Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts representing the Minister for Climate Change and Water. I ask the minister: what action has the government taken to protect the health of our river systems?

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question and I recognise his interest in these matters. The government understands that the short- and long-term health of our river systems is a hugely critical issue and, since coming to government, Labor has set about delivering real improvements to the health of our rivers. In particular I point out to the House the $12.9 billion Water for the Future program, including $3.1 billion for environmental water purchases through the Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling Basin program. Already a number of substantial decisions have been taken. On 15 September we commenced a tender to purchase water from willing sellers in the Queensland—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members—Page 2.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and northern New South Wales areas of the Murray-Darling Basin, part of a $400 million program to purchase water entitlements in the northern section of the basin. On 20 September the Prime Minister announced an offer to buy the water entitlements of small block irrigators in the Murray-Darling Basin who agree to sell all their water entitlements to that Commonwealth. Up to $150,000 as a special payment along with transitional assistance will be made available to eligible irrigators. People can leave irrigated farming but stay on the farm and stay in their community. This measure is expected to yield up to—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members—Page 3.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much for showing your ability to count, those on the opposition side. I will be coming to numbers in a minute. On 7 October the government commenced a tender to purchase water entitlements from willing sellers in the Murray-Darling Basin, providing environmental benefits to RAMSAR listed wetlands along the River Murray such as the Lower Lakes, the Coorong, the Chowilla floodplain near Renmark and the Barmah-Millewa Forest near Echuca. So the government is delivering on bringing improvements to the river systems of the Murray-Darling Basin.

The question now I must ask, through you, Mr Speaker, is: what did the coalition achieve in 11 years? Now let us count what happened in 11 years. Not one single drop of water was recovered directly under the Living Murray program. I urge the opposition to count that number—not one single drop of water was recovered directly under the Living Murray program. In fact the coalition woke up late to the issue of water when the former Prime Minister announced the national water plan for security 10 months before he lost office.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members—Page 4.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This plan was developed in secret by Mr Howard and the now Leader of the Opposition. There was no consultation with the cabinet. There was no consultation with Treasury. There was no consultation with the National Water Commission. There was no consultation with state or territory governments.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, a point of order going to relevance—and I hope the minister will not lose his place by my intervention: I listened carefully to the question and I assume, as is now the practice, you have a copy. There was nothing in that question that entitled this minister to start his discourse on the opposition’s policy.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for O’Connor will resume his seat.

Daryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You’ve got water on the brain.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The only water the member for Banks will be studying is a cup of tea soon. First of all, to clarify something for the edification of the member for O’Connor, I do not see the questions. I do not even see a list of the questions.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The press gallery’s got them.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I remind the member for Sturt, as I did the member for Cowan, of standing order 65(b). He manages to interrupt nearly everything that goes on in question time—not only the answers but also the questions and the Speaker. That goes for the member for Braddon as well. The minister has been relevant. The numeracy exercise that the opposition embarked upon is something that has been going on in this place for decades. It is not really very funny. It is not very cute. It only proves, perhaps, that we are as numerate as our predecessors. I think it is just completely disruptive and really something that should be left in primary school.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For those who are used to counting, may I remind the opposition that in 2001 they were in specific receipt of information from the snapshot survey by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission of the impact of environmental degradation on the Murray-Darling Basin. In 2002 they were in receipt of the report from the Australian Greenhouse Office called Living with climate change, which again showed beyond any shadow of a doubt that there were significant risks to the health of the Murray-Darling Basin, yet in all that time the opposition were not able to deliver a single drop of water to the Murray-Darling Basin. The Leader of the Opposition had two years in the water portfolio and he did not deliver any recoverable water for the Murray-Darling Basin system. The opposition had 12 years to take national leadership on water and it failed. This government in four months began to take robust and comprehensive action on bringing health back to the Murray-Darling Basin, and we will continue on that course in the interests of the nation.