Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Minister Canavan. Minister, yesterday Fairfax reported the former water minister Barnaby Joyce approved the taxpayer-funded purchase of water from one of Australia's biggest cotton producers, Eastern Australia Agriculture, at a price well above what the seller was asking—a whopping 25 per cent more. In a separate incident, in October 2017 it was reported that, when considering a buyback from cotton producer Webster Limited for a property in western New South Wales, the former water minister ignored the department's own valuation and paid nearly double what the water was worth. Why is it, Minister, that every time the Nationals get their hands on the water portfolio rich cotton producers get richer and every other taxpayer gets ripped off and the river suffers?

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

I thank Senator Hanson-Young for her question, although unfortunately it contains a number of incorrect claims. The water purchase from Eastern Australia Agriculture was for an amount of water that was greater than five times the figures that were quoted in the media that you referred to in your question, Senator Hanson-Young. So it's incorrect. It is absolutely incorrect to say that the government paid a price that was above the seller's price.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not what your own documents show.

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to 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—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right! I will hear Senator Hanson-Young's question in silence. Senator Hanson-Young, a supplementary question.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a pattern of behaviour: every time the Nationals pay their mates for water buybacks, the taxpayer ends up paying more than the water is worth. Can the minister describe: is this a rort, is it a kickback or is it just good old-fashioned pork-barrelling for the National Party at the cost of the taxpayer just to look after your mates?

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Order on my right! Senator O'Sullivan! I asked senators to allow me to hear Senator Hanson-Young's question. She raised her voice, so I heard it. I will hear questions in silence. Senator Hanson-Young, I would urge you regarding the phrasing of your question—there are standing orders about statements at the beginning of questions; that approached the line. Senator Canavan.

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

I do agree with an aspect of Senator Hanson-Young's question—just a tiny aspect. There clearly is a pattern of behaviour here. It's a pattern of behaviour from the Australian Greens that they don't do their homework. They simply do not do their homework before they come in here. They rely on media articles from The Guardian or Fairfax without themselves looking at the documents I quoted in my first answer, which are publicly available.

So Senator Hanson-Young can reduce herself to invective and confected claims, but I would encourage her to actually look at the documents the government have transparently released in this case, which clearly show that the allegations in the articles Senator Hanson-Young referred to were wrong, incorrect, and the government is confident that we are getting value for money for the purchase of water in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, a final supplementary question. I remind senators on my right of my previous rulings.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My final supplementary is in relation to reports that the head of the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations group, Fred Hooper, was told by an advisor in the minister's office that he'd receive $10 million if he could convince Labor to backflip on their opposition to the Northern Basin Review disallowance back in February. Did the minister approve this $10 million bribe? Who knew about it and did it go to cabinet?

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

Through you, Mr President, I can inform Senator Hanson-Young that at no point did the government offer funding to an Indigenous group to secure or obtain their support for Northern Basin Review amendments. The minister has made clear that the government was in negotiations with both Labor and members of the crossbench to gain support for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Those negotiations were not successful, as the Northern Basin Review amendments were disallowed by the Senate.

As I was mentioning earlier, it is a shame in my view that those Northern Basin Review amendments were not passed, because they were based on independent advice from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, the organisation the former Labor government listened to when putting in the plan, and they also committed to conducting an independent northern basin review, whose recommendations they have now rejected. That has put at risk 200 jobs. According to the MDBA, 200 jobs are at risk, because the Labor Party politically joined with the Greens rather than listen to the independent advice of the experts in this area. (Time expired)