon the Burdekin River has inspired generations of people with the promise of new prosperity for North Queensland. Today we mark the realisation of that dream the completion of the Burdekin Dam and the formal opening of a new era …

That used to be the Labor Party. Last week, when the CSIRO's report came out, do you know what the Labor Party said: 'It was a thought bubble.' In their words, it was a 'thought bubble'. After 2½ years and 100 scientists working on it, the Labor Party dismissed it as a thought bubble. Bob Hawke wouldn't have done that. Welcome to the modern Labor Party.