Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

This is a question from an opposition senator who was part of a party that did nothing on this issue for 12 years. I have said I will provide a statement to the Senate which canvasses the issues that have been raised. I have also said that we on this side are of the view that the discussion about the River Murray and the Murray-Darling Basin should have all the facts on the table. That is why we supported an inquiry into the Murray-Darling Basin and an inquiry into the lower lakes and the Coorong. We believe that you have to look at the whole issue. We have to recognise that currently there is insufficient water in the system to do everything we want. We need to have all those facts on the table because for too long water policy in this country has been driven by politics and by senators opposite who were not prepared to make hard decisions. (Time expired)