Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The minister said that we need to inject a little bit of fairness into the debate. I would also like to inject a little bit of history into the debate. The Greens for years and years have been calling on calling for action for the Murray, for the entire basin. We have continuously criticised whatever side of this chamber was in government and called for better action, for better foresight in seeing what we needed to do to tackle the overallocation issue and its implications for communities further downstream. I would like to remind the minister that when this bill first came into play it was the Greens that were moving amendments to strengthen the arrangements, to strengthen the impact on saving the river Murray, saving the basin and giving communities hope and security. There was very little support from either side—either the then opposition, the Labor Party, or the then government, the coalition. So as well as injecting a little bit of fairness, I think we also need to inject a little bit of history.

Even as recently as yesterday, the Greens stood up and acknowledged the good things the government has done on this issue over the last 12 months. But we are talking here about an amendment to give some immediate relief to those communities in the Lower Lakes and the Coorong. We acknowledge that things are happening slowly and further down the track in terms of trying to offer security to these communities, but this package is about trying to relieve the pressure that the communities feel now—and it is important to do that. It is a shame that the minister cannot see that that is an important thing that these communities need right now. They need this support right now. They need action right now.