Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

A healthy River Murray is vital to my state's future. Our communities and our economy depend on the river like no other state, and we see firsthand what happens when those upstream act inappropriately. That's why, historically, South Australia has fought so hard to achieve a Murray-Darling Basin Plan—to ensure the future health of the basin, which is essential to protecting the communities, the industries and the environment that depend on it.

The explosive allegations aired on Four Corners two weeks ago were shocking to us, particularly those farmers and irrigators who consider the river their heartland. The allegations point to what we fear—that too many upstream continue to undermine a plan which is so important to protecting our river. These fears have only been validated by the arrogant, uncaring and dismissive response from this government, exemplified markedly by the man supposed to be in charge, as minister, of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. What did the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce, have to say? What did he say to political supporters over a beer in a Shepparton pub? He tried to paint the Four Corners investigation as an attempt to create 'a calamity for which the solution is trying to take more water off you'. That's the Deputy Prime Minister and minister for water dismissing allegations of theft and corruption as a calamity not for the river, not for the Basin Plan, but for those accused of the responsibility. It's like blaming the police for Ned Kelly robbing the bank. What's worse, he actually celebrated his ability to dismiss such allegations, to push them aside, saying 'I'm glad it's our portfolio, a National Party portfolio, because we can go out and say, "No, we're not going to follow on that. We're not going to scare you."'

The next day, Minister Joyce dismissed reports of theft and corruption in the Murray-Darling Basin as modern-day cattle-rustling. He doesn't seem to understand that being federal minister for water isn't about promoting the interests of his mates in The Nationals by making light of potentially criminal or corrupt behaviour; it's about showing leadership on behalf of all people who rely on that river system. Of course, we shouldn't be surprised by Mr Joyce's response. He did, after all, campaign against the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, telling those suffering to move where the water is. And, even his own coalition colleagues expressed concern when he was given control of the water portfolio by Mr Turnbull. Tony Pasin, the Liberal member for Barker, said that he was 'concerned about the fact that we now have a deeper involvement by the National Party with respect to the implementation of the plan'.

What have we seen from Mr Turnbull? We have seen the usual inability to stand up for anything he previously believed in and previously fought for. On this issue, like on so many others, he's again caved—on this occasion, to The Nationals and the Deputy Prime Minister. Mr Turnbull's response to the allegations of corruption and theft was to announce a compliance review that can't compel witnesses to appear, that doesn't allow evidence to be taken under oath, that doesn't allow documents to be compelled and won't protect whistleblowers. He used to be a strong and passionate advocate for reform of the Murray-Darling Basin. He used to. But now he stands meekly behind Mr Joyce in rejecting any sensible response to these serious allegations. It is yet another act of weakness, yet another absence of leadership from Mr Turnbull.

Today in the parliament, senators from all parties in South Australia, bar one, jointly moved and supported a motion calling for a national judicial inquiry into the allegations of theft and corruption I've described. It comes after the South Australian Labor government and Senators Xenophon, Bernardi, Hanson-Young and I stood together on this issue. It speaks to the importance we place upon this. That South Australians from a wide set of political perspectives could unite on this issue shows a solemn depth of concern. The one party not supporting our collective call for an inquiry is the Liberals, who yet again are putting their National Party mates in other states ahead of the people they're elected to represent in this place and ahead of the people of South Australia.