Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Senator Conroy. When was the government first advised by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority that it believed the Water Act did not allow it to fully and equally balance environmental, economic and social objectives?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Birmingham for the question. As the senator could imagine, I would have to provide the exact answer to that very detailed question on notice. I will seek what information I can from Minister Burke and provide that to Senator Birmingham at the earliest opportunity.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question and I thank the minister for the brevity at least of that answer. Can I advise the minister that the MDBA chairman, Mike Taylor, has publicly stated that he raised this concern with Minister Burke at their first meeting. I ask the minister: had Mr Taylor also earlier advised Minister Wong of this fact and, regardless of that, why did the government wait until the wave of public outrage to get legal advice clarifying the authority’s interpretation of the Water Act when it was advised of this problem before the guide was released?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. Again, you have asked a very specific question, which requires a very specific answer.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Birmingham interjecting—

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, you have asked for a date. Let us be very clear: if you are going to ask for a specific date then I am obviously not going to have that information to hand as I am not the minister. But I will happily seek the information you have asked for and get back to you.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I highlight the last part of the first supplementary question, which asked why the government allowed the guide to be released when it knew the authority had conflicting legal advice to what the government thought the objectives of the act were. I also ask the minister: how can the government expect communities to have confidence in its management of this challenging reform agenda when it is unable to deliver promised water-saving infrastructure projects, unable to produce complete socioeconomic analysis of reforms and unwilling to go out and address community meetings and the government itself was unable to ensure— (Time expired)

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The hypocrisy from Senator Birmingham and those opposite is staggering. This is a piece of legislation that began while they were in government, was passed while they were in government and was amended by our government with their full support. This is legislation that they signed up to, that they voted for, that they created. They created this legislation; every single word of it is theirs.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Shouting across the chamber is disorderly.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, those opposite want to cry crocodile tears in this chamber, demonstrating that they still have no policies, no ideas and no plans to offer. They have walked away from their own legislation. They try to claim that it is suddenly—

Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. The coalition does have a policy. All the government provided was three media releases—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is a debating point, Senator; you know that. You are quite entitled to put your point of view at the end of question time, and I welcome senators who wish to participate in that part of the debate to do so. Senator Conroy, you have 20 seconds remaining to address the question.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased that those in the cockies corner down there, the National Party, have finally stood up. That is the first time in three years they have stood up!

Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order: unparliamentary language. Can you ask him to withdraw that?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Joyce, there is nothing there that I could rule on.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Another excellent ruling, Mr President. Thank you. But let us be clear about this: the National Party have rolled over so far they do not know which way they are facing. (Time expired)