Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I know that you do not want to hear the truth, Senator Fisher, but you have got to listen. The truth is that Senator Fisher says to us that we have got to fix the problem of the Murray but they do not want to buy the water that is needed to send down the Murray to fix the problem. She is opposed to the federal government assisting the New South Wales government to buy this particular station to provide 20 gigalitres water. I notice that Senator Joyce referred to 40 gigalitres of water so they have not even got their facts right. Toorale Station will provide 20 gigalitres of water each year into the Murray. I know that it is a small amount but we have got Senator Fisher opposing this water going into the Murray.

But there is another senator for South Australia—Simon Birmingham. He put out a press release on 7 July 2008. In it he said:

Senator Birmingham joined Independent Senator Nick Xenophon—

yes, joined Senator Xenophon—

at a forum hosted by the Alexandria Council in Goolwa today where they backed calls by the council for the immediate release of 250 gigalitres of water from upstream storages.

We have Senator Wong doing exactly what Senator Birmingham from South Australia has asked her to do: buying some water upstream, releasing it into the river and starting to help the Murray to recover from all of the years of neglect by the Liberal government. Senator Birmingham has the right idea. He knows what South Australia needs: we have to go out there and buy some water. On the other hand, we have Senator Fisher saying, ‘No, you’ve bought this water; it’s the wrong decision.’