Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources) Share this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition had a choice. He had a choice in 1989: the government of which he was a part had a choice to build a dam which would have droughtproofed south-east Queensland—and they wimped it. They said, ‘No, we won’t build it,’ but then they did nothing else.

One of the other things that the Leader of the Opposition is very good at is asking himself questions. He is always asking himself questions. He goes on the television and instead of waiting for the interviewer to ask him the question he says, ‘I ask myself why I am so clever,’ and then tells us why he is, and he says, ‘And I ask myself why my policies are so persuasive,’ and then he answers that. What about this question for the Leader of the Opposition? Why doesn’t he ask himself this question—because he will not answer it when anyone else asks it: ‘Why did we not build the Wolffdene Dam?’ Why did he and Wayne Goss not build the Wolffdene Dam? Why did they deny the reality that the area of Australia which was the fastest growing in our nation was, so obviously, going to need more water? Why did they deny it the prospect of more water? And why does he have the gall to stand here and pretend that he has the character to be Prime Minister of this country?

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