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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-03-13 Daily Xml
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Question Time

MURRAY-DARLING BASIN AUTHORITY

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:40): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Regional Development a question about Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Water reform in the Murray-Darling Basin is one of the most important issues impacting on the Riverland and Lower Lakes regions. More than 1,200 people attended the Murray-Darling Basin Authority meeting in Renmark on Friday. The federal Labor government was there in the person of the federal Minister for Water, Tony Burke. The federal Coalition was there, with the Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray-Darling Basin, Senator Birmingham, and the local federal member, Mr Secker, both attending.

The state opposition was there in the person of the shadow minister for water security, Mitch Williams, the shadow minister for the environment, Steven Marshall, and the local state member Mr Whetstone. Neither the Premier nor the Minister for the River Murray attended. Neither the Premier nor the Minister for the River Murray attended the authority's Murray Bridge meeting on 9 December. As shadow minister for regional development I ask the minister why her government is so lazy and indifferent about the Murray-Darling region that neither she nor any other minister could be bothered to attend the Murray-Darling Basin Authority consultation meeting in Renmark last week.

The PRESIDENT: I must say they left pretty early when they knew they couldn't speak.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (14:42): Yes, it has been brought to my attention, Mr President, that, in fact, the lazy opposition who did attend that meeting left very early. I understand, Mr President, that you were there representing the government as you so aptly do. I think you sat there and watched each and every one of the Liberal opposition who were in attendance leave. The government again has outdone the performance of the opposition.

We know that the lazy opposition did not run home to write its own questions for question time—we certainly know they did not leave early to do that. This government has stood by farmers and irrigators. We have fought and fought to ensure the survival of this river. We have fought for this. This lazy lot in front of me, this lazy opposition, would sell us out. They would sell out the farmers. They would accept the deal that is on the table and say, 'This is as good as it is going to get. We'll take this and run.' That is how lazy, weak and pathetic they are—lazy, weak and pathetic.

We are in there fighting for this and we are prepared to take it all the way. We will fight this in the courts, we will fight it out there on the ground with farmers there beside us, shoulder to shoulder with us—the ALP—not this lazy, useless lot; not this lazy opposition in front of me. No, no; they are going to sell out. 'Oh, yes, we will take this and run.' That is a sellout. That is a sellout to our river, it is a sellout to our farmers, and it is a sellout to this state. It is lazy, weak and pathetic. We are taking this all the way. That is what this government has done for the river, that is what this government has done for farmers, and that is what this government has done for this state.

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