Angry farmers call on Nationals to cross the floor on water plan

Angry farmers have called on the Nationals to cross the floor to force Scott Morrison’s hand in scrapping the current water management plan.

Deputy PM Michael McCormack meeting with protesters at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Kym Smith

Angry farmers have berated Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack over the government’s handling of the Murray-Darling Basin, calling on the Nationals to cross the floor to force Scott Morrison’s hand in scrapping the current water management plan.

Mr McCormack and Nationals MP Damian Drum faced a hostile reception from farmers in ­Canberra on Tuesday, who had gathered on the lawns of Parliament House to push for the Murray-Darling Basin plan to be scrapped.

“You could walk up there tomorrow and tell the Liberal Party we’re crossing the floor unless they do something,” John Russell, a farmer from the Victorian country town of Kyabram in the Goulburn Valley, told Mr McCormack in a heated exchange on Tuesday.

“The National Party is not going to exist after the next election unless you grow some spine and stand up. Where’s the passion? I haven’t seen any passion from you.

“You’re like a poker player. Get up there and say this isn’t f..king good enough and get angry.

“You’re not saying anything, you’re useless.”

The Convoy to Canberra group, who were carrying placards targeting the Nationals Party, argue that while there is water available, current government policies mean it’s not flowing through to farmers.

The protesters want the basin plan fixed or scrapped, more dam infrastructure and other measures like carp control to help improve conditions across the Murray-Darling.

The tension boiled into question time in the House of Representatives on Tuesday when Mr McCormack was heckled over his interaction with protesters that morning as he stepped up to ­answer a dixer on the drought.

“I didn’t see any members of Labor standing out the front this morning, I always come up and talk to farmers because farmers are the lifeblood of this nation,” Mr McCormack fired back.

Opposition drought spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon’s decision to interrupt the response on a point of order drew the ire of Mr McCormack, who yelled: “You don’t stand up for anything …”