Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

None. What we have done in nine months is begin the process of buying 35 gigalitres through the initial $50 million purchase which has been exercised by the Minister for Climate Change and Water and, secondly—and this is where the rubber hits the road for those opposite—Toorale station. Together with New South Wales, we have taken a decision to buy back the water entitlements associated with the purchase of that station—20 billion litres of water to the Darling, peaking up to 80 billion litres in flood times. What do we have from the shadow minister for water security on behalf of the National Party? His statement is that this is an ‘anti-rural Australia act’. So the view of the coalition—because he is the shadow minister for the coalition—is that they are opposed to our buying back 20 billion litres worth of water entitlements to the Darling and up to 80 billion litres in flood time.

I would say to the shadow minister and to the Leader of the Opposition: how does that square with people like the member for Sturt and the South Australian members here in this parliament who day in, day out call upon the government to buy back water entitlements in order to provide environmental flows down the Murray and to ensure that we can act in time to save the lakes at the mouth of the Murray? My challenge to the Leader of the Opposition is this: do you back the shadow minister for water or do you back the member for Sturt? Where does the Liberal Party stand on buying back water entitlements? In nine short months, we have acted on this. We have purchased 37 gigalitres. We have now purchased a station which possesses a potential to buy back another 20 and up to 80. Where does the—

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