Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

The former government—I think Senator Wong might have had something to do with it—was buying water willy-nilly all over the place, with no consideration of the impact on basin communities. They were paying out $300 million to Johnny Kahlbetzer and more than $20 million to buy Toorale Station without even considering the impact on these basin communities.

That was not how the Basin Plan was meant to be implemented. The Basin Plan was meant to be implemented in a way which balanced economic, social and environmental considerations. That is not the approach of the former government, but it is the approach of this government. That is what we are committed to doing. We are committed to doing that with the states and territories. We should all get back to cooperating about this important national reform.