Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly, I would like to thank the government and the opposition for allowing me—and my crossbench colleagues—a little extra time today to speak on this matter of public importance. I would also like to add that, while some of my senate colleagues have chosen to speak about the Murray-Darling Basin water issue today, I have chosen to speak about the water issues most affecting Queensland: CSG mining and the drought.

The Murray-Darling Basin issue is also a concern for Queensland, and I agree the Water Act of 2007 needs to be suspended to enable reassessment of its impact. As the only Independent senator for Queensland, I am the only senator in this place able to talk about the real issues affecting Queensland in relation to water, because all the other senators are constrained by party policy.