Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Patrick is right. There has no doubt been mismanagement of the environmental water. I don't know enough about the details, Senator Patrick, but I'm sure there's been some mismanagement in the bureaucracy as well. All my colleagues' amendments would do is give more time and flexibility for more projects and ideas to be brought forward. To those opposed to this amendment: why would you be afraid of more ideas? Why would you oppose more ideas to more efficiently improve environmental watering? What is the problem with trying to become more efficient at watering our environment? If farmers are expected to be efficient, so should the bureaucrats. Those who would oppose the Nationals amendments are effectively saying that the bureaucrats should be a protected species and should not have the same requirements imposed on them as our nation's farmers. I think we should defend our nation's farmers. We should defend our ability to grow food. That's why I fully support the sensible amendments brought by my Nationals colleagues.