A Parliamentary inquiry should consider whether Water Minister Tony Burke has interfered with the independent Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s (MDBA’s) preparation of its Basin Plan, Coalition Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today.
Senator Birmingham has written to the chair of an inquiry into the Basin Plan’s effects on regional Australia, Independent MP Tony Windsor, suggesting Mr Burke and former Authority chair Mike Taylor be called as witnesses to clarify suggestions of interference*.
The Authority last week in Senate Estimates brought to light extraordinary evidence that it only decided after the election, and after briefing the newly installed Minister Burke, to significantly alter its Guide to the proposed Basin Plan.
The Senate Estimates committee was told that despite the Authority having resolved as early as June 2010 to recommend a 3500GL reduction in the Guide they changed their mind just days before its 8 October release in favour of proposing a range of options.
This eleventh hour change of heart occurred following Mr Burke being informed in a meeting with then MDBA chair Michael Taylor on 14 September that a Basin-wide reduction of 3500 GL was “the value which the Authority proposes for setting the surface water SDLs [sustainable diversion limits], as set out in the Guide”.
The Minister has attempted to hose down suggestions that he influenced the Authority to change its mind, but his words present more questions than answers.
“l informed them that there were arguments which had been put to me in favour of a range given that it was meant to be an early consultative document but reiterated that whatever they decided was a matter for them.”
Tony Burke, 22 February 2011, AdelaideNow
“It is clear that the Minister gave far, far more than a nod and a wink to Mr Taylor that he would prefer changes to decisions the Authority had made three months earlier,” Senator Birmingham said.
“The current crisis of confidence in the Basin reform process won’t be helped by evidence of the Authority’s independence being undermined by a newly installed Minister.
“I hope Mr Windsor’s inquiry will be able to help get to the bottom of this matter and restore confidence in the Basin reform process.”
*Text of Senator Birmingham’s letter to Mr Windsor follows:
25 February 2011
Mr Tony Windsor MP
Member for New England
PO Box 963
TAMWORTH NSW 2340
Dear Mr Windsor
I write in relation to the very serious revelation that the independence of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority may have been compromised.
In Senate Estimates this week the MDBA brought to light extraordinary evidence that shortly after his appointment Water Minister Tony Burke appeared to influence the Authority into significantly altering its Guide to the proposed Basin Plan.
The Senate Estimates committee was told that despite the Authority having resolved as early as June 2010 to recommend a 3500GL reduction in the Guide they changed their mind just days before its 8 October release in favour of proposing a range of options. This eleventh hour change of heart occurred following Mr Burke being informed in a meeting with then MDBA chair Michael Taylor on 14 September that a Basin-wide reduction of 3500 GL was “the value which the Authority proposes for setting the surface water SDLs [sustainable diversion limits], as set out in the Guide”.
While the Minister has attempted to hose down suggestions that he influenced the Authority to change its mind by releasing the weasel words below, his words simply present more questions than answers.
“I informed them that there were arguments which had been put to me in favour of a range given that it was meant to be an early consultative document but reiterated that whatever they decided was a matter for them.”
Hon Tony Burke, 22 February 2011, AdelaideNow
It is clear that the Minister gave far, far more than a ‘wink and a nod’ to
the then MDBA Chair Mike Taylor that he would prefer changes to decisions
made three months earlier by the Authority. Despite being kept secret
during the campaign these decisions were made well before the election and
well before Mr Burke’s appointment as Minister.
These issues take on particular importance because, during the election campaign last year, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of the Authority’s independence in this process, stating:
“The Authority is independent from Government and that’s appropriate being independent from Government… the Murray-Darling Basin Authority is independent and it’s independent for good reason.”
Prime Minister Gillard, 10 August 2010
Murray-Darling reform is already a crisis plagued process. As you would appreciate, confidence in the reform process is already at an unhelpful low across nearly all of the communities of the Basin. This crisis of confidence is not going to be helped by evidence that undermines the independence of the Authority and brings into question matters of proper process.
Proper process and independent decision making by the Authority are as important to restoring the community’s confidence in the Basin reform process as the issues of ensuring decisions are made on credible, expert information and the vital issue of ensuring appropriate balance between environmental, economic and social factors.
The Government is clearly placing significant emphasis on the Inquiry into the Impact of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in Regional Australia, of which you are chairman, to help restore confidence and to help get this reform process back on track. It is for this reason that I write to you, to bring these matters to your attention and to ask your inquiry to help to clarify what interference took place, what impact it had on the preparation of the Guide and what, if any, steps should be taken to ensure such interference does not happen again. I would expect it would be appropriate to call Mr Taylor as a witness to help in getting to the bottom of this matter and it may be necessary to ask the Minister to appear too.
I look forward to your urgent consideration of this matter to help restore confidence to the Basin reform process.
Yours sincerely
Simon Birmingham
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray-Darling Basin