SRI chair Chris Brooks joins party that wants to ‘phase out’ rice and cotton

Phasing out water-intensive crops is among its policies, so irrigation advocate Chris Brooks joining raises eyebrows. He explains.

Chris Brooks says water-intensive crops should be progressively phased out of production. Picture: Simon Dallinger

The chair of the Riverina’s key irrigator advocacy group has joined a political party that wants to phase out rice and cotton production in the Murray Darling Basin.

Southern Riverina Irrigators chairman Chris Brooks has joined The New Liberals, whose water policy document states it wants to “phase out water-intensive crops”.

“We also understand that certain rural industries such as cotton and rice, which, with the benefit of hindsight, should perhaps never have been undertaken, will wish to continue cropping,” The New Liberals water policy states.

“The balance is to ensure that water-intensive crops, which are inappropriate for arid and semi-arid farming, are progressively phased out and more appropriate water sparing crops are phased in.

“Compensation will be paid to any industry which suffers short term losses as a result of the changeover, and to any individuals who become temporarily unemployed.”

The New Liberals leader and Sydney barrister Victor Kline defended the party’s water policies and confirmed Mr Brooks had joined the party.

“He (Brooks) has no official role as yet,” Mr Kline said. “He’s simply joined as a member.”

But the party leader was hopeful that Mr Brooks would take on a “senior role on water or I’d love him to stand” for federal parliament.

Mr Kline said the party would stand candidates only in Liberal-held seats at the next federal election, with 13 candidates already locked in, to win over “dissatisfied voters”.

“(If) we run in these three dozen seats we could take up to 20 per cent of the (traditional Liberals’) vote.”

Asked why he had joined, Mr Brooks said: “Surely I am free to join any political party I want in this country.”

Mr Brooks said he had joined the party to “rewrite their water policy into a more commercially acceptable goal and happy to support anybody in competition with your Nats”.

Other TNL policies include:

A BAN on all live animal exportation;

ENDING farming practices incompatible with animal welfare and wellbeing;

ENDING non-landholders owning water;

DISCOURAGING and ultimately preventing recreational shooting of all native animals;

PREVENTING the use of glue traps, leg traps and steel jaw traps in all states and territories;

REDUCING and eliminating the use of antibiotics and/or growth hormones in cattle feedlots and chicken farms; and

IMPLEMENTING an accurate national labelling system for foods that identify accurately and clearly country of origin, cruelty-free, organic, or free-range products, species-specific fish, preservatives, use of horse meat and other animal products.

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