Labor’s complete mismanagement of the Murray-Darling process has seen reform delayed another five years said Senator Joyce and Senator Birmingham today. It was over four years ago that John Howard announced that the Commonwealth would fix the health of the Murray-Darling. Labor has mismanaged and dragged their feet on this opportunity.
“State governments have belled the cat on the plan. The complete confusion around the Murray-Darling Basin was exemplified today by the announcement that nothing will happen until 2019,” said Senator Barnaby Joyce today.
“It’s like the Labor equivalent of the last statement by Jesus Christ in anticipation of his second coming, ‘Don’t do anything till I get back’.
“The Labor Party have been mugged by the reality of the total and utter confusion around the Basin Plan and has left people with the only possible solution to delay and hope and pray that the Labor Party is not in government by then.”
“This is not a government of decision, it’s a government of delay and deferral,” said Senator Birmingham.
“Labor has squibbed it on water reform and today the Prime Minister’s commitment to doing what is needed to restore the Murray rings hollow.
“This deferral must not be used to delay development of the Basin Plan. Australians, be they irrigators or environmentalists, deserve certainty and deserve to know what is in the Basin Plan at the earliest opportunity.”
Labor’s record on the Murray-Darling has been one of delay from day one:
– They took 18 months just to set up the Authority
– The Guide to the Basin Plan was delayed three times under their watch
– They are $350 million behind in investing in water-saving infrastructure in the Basin