The failure of the Australian Greens to turn up for Senate Estimates Committee hearings into the Murray Darling Basin plan raises serious questions about the motivation for the party’s often incorrect and misleading media commentary.
National Irrigators Council CEO, Steve Whan, said “Senate estimates met for four hours today grilling Commonwealth officials on the Basin Plan, an opportunity for the Greens to get questions answered.
“But the Greens were a no show.
“Maybe there is a good reason for the no show, but on the face of it, it looks like a party that is more interested in headlines than in answers.
“We have heard a lot of false claims by the Greens over recent weeks on the Murray Darling basin plan. Those included claiming there was less environmental water , when the facts very clearly show a forty – foldincrease in Commonwealth environmental water holdings.
“Then there was the claim that the MDBA had ‘lost’ 605GL of water. A ridiculous claim that revealed amazing ignorance of the Plan.
“NIC represents thousands of irrigators, mainly family owned operations, who do the right thing and who have committed to helping to achieve the aims of the basin plan. They have been constantly offended by the Greens’ spokespersons offensive labelling of them as cheats.
“I am sure those people would like to see the Greens actually engage in trying to make the Basin Plan a success and genuinely listening to real story behind the plan.
“Today there was another opportunity to do that but apparently the Greens couldn’t make it.”
Media Contact : Steve Whan 0429 780 883
Friday 2 March 2018