Oops … Nationals try to blow up plan again

The Nationals have again split with the Liberals on water policy with another motion to blow up the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Deputy Prime Minister of Australia Barnaby Joyce and Damian Drum during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The Nationals have again split with the Liberals on water policy as the junior coalition partner mounted a second attempt to blow up the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in the lower house after their overhaul was rejected in the Senate just a day earlier.

Amendments moved by Nationals whip Damian Drum in the House of Representatives on Thursday – identical to those unsuccessfully moved in the upper house on Wednesday – contradicted the government’s official position on the basin plan.

As Scott Morrison’s deputy and a member of the frontbench, Barnaby Joyce is bound by cabinet solidarity to support the government’s position.

Leader of the house Peter Dutton tried to slap down the move and demanded that Mr Drum’s motion be ruled out of order so Mr Joyce would not have to vote.

Seizing on the issue, Labor called on Speaker Tony Smith to overrule Mr Dutton and allow Mr Drum to speak on the amendments. But the party whip withdrew the motion, saying while there was a “gulf between” the beliefs of the Nationals and Liberals on water policy, the junior coalition partner would not vote against the government.

“I am not going to be a party to this grandstanding from the Labor Party to produce dissension with the Liberal Party,” Mr Drum said.

Labor frontbencher Tony Burke accused Mr Joyce of throwing the government into chaos just days after being elevated to leader.

“One day into the job and he tried to kill the Murray-Darling Basin Plan,” he said.

The issue spilled into question time when Water Minister Keith Pitt was asked when he first ­became aware of his party’s plan to shred the policy.

“The National Party has always been aware of what’s going on when it comes to water,” he said. “We continue to deliver when it comes to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.”

Asked by Anthony Albanese about the Nationals’ public ­contradiction of the cabinet’s position, the Prime Minister refused to be drawn.

“I do not agree with the Leader of Opposition’s char­acterisation of the issue,” he said.

In a move that further inflamed tensions, Mr Drum’s rationale for scrapping a legis­lated requirement for South Aus­tralia to be sent another 450 gigalitres of water as part of the plan was also circulated to MPs.

It included the talking points “the science no longer supports SA needing freshwater” and “rising sea levels will mean the SA Lower Lakes will not need environmental water”.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said Bridget McKenzie, who is expected to be promoted to cabinet by Mr Joyce on Friday, was unlikely to be given the water portfolio after she spearheaded the attack.

“I don’t think that’s likely, but that’s a matter for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to talk through,” he told ABC Adelaide.

South Australian senator Penny Wong blasted the Nationals’ attempt to scupper the water-sharing plan as she called on the Prime Minister to strip the party of the water portfolio.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Mr Morrison needed to “stand up to the water terrorists”.

And SA Water Minister David Speirs said the Nationals’ bid was a “ridiculous stunt”.