GREENS HAVE NO RIGHT TO LECTURE ON WATER: McCORMACK

DEPUTY Prime Minister Michael McCormack has slammed Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young’s visit to the southern Riverina over water as “kicking farmers when they are down”.

“Our farmers have suffered enough through this insidious drought and it is bad enough that farmers have been unfairly lambasted in a recent media report,” Mr McCormack said.

“Senator Hanson-Young has no right to waltz into the region to tell our farmers, who are already the world’s best environmentalists, how to manage water.

“This visit is just another slap in the face for our primary producers who continue to suffer from a prolonged drought – they do not need more leftie extremists talking at them.”

Mr McCormack said the Greens were showing their true colours when they ventured out of their city confines to talk down to regional and rural Australians.

“I would have thought had Senator Hanson-Young been serious about listening to the local community she would have given a courtesy call to Edward River Mayor Norm Brennan, Griffith Mayor John Dal Broi and Leeton Mayor Paul Maytom – all three told me they have not heard from her,” Mr McCormack said.

“If she was really concerned about striking a balance, she should have bothered, at the very least, to contact the Environment Minister Sussan Ley, whose electorate she visited.

“This proves to me this visit was nothing more than a typical Greens publicity stunt – all bluster and no substance.

“Senator Hanson-Young’s visit to one of the great food bowls of our nation is akin to former Greens’ leader Bob Brown travelling to Queensland to tell hard-working miners the resources industry needed to be shut down.

“These leftie extremists showed then they had no idea where their energy comes from to power their apartments in leafy inner-city suburbs and they are showing they have no idea now how their food and fibre goes from product to plate.

“Their ideology wasn’t welcome there and then and it is not welcome here and now.

“Our farmers need support, not another kick in the guts.

“The Nationals always stand up for farmers – we’ve done so for 100 years and will continue to do so well into the future.

Mr McCormack said the bi-partisan Murray-Darling Basin Plan was delivering the right balance for farmers, local communities and the environment.

“The Liberal and Nationals’ Government uses water efficiency projects instead of water buybacks to recover water because water buybacks mean less farm production, less harvesting and packing jobs in small towns, and less money spent in the local pubs and restaurants,” Mr McCormack said.

“Water efficiency projects began under the previous Labor-Greens Government after it had bought back nearly 1200 Gigalitres (GL) of water resulting in literally thousands of rural jobs being lost.

“We promised before the 2013 election to use water efficiency projects to recover water and we've delivered our promise. More than 2100GL of water has been delivered back to the river system.

“A balanced approach must be taken to ensure all parties are given their fair share.

“The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is conducting a review into aspects of the water market and the Auditor-General is looking into water buybacks so let’s await the outcome of these inquiries before shooting off at the hip as the Greens are so good at doing.”

Shane Manning