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

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Farrell, a fellow South Australian. After a decade of broken promises, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan has left the river, the environment and the communities out to dry. The 450 gigalitres promised for the environment and South Australia has not been delivered. The government is now saying 450 gigalitres will be delivered in full by a new December 2027 deadline. What guarantees can the minister give the Senate that the 450 gigalitres will be delivered in full and on time under this new deadline?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hanson-Young. Yes, I am a senator from South Australia, and, like you, I was bitterly disappointed in the nine years of the former government's inaction in delivering on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. It beggars belief that—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Davey!

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It beggars belief that, given that the proposal and the agreement of the Commonwealth and the states was to deliver 450 gigalitres of environmental water into South Australia, in all of those nine years only two of those gigalitres was provided. It's absolutely disgraceful—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Davey, I've called you to order.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's absolutely disgraceful that, on a plan originally devised by Prime Minister Howard—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young?

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

I appreciate the history lesson, but I bring the minister back to the question. What guarantees can you give that the 450 will be delivered under your new deadline?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind the minister of the question.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You can have every confidence in that, Senator Hanson-Young, because I sit next to the minister, Minister Plibersek. I've got the greatest deal of confidence that she will deliver on the things that the former government failed to do. She will deliver what she said she is going to do in full and in the time frame—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McDonald!

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She will deliver on time and in full on the time frame that she has announced. I have to give credit to the minister because she found a situation where, shockingly, the previous government did almost nothing to deliver on their commitments to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. You can be assured— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, a first supplementary?

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

How much water will the government secure for South Australia and the southern basin before the next election?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Hanson-Young, for your first supplementary question. We will deliver what we have promised to deliver in the recent statements by Minister Plibersek. We know that in the nine years of the previous government virtually nothing was delivered. We will restart the process of what should have been happening, bit by bit, over the last nine years.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Davey! Again, for the third time.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Rest assured that, when this government makes a promise—

You can laugh all you like— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, a second supplementary?

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

Does the government agree with the Productivity Commission that water buybacks are the most efficient way to return water to the river?

Honourable senators i nterjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right! Senator Gallagher! Order, Senator Ruston! Order!

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Hanson-Young. What you can accept from this Labor government is that we will follow through on all of the commitments that—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young?

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

Could the minister please be brought to the question? It was very specific.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. I believe the minister was answering it, but I will draw him to your question.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We will deliver on all of the undertakings that we have made in the last week or so following the announcement—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt!

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Look, what you can understand and what you can believe that this government will do is that we will do the things that the previous government failed to do, and—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Well, we will deliver on the 450 gigalitres of water that was committed— (Time expired)

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

President, could I just ask you to reflect on the answer the minister has given? You did ask him to be relevant to the question. He did not even touch the question. I ask you to take that on notice.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will, Senator Hanson-Young, but, as you know, I can draw ministers to the question but I can't—

Senator Hanson-Young, don't argue back. I can draw ministers to the question, but how it's answered is up to the minister, and I did draw the minister to the question.