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Horror Tuesday! Labor ripping $5b from the Basin
16-November-2010
Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley, has attacked the Gillard Government for its abject failure to properly look after communities living within the Murray Darling Basin.
Speaking in Federal Parliament, Ms Ley says “today, we learnt the Murray Darling Basin Authority will not guarantee to consider community feedback into its Draft Plan after this month”.
“Also today, despite numerous calls to the Authority pressing the need for Community Consultation in forgotten areas of my electorate, particularly Broken Hill and Hay, the answer is ‘No’.”
“Today we also discovered Labor has failed to make its own deadline – proclaimed
during the Federal Election campaign - into the future management of the Menindee Lakes”.
“But even if you thought it was impossible to top these bungles, the news on this horror Tuesday turned even worse”, Ms Ley added.
Revealed during Question Time in the Senate, the Government admitted they had underspent on the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program by a mammoth $5.4billion during the last 3 years.
“In all likelihood” Ms Ley said, “instead of delivering water saving programs, this Government has earmarked the money for more poorly planned water buybacks, heavily impacting Basin communities before the MDBA has even finalised its Basin Plan.”
“This is a horror Tuesday for Labor, demonstrating the complete stuff up it is making of the Howard Government’s Water Act (2007). Sadder though, it is real people who are suffering the nightmare”.