Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management. In August, the states greenlighted a new inspector-general for the Murray-Darling Basin, and Mick Keelty became the interim inspector-general. Yesterday, after meeting with irrigators, the NFF's Tony Maher said, 'What we've agreed to is to make sure that Mick Keelty has the powers to take action where it's needed.' When will we see the legislation?

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are continuing to work with the states. There are constitutional issues pertaining to the powers which we wish to give to Mr Keelty, who is the interim inspector as we stand at the moment, and then there'll be a cabinet appointment. If Mr Keelty applies, his name will come forward. The reality is there is crossover of the constitutional powers that we are asking for Mr Keelty to have. So, until I can get that agreement from the states, it is difficult for us to prepare the legislation and to bring it to this parliament to finalise.

We have been engaging with the states, as has the inspector-general, to ensure that they have comfort around that. And that's around some of the powers we wish to give him, around being able to compel evidence and actually being able to refer to integrity commissions. So we are working with the states as quickly as we can. But, in the interim, to be able to continue on, we are asking the states to act with cooperation—and they are, and they have.

Mr Fitzgibbon interjecting—

I think one of the things we should be proud of is the fact that there are legislative requirements, Member for Hunter. That is why we work in this place—you here longer than me. Let me just make it clear that we have come a long way with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan over the past 18 months, and with a bipartisan approach, and I acknowledge the member for Watson. We'll continue to work through that. The only delay is having the agreement with the states. Once that is done, this legislation will be entered into this parliament, and we'd expect a bipartisan approach in supporting that, and the states will work through that to ensure that there's further review if Mr Keelty is complied with.