Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I indicate my strong support for this amendment. Senator Siewert is right: we need to draw a line in the sand, and it needs to be drawn here and now in relation to this project. I would like to commend the work that the Plug the Pipe group have done in raising the profile of, fighting for and being relentless on this issue in their pursuit of getting a good outcome for their communities and indeed for the Murray-Darling Basin. In particular I commend Ken Pattison, who I have got to know quite well in recent times, and his very dedicated group of people that have been working on this issue of getting the facts out there and raising public awareness not just in their local communities and not just in Victoria but across the nation.

I want to put some questions to the minister. I appreciate that the minister is not here, but I will just put these on the record. I referred in my second reading debate contribution to a number of statements—