Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Labor supports Australian cotton growers and acknowledges the importance of the cotton industry both to the Australian economy and to all those who rely upon it for their livelihoods. However, it must also be acknowledged that recently the cotton industry has been the focus of media reports regarding allegations of misuse of water from the Murray-Darling Basin. It is important for the success of our future farming industries that the purpose of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, which was designed to restore the health of the river system, is maintained. The primary objective of government water policy must be to ensure environmental flows are restored and maintained. From there, it is for the market to determine where the water is allocated. As a high-value crop, cotton is well placed in this regard.