Federal Liberals abandon SA by failing to stand up for Murray

Posted August 10, 2017

In stark contrast to their State counterparts, Federal Liberals have abandoned Murray River communities in South Australia by voting against a national judicial inquiry into claims of water thefts and corruption upstream in NSW, according to the Nick Xenophon Team.

“State Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said he was outraged by the allegations raised by ABC’s Four Corners about water management in the Barwon-Darling rivers and publicly stated the SA Liberals’ support for a national judicial review into the allegations,” Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie said.

“And yet today his own Federal colleagues refused to back the only type of investigation that has the scope and the powers to resolve this scandal.

“Senators across the political spectrum – my colleague Nick Xenophon, Australian Conservatives' Cory Bernardi, Independent Lucy Gichuhi, the Greens' Sarah Hanson-Young and Senate Leader Penny Wong – all co-signed the motion that could have made the inquiry a reality today, but there was no Liberal in sight.

“Yesterday I heard the Member for Barker—the other South Australian in the House of Representatives who should be representing SA river communities — say he is appalled by the allegations and yet he did not vote for a judicial inquiry."

Nick said it was disappointing that the Coalition Government had voted against the inquiry when all the MPs on the cross bench and the Opposition were in full support.

“How must South Australians at Waikerie, at Loxton, in the Coorong, at Mannum and at Murray Bridge feel to hear that their Federal member did not support a judicial review?" Nick said.

“SA Communities all along the river, in fact every South Australian, must feel abandoned by this Federal Government.”

Nick said his Team would continue to lobby for a national investigation.

“Many people have come forward with further allegations involving suspect water dealings in the Murray-Darling Basin,” he said.

“We believe what is currently in the public domain is just the tip of the iceberg and Australians should brace themselves for more claims.”