DAVID BEVAN: Simon Birmingham is your Shadow, he’s the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin. Good morning, Simon Birmingham …
 
SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Good morning David, Matt, Don, congratulations on the appointment. There’s just one thing I want to raise guys…
 
DON FARRELL: Thank you, Simon.
 
SIMON BIRMINGHAM: … just one matter I wanted to raise and that really is the rank hypocrisy throughout the campaign of the Labor Party on this matter. Penny Wong, every time she talked about the Coalition and water, highlighted the fact that the Water spokesman was from Queensland. Now that the Water spokesman is from New South Wales for the Government, it’s suddenly all okay that it’s not a South Australian. Now, I’ll judge Tony Burke on what he does and the job that he does but I think Penny needs to go back and look at the comments she made time and time again trying to play very petty parochial politics
 
MATTHEW ABRAHAM: Okay, well, Don Farrell…
 
DON FARRELL: Well look, the Prime Minister was very clear, when she rang me on the weekend to offer me this position, that she wanted somebody from South Australia involved in the Water portfolio, I think she understands how important it is for South Australia, and to the extent that I’m able to influence the issue I’ll certainly be making sure that the South Australian point of view is heard and heard clearly, and I’ve got good friends…
 
DAVID BEVAN: But Simon Birmingham now is going to be able to argue, isn’t he, that South Australians were duped. Water is the biggest issue in this state, you went to that election campaign saying vote for us you get a South Australian running the system, and now you don’t.
 
DON FARRELL: Look, the Prime Minister was very clear she wanted somebody from South Australia involved in the water issue and that’s me. For the time that I’ve been in Parliament I’ve taken great issue in water issues, I’ll continue to do that and I’ll very clearly make sure that South Australian issues are heard well and truly in the Cabinet but, look, Tony Burke is a good man, he’s an experienced Cabinet Minister, he’s spent a lot of time in South Australia and I think you ought to give him a chance and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in the role that he plays in this issue of water.