What the Government now says it said during the election campaign:
“What the Prime Minister said was that we would as a government implement the Murray-Darling Basin Authority plan. That document is the final document that comes out at the end of next year after there has been an opportunity for ministerial intervention, to either ask them to reconsider aspects of it or specifically to demand that they change aspects of it. That is the document the Prime Minister quite rightly committed to implementing.”
Tony Burke, House of Representatives, 20 October 2010
What the Government actually said during the election campaign:
“If re-elected, we will bridge any remaining gap between what has been returned and what is required to be returned by the independent Murray Darling Basin Authority.”
Julia Gillard and Penny Wong, media release, 10 August 2010
“… the cap will ultimately be set by the independent Authority.”
Penny Wong, 891 ABC Adelaide, 11 August 2010
“… this is a Government that is prepared to back the independent Authority in its determination on what the rivers need.”
Penny Wong, ABC NewsRadio, 12 August 2010
“… I’m determined as Prime Minister to implement the plan which will be released by the Murray Darling Basin Authority.”
Julia Gillard, press conference, 10 August 2010
“… independence of the Authority. They will release their plan. What we are setting out today is the certainty that enables it to be met.”
Penny Wong, press conference, 10 August 2010
“The cap will be set by the independent Authority.”
Penny Wong, ABC Radio National, 11 August 2010
“… we will return the water that the River needs according to the independent Authority.”
Penny Wong, Doorstop interview 12 August 2010
“That will be a matter, ultimately, for what the Authority says is the cap.”
Penny Wong, ABC NewsRadio, 12 August 2010
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“There’s no rewriting history, Mr Burke,” Senator Simon Birmingham said today.
“You and Ms Gillard should simply apologise for misleading voters and now seemingly misleading the House. It’s time to acknowledge Labor has bungled this process. Getting it back on track won’t be helped by trying to rewrite the past.”