Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Water, Senator Watt. Minister, in his second reading speech to the House on the Water Amendment (Water for the Environment Special Account) Bill 2012, then water minister Burke stated:

Importantly, the plan being proposed by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority stipulates that additional water … only be acquired through methods that deliver additional water for the environment without negative social and economic consequences such as infrastructure.

Why is this government refusing to release the details of the social and economic impact to communities if the proposed Murray-Darling water recovery strategy is implemented, which communities will be targeted and what impact it will have on the costs of living and at the supermarket for constituents?

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

Thank you for getting to the question, Senator Davey. In broad terms, for the reason this government, the Albanese government, is taking serious action about the Murray-Darling Basin, if you want to know why we're doing that, I'd suggest to the National Party: have a look in the mirror. Have a look in the mirror at the decade of inaction that the Liberal and National parties took over 10 years in implementing the Murray-Darling Basin Plan—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order.

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

I know you've got a lot to say in opposition, but you didn't have a lot to say in government, did you? You never had much to say about the fact that the Murray-Darling Basin—

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Davey?

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order on direct relevance. I wasn't asking about what we did in government; I was asking about why they're not releasing details on social and economic impacts.

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

Thank you, Senator Davey. I will draw—

Government senators interjecting—

Order on my right! Order. I will draw the minister to the last part of your question, but I also remind senators that there was significant preamble in that question, which the minister is entitled to address, as is the minister also entitled to address interjections. Minister Watt?

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

Thank you, President. As I said, if the Nationals want to understand why this government has to do something to rescue the Murray-Darling Basin then they only need to look back at their track record over the 10 years that they were in power. The Murray-Darling Basin Plan that the former government was allegedly committed to required the recovery of 450 gigalitres of water for the environment. Guess how much was recovered in 10 years of coalition government?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Was it one?

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

No, Senator McAllister; to be fair, it was more than one—

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was more than one?

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

It was one more than one! It was two gigalitres out of the 450 gigalitres that were required under the plan which was delivered in 10 years of the National-Party-led coalition government.

Opposition senators interjecting—

The:

Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Order on my left! And, Minister Watt, I will direct you to the last part of the question.

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

We're serious about delivering the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and we're serious about doing it in a way that minimises the socioeconomic impact on basin communities.

Now, the Nationals like to portray themselves as the friends of agriculture while allowing the death of the most important food bowl in Australia.

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

What about barley?

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

You're right, Senator Farrell: what did they do about barley? What did they do about lobster and what did they do about all sorts of trade that went under with China—

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

Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Davey.

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, I have a point of order again, on direct relevance. He's now going to lobster and barley trade with China. I'm asking about the social and economic impacts in the basin.

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

Thank you, Senator Davey. You will note—

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How many jobs have you lost?

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

Order! Senator McKenzie, you've had way too much to say in question time. I invite you to put your name on the list tonight if you have so much to say. Senator Davey, I have drawn the minister to your question, and I will remind him once again. Minister.

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

As I was saying, we have made clear that we will minimise the socioeconomic impact of implementing the plan. But what we will not do is allow the Murray-Darling Basin to collapse and undermine agriculture in this country. (Time expired)

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

Senator Davey, a first supplementary question.

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister, for that nonanswer. The former water minister, Tony Burke, also said, in 20 February 2012, 'We don't do the environment, or anyone, a favour if we acquire volumes of water and have the impact that may have on communities, and then discover it can't actually be used.' Why is the government refusing to release details around which constraints programs it believes are needed to ensure environmental outcomes can be achieved?

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

Thank you, Senator Davey. Minister Burke was a very fine agriculture minister. He was also a very fine environment and water minister, who oversaw the delivery of the first Murray-Darling Basin Plan—a plan that is absolutely essential to deliver if we are to save agriculture on the eastern coast of our country. There are thousands of jobs and hundreds of communities that are depending upon the delivery of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. They were profoundly let down by 10 years of Liberal and National Party governments, which delivered two gigalitres out of the 450 required for environmental recovery.

What we have said is that, in delivering our plan, we will provide more time for it to be delivered, we will provide more options to deliver the remaining water—including water efficiency infrastructure projects—

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

Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Davey.

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm sorry, he has 13 seconds left and this is on direct relevance. I'm asking why they're refusing to release details around constraints projects. He hasn't mentioned constraints once.

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

Senator Davey, I will also remind you that you referred to comments made by the former minister, Mr Burke—

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's about constraints!

The:

It's not your prerogative to argue back at me. You referred to 2012 and the minister is entitled to answer that aspect of your question. Minister.

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

Thanks, President. They don't like hearing about the fact that they let down Murray-Darling communities over 10 years. They don't like hearing about the fact that they undermined the future of Australian agriculture and the future of our most important food bowl. We're not going to let that happen and we're going to save the Murray-Darling Basin. (Time expired)

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

Senator Davey, a second supplementary.

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will try again to get an answer. Basin Communities Committee Indigenous member, Mr Feli McHughes, stated recently, 'I'm very concerned that buybacks will further spiral our people in these communities into poverty'. When will the government listen to basin communities and voices like Mr McHughes's, and look at alternatives being proposed, like billabong restoration and complementary measures?

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

Thank you, Senator Davey. Senator Davey has just exemplified the National Party's approach to this entire issue, which is to misrepresent the government's position in inquiries, in the media and to basin communities.

We have made very clear over and over again that we do think that voluntary water buybacks are going to be necessary to save the Murray-Darling Basin, and they weren't required and weren't delivered under the former government.

Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is on relevance. I did not mention voluntary buybacks. I mentioned complementary measures and other projects.

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order on my right! Senator Davey, you did mention buybacks. The minister is being relevant. Minister, please continue.

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