Barnaby’s Back

Barnaby Joyce is once again leader of the federal National Party and is the Deputy Prime Minister. Does that statement cause joy, tears or disbelief? 

For me, personally, I am probably leaning towards disbelief, and that is based on his recent behaviour alone, including: 

• Approval of the sale of $80 million of water licences for a Cayman Islands based company established by Energy Minister Angus Taylor, Eastern Australia Irrigation – the very same licences that were valued at zero between 2008 and 2010.

• A mistress, a love child and sexual harassment allegations, one of the alleged victims being a friend of mine.

Now, I do not condone the tirade of online and print hate against Mr Joyce, but honestly, is this the best political process we can come up with for the leader of the federal National Party and Deputy PM? 

My concern is that the sideshow that is Barnaby, will detract from making good policy for the betterment of Australia. There is talk that the federal Nationals will not support the completion of the Basin Plan. Is that because the Basin Plan is fundamentally flawed and damaging the basin? How do we truly know the real motivations? The NSW National Party appears less interested in a healthy basin for all, and the current Federal Water Minister, National’s member, Keith Pitt, has continued to push for the completion of the plan, on time and in full. 

What would your business look like with them at the helm?

Senate Hearing Update

Labor Senator Deborah O’Neill this week put forward a motion in the Senate to continue the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, ‘on time and in full’ as well as, ‘recover all of the 450 gigalitres from New South Wales and Victoria.’ All this despite being on the Federal Senate Committee which recently attended the hearing in Deniliquin on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

The motion seemed counterintuitive as it also listed, ‘Supports a river system that has heathy ecosystems, agriculture production, sustainable local communities and encourage First Nations cultural practices.’ Not exactly something the Basin Plan focuses on, or shall we back the truck up with the pile of reports, findings and science to demonstrate?

Senator Malcolm Roberts spoke passionately against, ‘on time and in full’ and the ‘450’, citing the South Australian sacred cow, Coorong and Lower Lakes, and the destruction of family farmers across the basin.

Politics built the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, politics has overseen the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Both sides of politics, bipartisan support, with our own Farrer federal Member Sussan Ley, Minister for the Environment, has been in place while the Basin Plan was designed and implemented, and what has changed?

Are we not asking our own captor for the keys to our cell?

This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 24 June 2021.