Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. When did the Prime Minister become aware of the Deputy Prime Minister's intention to abandon the previous bipartisan support for the implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full and on time—before or after the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to the South Australian Minister for Water and the River Murray last Thursday?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is not for me to advise Senator Gallacher, but if I were him I would not be springing to the defence of the South Australian water minister, Mr Ian Hunter, given his substandard conduct, shall we say, at the recent meeting last week of water ministers.

The premise of your question is not only false—it is deliberately and misleadingly false. There has been absolutely no difference of view whatsoever evident from anything that Mr Joyce, the Deputy Prime Minister, has either said or done in relation to this issue. The Australian government is committed to delivering the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full and on time. The basin plan is based on an approach to water management that delivers a healthy basin and supports productive industries, confident communities and a resilient environment. It is based on balancing those three policy objectives in the most sensible way.

Basin water ministers met, as you know, Senator Gallacher, on 18 November. That was the occasion upon which we learned that the South Australian water minister, Mr Hunter, disgraced himself by his behaviour. The Deputy Prime Minister raised with his colleagues the challenge of delivering the Basin Plan in a way that avoids detrimental impacts on regional communities. Do I infer from your question, Senator Gallacher, that you do not think that that is an issue that ought to be addressed by water ministers? Of course, it is. But it is desirable as well that water ministers of both sides of politics and in all jurisdictions, state and federal, deal with each other, so far as they can, in a non-partisan way and in a spirit of civility.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Gallacher, a supplementary question.

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I thank the Attorney-General for his answer. I refer to Minister Frydenberg, the Minister for the Environment and Energy, who yesterday said:

… we're absolutely committed to implementing the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full.

Has the Prime Minister spoken to the Deputy Prime Minister to ensure he is aware of the government's commitment?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Gallacher, honestly and truly, surely you can do better than that. The Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister—and do not forget that the Prime Minister is a former Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in the Howard government—both take a very deep and very, very well-informed approach to this issue. They speak about the issue frequently, as they speak to each other frequently about all issues, as you would expect in the relationship between the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, and they are absolutely at one on this issue.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Gallacher, a final supplementary question.

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I refer to the Liberal member for Barker, Mr Tony Pasin, who says:

I'm just a little concerned about the fact that we now have a deeper involvement by the National party, with respect to the implementation of the plan …

Doesn't the Deputy Prime Minister's behaviour prove that Mr Pasin was right to be concerned?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is only one minister's behaviour that has attracted adverse notice in this latest engagement, Senator Gallacher, and that is the behaviour of Mr Ian Hunter, your Labor Party colleague in the South Australian government, who behaved disgracefully and in a manner which any Australian elector would not expect any minister on either side of politics to behave. But leaving that matter aside, I have not seen Mr Pasin's remarks. I do not comment on remarks that I have not seen. But I can assure you that the position of the Australian government, represented by both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, is to deliver on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, to make sure the balances of which I spoke in my answer to your initial question are appropriately struck and to deal with other political parties and other jurisdictions civilly.

I ask that further questions be placed upon the Notice Paper.