Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

Mainly perhaps, but that is only because there have regrettably been more Liberal-National Party governments over the last century than Labor governments. This is what we are dealing with. In less than a century, water extraction from the rivers in the basin has increased by 500 per cent and the governance failures are sought to be overcome by the legislation that establishes the framework. I repeat the call that I started with. I call on members of the opposition not to engage in a wilful misunderstanding of this process, not to engage in hysteria and not to engage in misinformation, because these are complex policy questions which are best resolved in a measured way.

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