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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-04-01 Daily Xml
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WATER SECURITY

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (16:36): Will the Premier guarantee water for critical human needs for South Australia, and what action does he plan to take if upstream states refuse to release water to South Australia for critical human needs?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: The memorandum of understanding—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: I know that the minister is not really interested in water supply to South Australia, but South Australians do care, do want water and do want some guarantees. The memorandum of understanding signed by the Premier on 26 March states:

Whilst jurisdictions agree that South Australia will have access to upstream storages for the purposes of South Australia meeting its responsibility for critical human needs, this is subject to implementation arrangements being agreed by basin jurisdictions.

No politicians?

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (16:37): As the honourable member would know, the official signing ceremony will take place in July at the COAG meeting. Does the member for MacKillop want me or not want me to sign the agreement? It would be very interesting to hear what he says, because what he called for is what was achieved. Of course, his earlier question was about—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Do you want it signed or not?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: No. So, now the honourable member is rejecting the Howard plan as well. Can I just say, the honourable member talked before about the Advisory Council of Ministers that used to have the veto power—a total constitutional power to veto any reform that damaged their own state's interests. That goes and now there is an advisory council that can say, after a decision by the independent authority, 'Please, can you have a another look at it?' I can tell members what I would rather have—what we agreed to last week. The Prime Minister of this country in 11½ weeks achieved a damn site more than the previous prime minister did in 11½ years! The fact is that the Prime Minister (Hon. Kevin Rudd) has stood up and said publicly that he will not allow Adelaide to run out of water.

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