NSW Senator David Leyonhjelm fights Nick Xenophon on ‘absurd Murray River ransom’
NICK Xenophon’s “parochial bid” to protect the River Murray plan is absurd and he should not be allowed to hold the nation to ransom, NSW Senator David Leyonhjelm claims.
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NICK Xenophon’s “parochial bid” to protect the River Murray plan is absurd and he should not be allowed to hold the nation to ransom, NSW Senator David Leyonhjelm claims.
The Federal Government is trying to calm rising tensions over the Murray Darling Basin Plan, amid threats from key crossbencher Senator Xenophon to stop dealing with the Government’s legislation unless South Australia gets extra water sent downstream.
Mr Turnbull had pinned his hopes on winning over the Xenophon Team’s bloc of three votes to re-establish union watchdog, the Australian Building and Construction Commission, during the final week of Parliament.
While crossbench senators Leyonhjelm, Pauline Hanson and Derryn Hinch were all expected to support the ABCC Bill with amendments, the water debacle is set to derail those plans.
Senator Leyonhjelm said he was lobbying NSW and Queensland senators to stand up to Senator Xenophon.
“If the Government gives (in to) Xenophon, based on the absurd notion that SA needs to take even more water from the other states, I won’t support it on the ABCC, irrespective of negotiations to date,’’ he said.
“I will also seek to convince my fellow senators from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria to do the same. Nick Xenophon is very parochial about South Australia, to the point where he’d be happy to see the rest of the country go broke provided South Australia was OK.”
Fighting over the water agreements in the Murray Darling Basin Plan began in earnest over a week ago, when SA Water Minister Ian Hunter blew up over threats to 450 billion litres that many hoped would be delivered in addition to 2750 billion litres.
Federal Water Minister Barnaby Joyce had said the 450 billion litres could not come directly out of irrigators’ entitlements and that another way would have to be found; about $1.5 billion is on the table for projects that can save water.
Senator Xenophon said “the bridge has been burned” in the battle over the Murray.
He spoke to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull about the water issue again on Sunday. Mr Turnbull had pledged to put the water issue on the agenda at next month’s Council of Australian Governments Meeting.
“I won’t say I’m quietly confident this can be resolved but the fact people are talking at a head of government level is very encouraging,” Senator Xenophon said.
“If agreements are broken on something as fundamental as the Murray Darling Basin then that would obviously shake our confidence in the Government.”
“It’s not a question of holding anyone to ransom, it’s a question of holding them to their agreements.”