SA politicians unite demand judicial inquiry into River Murray water use
SOUTH Australia’s state and federal MPs from across the political spectrum have joined forces in support of the River Murray, demanding a judicial inquiry.
SOUTH Australia’s state and federal MPs from across the political spectrum have joined forces in support of the River Murray, demanding a judicial inquiry.
Premier Jay Weatherill and Water Minister Ian Hunter were joined on Monday by senators from four parties — NXT leader Nick Xenophon, Labor’s Penny Wong, the Greens’ Sarah Hanson-Young and Australian Conservatives leader Cory Bernardi.
All are calling for a judicial inquiry into the River Murray water theft scandal, after it was revealed last week that cotton farmers upstream had been illegally sucking water out of the river.
Senator Nick Xenophon today said his office had been made aware of further allegations of money spent on “water-saving measures” having the opposite effect on the river.
Senator Wong will move a motion in Parliament expressing support for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and concern over the allegations of theft raised last week by ABC show Four Corners.
Premier Jay Weatherill said an inquiry was needed because the allegations go “to the heart of the implementation of the Murray Darling Basin agreement”.
“That’s why we’re standing here together, the Labor Party, the Conservatives, the Greens, the Nick Xenophon party,” he said.
Despite the SA Opposition backing calls for a judicial inquiry last week, they were not invited to make a joint statement because “the Liberal Party are the problem at the moment”, according to Mr Weatherill.
“What we want is the federal Senate to act ... it would be great if we had federal Liberal senators that were prepared to join in this motion.”
State Opposition water spokesman David Speirs said it was “absolutely disgraceful” that neither he or Opposition Leader Steven Marshall were invited to the press conference.
“I had made it very clear that we would work hand-in-hand to ensure SA was getting the best deal for the River Murray,” Mr Speirs told The Advertiser.
“It really shows that politics comes before the health of the River Murray. We are extremely disappointed.”
Senator Xenophon said a judicial inquiry was needed because it was “unfair to require the MDBA to effectively have to investigate itself and its conduct along with all the other bodies involved”.
“A judicial inquiry with the powers of a royal commission that can protect whistleblowers, that can compel witnesses to give evidence ... otherwise we’ll never get to the truth of this,” he said.
Senator Wong said she had a message for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull — “you can’t hide when it comes to the River Murray”.
Senator Hanson-Young said locals in the Coorong were “sick and tired” of people upstream not abiding by the rules but “were not surprised”.
“While Barnaby Joyce remains Water Minister we can have no hope or confidence that the Federal Government will be acting in the best interests of the river, the best interests of the environment and the best interests of those living downstream,” she said.
Senator Bernardi said a healthy Murray-Darling Basin system was important for the nation’s prosperity.
“We need to make sure the entire agreement is being upheld, that the processes are upheld with integrity and transparency,” he said.
The group was also joined by NSW farmer Robert McBride from Broken Hill, and the Murray’s last irrigator Sam Dodd from Meningie, who said “if we don’t have water in the lake, not only don’t we have somewhere to live but we certainly won’t be irrigators”.
Farmer Bob McBride said for eight months last year he had watched “your river die”.
“The river system will collapse if it’s not managed effectively,” he said.