The Greens’ plan to introduce legislation for a Royal Commission has been met with extreme consternation, with the plan likened to “Dracula demanding an inquiry into blood theft.”
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Despite many local voices calling for an inquiry into the Murray Darling Basin, The Greens have copped considerable backlash from the same.
The Greens environment and water spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said she would move to set up the inquiry when parliament returns in February, which will have power to compel testimony from bureaucrats and ministers.
“We urgently need a royal commission into the mismanagement and over-extraction of water in the Murray-Darling Basin. Australians deserve better, we need a healthy river – it is the lifeblood of our country,” she said.
Member for Farrer Sussan Ley flat out rejected this plan, calling it “political opportunism.”
“The question most of us want answered, is why environmental water couldn’t prevent the fish deaths we saw last week?” Ms Ley said.
“You certainly don’t need a Royal Commission for that, which The Greens would only use to further demonise our irrigators.”
She instead stood by her calls auditing of the use of environmental water, one which is subject to an independent assessment by the Commonwealth Auditor General.
Member for Murray Austin Evans, while saying the details of The Greens’ plan were fairly “broad” at this stage, he said if successful this legislation would suit “practically noone” in this electorate.
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“A lot of people would like nothing more than a Royal Commission, however I’d probably reject this particular proposal,” Mr Evans added.
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Murray candidate Helen Dalton, who has recently ramped up her party’s long-standing calls for a Royal Commission, said the plan was “akin to Dracula demanding an inquiry into blood theft."
"People need to release the Greens push to flush more and more of our state's water out to South Australia got us in to this mess,” Mrs Dalton said.
"Royal Commissions can take years though, and we have a crisis now.”
She also said free bottled water should be provided to towns like Menindee, Walgett and Billmari “where tap water is too dangerous to drink."
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