2017-12-06
Barnaby Joyce returning to the water ministry is devastating for Murray Darling Basin communities, downstream states, and the future of the Murray Darling Basin Plan, the Australian Greens say.
“Malcolm Turnbull is rewarding bad behaviour by handing back the keys to the water ministry to a man who stuffed up his own paperwork and delegitimised the Murray Darling Basin Plan," Greens Murray Darling Basin spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Barnaby Joyce may be putting Water Minister back on his resume, but his number one achievement in that role is turning years of work and billions of dollars spent on developing the Murray Darling Basin Plan into a raging dumpster fire. His primary focus is to feather the nests of greedy corporate irrigators who steal water from a struggling river system.
“Barnaby Joyce has admitted he wanted the water portfolio to protect big corporate irrigators who have been profiting while river communities struggle and go without precious water, proving he cannot be trusted with this post. Yesterday, the Senate called on the Government to split the water and agriculture portfolios to remove this brazen conflict of interest the Deputy Prime Minister has so enjoyed.
“If this is the person Malcolm Turnbull wants as his right-hand man we have to seriously question his judgement.”