Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Hansard source

I come to this debate on the urgency motion from a rather unique position. I'm really not interested in the politics of what has gone on. I recognise and acknowledge that there are a great many people who have taken more serious and significant interest in the health and wellbeing of the Murray-Darling Basin system and the Barwon-Darling Basin system than I have over a great many years. They have been diligent and applied their skills and knowledge to getting favourable outcomes, and I thought we had that agreed. What concerns me about this is that there are allegations that have been aired on the ABC that demonstrate, indicate or suggest that activity that some would say is criminal and some would say is corrupt has taken place. These things have taken place by individuals who are linked to ministers or political parties. They extend into areas which call into question the reasonableness, the efficacy and the potential corruption of politics.

I just want some answers. To be honest, I've been around long enough not to trust governments to investigate themselves or their own. That's not to say that they can't do a good job of it, but I just am sceptical enough to recognise that cover-ups take place when people don't want to get to the truth. There is too much here. One of the benefits of having a relatively large nose is that you have a nose for BS. You can pick up the aroma of nonsense when people are telling it to you. Every single one of my antenna went up when I saw that. Since then I have spoken to people who are not South Australian but are deeply concerned about the health and viability of the Barwon-Darling river system, who are deeply concerned by what is happening in New South Wales and others who are concerned by what is happening further downstream. I just want to get to the truth.

Quite frankly, given the links of the New South Wales government and some representatives that have been involved in this, some representatives of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, and given the links I asked about in question time today involving some in the National Party, I just think we need to make sure that there is an independent judicial inquiry—not to solve it all but to get the facts on the table and say: 'There is a significant problem here and we now need a more substantive inquiry. We need a royal commission'—or whatever it is—'further down the track.' That is my position. I do not care about the politics of this. I'm interested in getting an outcome to make sure that the river system is healthy, that it is serving New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, and that people are doing what they are committed to do rather than covering it up.