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

I'll take that interjection, because you're right, Senator Hanson-Young, that we have released documents on this matter, and those documents, if you had taken the time to pay attention to them, did show that the original sale offer that you referred to was very different from the final purchase, because those documents show that the amount of water purchased was a lot more than was originally offered and, when you end up getting a lot more than was offered, of course the price has to be higher as well.

Mr President, I can assure you and this chamber that the government's purchases of water here have been advised through independent analysis and valuation. We are confident that we have purchased water at good value for money for the taxpayer. We're also confident that these water purchases will help deliver the environmental objectives and outcomes of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. The government are committed to making sure that we do deliver. We are trying our best to get this delivery done, in the clear politicisation and opposition to independent advice that we've seen from Senator Hanson-Young's side and the Labor side, who have ignored the results of the Northern Basin Review and potentially put at risk the delivery of the overall plan, which is to the benefit of the whole Murray-Darling.

Government senators interjecting—