Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I know the member for Maribyrnong, the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, is desperate to jump over the minister and take the minister’s portfolio but he should let the minister interject if he wishes. The plan was laid out in January 2007, and that deals with the long-term structural issues. But, in the short term, these people need some help to get through what is an absolute crisis in the system. Their livelihoods are being destroyed. Community groups and community facilities, like the golf course and the footy grounds and so forth, which are so important to the Australian culture, are dying because water cannot be accessed or cannot be accessed at a reasonable price. What I am asking for, and what the people of my electorate are asking for, is a bit of help to get through the situation.

I was disappointed on Thursday that the Minister for Climate Change and Water—and I know she is under extraordinary pressure at the moment—claimed that this was a political stunt. I can tell you it is not. The member for Murray said earlier that ministers do not respond on these issues because there are no Labor voters north of the divide. I am happy to say that in my by-election there were no Labor voters, because Labor would not run. They would not run because they are embarrassed about what has happened in the Lower Lakes and their response to it. I urge the minister at the table, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, and the minister for climate change to reconsider their decision on these amendments. It would assist the people in the area. I urge the parliamentary secretary to come and visit me in Mayo and I will take him to the Lower Lakes, and I urge the minister to do the same. It is a disaster and it would be of great assistance to the people of the region if we could get a package of help.

Secondly, I wish to deal with the pipeline—one of the most absurd policy decisions ever made. We have, as the member for New England said, a situation where the system is overextracted already and a government says, ‘I know what we’ll do—we’ll extract more.’ That is simply what they have done. They have said, ‘We’ll extract more.’ It just does not make sense. Explain that to the people of the Lower Lakes, who I notice today are now threatened by the state government with flooding with salt water. The minister is probably not aware, but I am sure his staff are, that the state Labor government has applied today for approval to let seawater go into the Lower Lakes. The government are allowing 75 gigs to come out of the Goulburn River but will not let that prevent the Lower Lakes from being flooded. It is a disgrace. I urge the minister to not approve this application. This is a white flag for the Lower Lakes and a green flag for the pipeline. It is a disgrace and the minister has the power to stop it. (Time expired)

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