Murray-Darling Basin Authority

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:28): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Minister for Water and the River Murray regarding South Australia's contribution to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: In the 2012 Mid-Year Budget Review the South Australian Labor government announced its intention to halve its contribution to river maintenance and other programs from $28 million to $14 million a year. The government has continually stated that this move was in response to New South Wales, which has more than halved its own contribution to the authority. The New South Wales government has stated that its reduction in contribution to the MDBA is due to a lack of transparency under the former commonwealth Labor government.

In March this year, the New South Wales minister said the state would reconsider the allocated amount, and I understand the minister in this place is on record saying that, if New South Wales funds its share of the authority, South Australia will do the same. My question is: can the minister provide a guarantee that, if New South Wales does return its full contribution to the MDBA, this government will follow suit?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:30): I thank the honourable member for her most important question. Let me just say at the outset that I find it odd that the Liberal Party in this place would come to the rescue of the Liberal Party in New South Wales once again, pretending to justify their substantial cuts to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority made unilaterally that reduced their funding to $8.9 million when they should be paying three times as much.

They should be paying a lot more and here they are saying they have a reason why, because they blame the former Labor government. Let us be quite clear: New South Wales cut the funding to the MDBA because of budget reasons. They made a budget saving. They did not care about South Australia and, clearly, neither does the Liberal Party opposite. They do not care about South Australia either. They have never stood up for the river or for South Australians. They do not stand up to the Liberals. What were they doing when the federal budget came down in recent days?

Where are we now—day 6? What was the overwhelming chorus we heard from the Liberal opposition leader, Mr Marshall? 'Great budget, Mr Abbott.' That is what he said: 'Great budget, Mr Abbott.' He did not give a damn about the cuts to South Australians, and why would the Liberals opposite do that either? They are in here today defending the New South Wales Liberal government cuts to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority. Give me a break! When are they going to stand up for this state?