Ruth Webber (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to briefly outline Labor’s view, but I cannot help but first respond to some of the remarks that have been made by Senators Joyce and Trood. On a light-hearted note I must say that when you come from Perth, Brisbane is an eastern city and not a western city! I struggle with that. But it is heartening to hear of your interest and the interest of your conservative colleagues in the desalination plant that we have operating in Western Australia. You might like to re-educate some of your colleagues in my home state whilst you are visiting there.

It is interesting that people invoke ideas such as these: if the proposal is such a good one then you have nothing to hide; and the degree of concern and anxiety in the community is justification for having an inquiry. I agree with both of those propositions, and they were equally valid when people voted against the proposal to have an inquiry into the sale of Qantas yesterday. There is significant community anxiety about that too, Senator Joyce, but apparently that is not good enough for you in that case. I would have thought that Airline Partners Australia and Qantas should have nothing to hide and therefore should be willing to appear before a Senate inquiry, but you did not seem to deem that as something that should take place.

It is a pity that Senator Trood has left us, because he was talking about the views of the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Rudd, about a previous dam proposal in Queensland. He neglected to inform the Senate of the views of the then parliamentary leader of the state Liberal Party, who moved a motion in the state parliament on 3 October 1989 that began:

That this House demands the government not proceed with the construction or planning of the Wolffdene dam in any way.

It is very easy to come in here and say that Mr Rudd may or may not have had some involvement with that dam and to call on him to have a view about this. It is very easy to score cheap, personal, political points about an issue and neglect to talk about your own history. It is not just about Mr Rudd’s role in the Queensland bureaucracy at the time; you might like to start looking at your own first—at that of the then parliamentary leader of the state Liberal Party—before you come in here and start talking about things like that.

Having said that, though, Labor is not opposed to having an inquiry, but we are opposed to this particular motion. We are concerned about the reporting date. We agree that there is a water crisis in south-east Queensland and we do not see that the Senate should in any way choose to interfere with any arrangements that the state government may have in trying to address that crisis. That would be inappropriate for this place and for anyone in this parliament, or anywhere else for that matter.

We do agree with the proposal to have an inquiry; we are just concerned about this particular motion and the short time. Labor are in a position to support the inquiry foreshadowed by Senators Boswell, Joyce and Trood. The water crisis in south-east Queensland is obviously at the point where even those of us who live in Perth realise it exists. Those who live along the Mary River obviously have very good internet access, because they have been in touch with each and every one of us in this chamber to let us know their views.