❓ Mr Redman (Nationals) questions the Minister for Water about delays in the Water Resources Management Bill, citing climate change impacts. The Minister deflects, criticising the Nationals' past inaction and blaming the federal government's climate policy.
AnsweredQoN 779Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT BILL
779. Mr D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Water:
I refer to the highly anticipated
drafting of the water resources management bill, which the minister announced
had commenced in August last year.
(1) How much
longer can the house expect to wait until the minister introduces a bill
modernising water legislation?
(2) Given the minister's
sentiment around climate change and the impact it is having on rainfall —
Ms S.E. Winton interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Wanneroo, I call you to order for the first time. Start again, member.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I refer to
the highly anticipated drafting of the water resources management bill, which
the minister announced had commenced in August last year.
(1) How much
longer can the house expect to wait until the minister introduces a bill
modernising water legislation?
(2) Given the
minister's sentiment around climate change and the impact it is having
on rainfall and water security, particularly in the south west, why is he not
treating this legislation with more urgency?
MANAGEMENT BILL
779. Mr D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Water:
I refer to the highly anticipated
drafting of the water resources management bill, which the minister announced
had commenced in August last year.
(1) How much
longer can the house expect to wait until the minister introduces a bill
modernising water legislation?
(2) Given the minister's
sentiment around climate change and the impact it is having on rainfall —
Ms S.E. Winton interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Wanneroo, I call you to order for the first time. Start again, member.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I refer to
the highly anticipated drafting of the water resources management bill, which
the minister announced had commenced in August last year.
(1) How much
longer can the house expect to wait until the minister introduces a bill
modernising water legislation?
(2) Given the
minister's sentiment around climate change and the impact it is having
on rainfall and water security, particularly in the south west, why is he not
treating this legislation with more urgency?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(2) This question is a warm-up for the matter of
public interest. It is ironic that the National Party is asking us to
speed up on that legislation. We have said before that that legislation is in
the pipeline. When it is ready for tabling in the Parliament, it will be
tabled. It is a little ironic that the member for Warren–Blackwood is
complaining about the speed at which this legislation is coming to the house.
The member, when he was Minister for Water, announced that it was a priority
for the previous government in a press release on 26 September 2013.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party! My priority is to call you to order for the first time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : When he was
replaced by the current Leader of the National Party as Minister for Water, she
announced by press release on 13 March 2015 that the legislation was going to
be introduced. It is ironic that the National Party is now complaining that we
are not moving fast enough when it did absolutely nothing in eight and a half
years—nothing in eight and a half years. As I said, this legislation
will be tabled as soon as it is ready. The member's comments about
climate change again are ironic given that the National Party —
Mr D.T. Redman : What is
ironic about the comments I made about climate change?
Mr D.J. KELLY : The member
said that the sentiments that we have raised —
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Warren–Blackwood, do
you have a supplementary?
Mr D.J. KELLY : The most
important thing that can be done about climate change is leadership at the
national level. Climate change needs to be dealt with by national governments
entering into agreements with other national governments on global emissions
targets. That is the most important thing that can be done and the current
federal government is completely lacking in
this space. If the federal National Party contribution was not a joke, it would be embarrassing—it is so serious. The federal National Party's
Minister for Water Resources; Drought, David Littleproud said that he does not
know whether climate change is man-made. Barnaby Joyce is saying that there is
nothing we can do about this issue in Australia. If the former Leader of the
National Party, member for Warren–Blackwood, cares about climate
change, he should get the Nationals Party's act together and show some
movement and leadership at the national level.
(1)–(2) This question is a warm-up for the matter of
public interest. It is ironic that the National Party is asking us to
speed up on that legislation. We have said before that that legislation is in
the pipeline. When it is ready for tabling in the Parliament, it will be
tabled. It is a little ironic that the member for Warren–Blackwood is
complaining about the speed at which this legislation is coming to the house.
The member, when he was Minister for Water, announced that it was a priority
for the previous government in a press release on 26 September 2013.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party! My priority is to call you to order for the first time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : When he was
replaced by the current Leader of the National Party as Minister for Water, she
announced by press release on 13 March 2015 that the legislation was going to
be introduced. It is ironic that the National Party is now complaining that we
are not moving fast enough when it did absolutely nothing in eight and a half
years—nothing in eight and a half years. As I said, this legislation
will be tabled as soon as it is ready. The member's comments about
climate change again are ironic given that the National Party —
Mr D.T. Redman : What is
ironic about the comments I made about climate change?
Mr D.J. KELLY : The member
said that the sentiments that we have raised —
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Warren–Blackwood, do
you have a supplementary?
Mr D.J. KELLY : The most
important thing that can be done about climate change is leadership at the
national level. Climate change needs to be dealt with by national governments
entering into agreements with other national governments on global emissions
targets. That is the most important thing that can be done and the current
federal government is completely lacking in
this space. If the federal National Party contribution was not a joke, it would be embarrassing—it is so serious. The federal National Party's
Minister for Water Resources; Drought, David Littleproud said that he does not
know whether climate change is man-made. Barnaby Joyce is saying that there is
nothing we can do about this issue in Australia. If the former Leader of the
National Party, member for Warren–Blackwood, cares about climate
change, he should get the Nationals Party's act together and show some
movement and leadership at the national level.
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