Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) Share this | Hansard source

I would suggest that Senator Carr, who is happily interjecting, because he does not seem to be able to make any other contribution apart from interjections, would have been standing here and criticising the government if they had not undertaken a comparison. I am sure he would have been asking, 'How on earth does the government actually know that the most cost-effective method of delivering the NBN isn't fibre-to-the-premise?' if we had not undertaken an investigation or an analysis of that particular model.

So we need to stop being hypocritical and we need to stop carrying on prosecuting something that is dead and buried now. Let's get on with looking at what is going to be positive for Australians into the future. As I said, I can see this is a great project. I congratulate Senator Conroy for coming up with the idea of the NBN. Just because we do not necessarily agree about how some of the delivery has taken place, and we may still disagree on the methods and the mix of technologies that are about to be rolled out, that does not mean that we do not all think this is a fabulous project. I would ask those opposite to step back from their political carry-on and let all of us work together to deliver this fantastic project for Australia.

I want to briefly make a comment in relation to another question that was asked, in relation to water buybacks. I am really disappointed at the level of scaremongering that is going on in the context of water about where the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder sits, who has primary carriage of the water, what is my delegated responsibility in the water space et cetera. All we are doing by carrying on like this is causing great concern, upset and uncertainty for the irrigators and the communities that live in the Murray-Darling Basin.

So I would ask those opposite to please consider, before you start carrying on with this kind of behaviour, the people who are most likely to be affected by it. I draw to your attention a press release by the National Irrigators' Council, who made the comment that they are 'sick and tired of being used as political pawns as politicians try to whip up fear to wedge each other for electoral gain in marginal Adelaide seats'. Both Minister Joyce and I live in the Murray-Darling Basin. This is a first. This should be a good thing. I think we are in a better position than before to know what is possibly in the best interests of not just the basin but the basin communities. I am very much looking forward to working with Minister Joyce to deliver good environmental, economic and social outcomes for the entire Murray-Darling Basin.