Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. The Murray-Darling Basin is in crisis. The environment is in collapse. Communities are on the brink of having no clean drinking water. Family farms have their backs against the wall. And the water minister says he doesn't even believe in climate change. He says he can't do anything except pray for rain. When will the Morrison government get its head out of the sand on climate change and come to tackle the drought, rather than just praying for rain and giving communities your hopes and prayers?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, our government, of course, is committed to effective action on climate change. Not only are we on track to meet and exceed the emissions reduction targets signed on to in Kyoto, we also have a plan to meet our emissions reduction targets to 2030 agreed to in Paris. In relation to the Murray-Darling Basin, the government is committed to delivering the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, to ensure benefits flow to communities, farmers and the environment. We have achieved a lot, but we acknowledge the Basin Plan isn't perfect. Reversing the effects of the past 100 years of management will take time. The basin isn't just a source of precious water; it's our food bowl. Almost half our irrigated agriculture production comes from the basin. It is home to more than two million people and supports tens of thousands of businesses. So we are committed to effective action on climate change and we are committed to effective implementation of the Basin Plan, but we do understand that it takes time to reverse 100 years of previous decision-making.

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, a supplementary question?

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

When will the government develop a drought plan that actually includes climate change and deals with the overextraction by big corporate irrigation and the gaming of the system by big, rich water barons?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) | Link to this | Hansard source

I reject the premise of the question and I put it to Senator Hanson-Young that our plan, both on climate change and on the Murray-Darling Basin—

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young on a point of order.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

Just a clarification: is the minister saying they don't have a drought plan at all?

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, that's not a point of order.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) | Link to this | Hansard source

I absolutely reject the accusations that were included in that question and I put it to Senator Hanson-Young, as I do to the Senate, that the government is implementing an appropriately balanced plan to effectively address climate change, an appropriately balanced plan to appropriately deal with the issues faced in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, a final supplementary question?

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

No drought plan, no climate plan. For six years the National Party have been in charge of water policy in this country. How bad does it need to get before the Prime Minister takes the water portfolio off the Nationals?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) | Link to this | Hansard source

That is a ridiculous proposition. The Liberal-National Party is a strong coalition and we've got outstanding National Party colleagues who have performed responsibilities for the water portfolio, and none more so than the current minister with responsibility for water, Minister Littleproud. So, while there's always noise, while people throw rocks, we just continue to get on with doing the job that needs doing.