MINISTER AND PRIME MINISTER REFUSE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON MURRAY DARLING BASIN
18-October-2010
Monday, 18 October 2010
Sophie Mirabella has today questioned the Minister for Water, Tony Burke, during Question Time about drastic cuts to irrigation entitlements in the North East. Mr Burke refused to answer her questions, instead choosing to gloss over detail and divert attention.
“During the election campaign, Labor promised to adopt the full recommendations of the Murray Darling Basin Plan, sight unseen. Now that the guide is public, they are running scared. Both the Prime Minister and Water Minister are refusing to answer questions: they won’t turn up to public consultation meetings and they won’t face the music,” said Mrs Mirabella.
Mrs Mirabella last week revealed analysis that showed cuts to irrigation entitlements in the Ovens system could be as large as 71%.
“I asked Mr Burke a very specific question about the impact of the Murray Darling Basin Plan on our region and he refused point blank to answer the question. It just goes to show that he has no regard for regional Australia and no concern for those employed in the agricultural sector,” Mrs Mirabella continued.
"I doubt the Minister or the Prime Minister even know where the Ovens Catchment actually is.
"Ms Gillard and her Minister arrogantly refuse to turn up to any of the public consultation meetings. If they had any concern for farmers, for food security or for country Australia, they would start turning up to the community meetings and stop avoiding farmers. Once again, I call on Ms Gillard and the Water Minister, Tony Burke, to attend the meeting on 29 October in Albury.
“It’s disappointing that the Labor/Greens Government is turning its back on country Australians,” Mrs Mirabella concluded.