Further delays in finalising a Murray-Darling Basin Plan are a direct result of Labor’s mismanagement and will only prolong uncertainty for Basin communities, Coalition Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. It follows reported indications from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s chief executive that the already delayed process could be pushed out to 2012. …
DetailsState and Federal Labor Government delays in progressing water saving infrastructure projects across the Murray-Darling Basin have today been confirmed in an independent progress report, Coalition Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Reform Council progress report has found significant delays in delivering 17 ‘priority projects’ under the…
DetailsA $4.6 million Gillard Government advertising campaign only highlights its failures on water reform, Coalition Murray-Darling Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. Television advertising* has begun screening this week, following last week’s newspaper ads throughout the Basin supposedly promoting the Government’s claimed water initiatives and encouraging people to take part in the current…
DetailsWhat 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,…
DetailsA last-minute handover of a key economic report will only create further doubt in the minds of stakeholders about the thoroughness of the Murray-Darling Basin reform process under the Gillard Government, Coalition Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. It was revealed in Senate Estimates this morning, under questioning from Senator Birmingham, that the…
DetailsAustralian taxpayers are paying millions of dollars for round-the-world travel by public servants attending global talks on climate change at a rate of more than one global gathering per week, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham said today. The Gillard Government spent $2.74 million on travel by public servants to attend…
DetailsCleaning up the Gillard Government’s insulation disasters has so far cost Australian taxpayers $98 million with the meter still running. The mounting cost of inspections and related rectification work was revealed this evening by departmental officials in Senate Supplementary Budget Estimates under questioning from Senator Simon Birmingham, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment.…
DetailsTony Burke and Julia Gillard want to send a parliamentary committee to talk to communities that they do not have the courage to face. Their move today highlights the Government’s lack of response to the Authority’s Draft Plan Guide and the failure of Labor’s policies to date and shows it now wants to…
DetailsWater Minister Tony Burke is resorting to taxpayer funded advertising as he tries to have it both ways on the Murray-Darling Basin reform consultation process, Coalition Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. “On the one hand, Mr Burke is avoiding stakeholder passions at Basin-wide consultation sessions by saying he doesn’t want to be…
DetailsLabor must speak with one tongue on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, Coalition Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. “The more Labor talks about Murray-Darling Basin reform the more they contradict each other,” Senator Birmingham said. “According to Julia Gillard they will do whatever it takes to implement the MDBA’s plan. “According to Tony Burke…
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