Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Well, if Senator Davey had allowed me to answer the question, what I was saying is that we have said that it is going to be necessary to undertake voluntary water buybacks to deliver the plan. But we have also repeatedly said that it is not the only option that we are considering. We are considering water efficiency infrastructure projects, but Senator Davey and people like her go around basin communities misrepresenting the government's policy and pretending it's only about buybacks. We have also said that all buybacks will be voluntary. We have also said that they will be done across the basin in order to minimise the impact on any one particular community. And we have also said that, where they do have a negative impact on communities, there will be structural adjustment assistance provided. It would be good if the National Party were honest for a change. (Time expired)