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

In response to Senator Wortley, unfortunately there are. Despite the fact that Senator Birmingham and Mr Pyne have indicated support for water purchase—in fact, Mr Pyne wants us to purchase more; he wants a billion litres purchased by the government—we see what the opposition has put out most recently from members such as Senator Joyce, Mr Cobb and Dr Stone. Dr Stone does not mind purchase as long as it is only in New South Wales. I am not sure she has told you, Senator Nash, that she is happy if we purchase but only if it is in New South Wales. We see what has happened to those on that side who understood at least for the purposes of their South Australian electorate that water purchase was necessary to return water to wetlands such as the Coorong, such as Chowilla—all of those icon sites that we know you neglected. Those on that side who understood what was necessary have been rolled, and now I think what we need is to get Senator Birmingham and Mr Pyne and all the other South Australians on that side to go down to Adelaide and tell them that you do not support water purchases anymore. (Time expired)