Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water, Senator Wong. Can the minister advise the Senate on the Rudd government’s progress in restoring the Murray-Darling Basin to health? Is the minister aware of any proposals that may get in the way of this progress?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McEwen for her question and for her ongoing support for the efforts of this government to restore the River Murray to health. This government is getting on with the job of restoring the River Murray to health. This government is getting on with the job of preparing Australia for a future where there is less water. We are purchasing water—we purchased some 320,000 Olympic swimming pools of water for the Murray-Darling Basin. We are investing in infrastructure in irrigation so we can continue to grow food with less water. And soon the independent Murray-Darling Basin Authority will release its draft Basin Plan.

There was a time when this policy had the support of all parties in this chamber. The Water Act was in fact passed with the support of the Liberal opposition and the National Party. So there was once a time when the parties in this chamber did agree we should restore the River Murray to health. So it was with some surprise on Saturday morning that I woke up to headlines in the Adelaide Advertiser in which Senator Joyce’s message to Murray irrigators was: ‘Move north. Move north to the water.’ Instead of fixing up the Murray, Senator Joyce is saying to South Australians, ‘Pack your bags!’ That is his policy on water, because he would rather tell people to move than actually do what is required to restore the River Murray to health. It is no wonder, Senator Joyce, you never get a question on water. They are embarrassed by you. Frankly, I almost felt sorry for Senator Birmingham and for the members for Sturt and Mayo.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, I remind you to address your comments to the chair.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Through you, Mr President, I almost felt sorry for Senator Birmingham, because he has trumpeted in South Australia that they too on the other side—were they elected under Tony Abbott—would fix up the River Murray, and now their spokesperson has indicated what their real policy is. (Time expired)

Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, what does this new alternative plan mean in the light of other recent proposals?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator McEwen, for your supplementary question. We all remember one other proposal that Mr Abbott came down to South Australia to sell: that was his referendum. Does everyone remember that? Senator Birmingham could not help himself: he was out there talking up the referendum. The member for Sturt held community meetings on the referendum and the member for Mayo trumpeted it: ‘We’re going to hold a referendum!’ But, of course, someone forgot to tell Barnaby. Someone forgot to tell Senator Joyce, because it appears that over the weekend the National Party have rolled Tony Abbott—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, resume your seat. If you choose to use up question time shouting across the chamber, that is your choice, Senator Bernardi—and yours, Senator Joyce.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What happened, of course, over the weekend is that Mr Abbott’s referendum was overruled by the National Party. The National Party at their conference voted against the coalition’s policy. This is the policy that was supposed to get them through to the election and they cannot even get the National Party on board. Mr Abbott and the South Australian Liberal Party cannot even get— (Time expired)

Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Minister, in light of these challenges, what plan does the government have to ensure that we can restore our rivers to health?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One thing we are not going to do is simply tell Adelaide and Murray irrigators to move north, as is Senator Joyce’s new water policy for the coalition. I look forward to the Liberals in South Australia advertising that policy. This government will continue with its reform. We look forward to the independent authority delivering its plan—the plan that Senator Joyce wants to kill before it has even been announced. The question is, of course: what will the Liberal Party do? We know that Senator Joyce opposes bringing the River Murray back to health, he opposes water purchase and he opposes water reform, but the real question is: what will Senator Birmingham and the members for Sturt and Mayo do? Will they stand up for their constituents against the National Party, which is opposed to reform on water?