Doorstop interview: Barnaby Joyce, Murray Darling Basin, Kristina Keneally

SENATOR DOUG CAMERON, SHADOW MINISTER FOR HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS, SHADOW MINISTER FOR SKILLS, TAFE AND APPRENTICESHIPS: Well I just heard Zed Seselja give the usual rhetoric from the Coalition. I mean it’s clear that this Coalition just can’t deliver wage increases in this country, all they want to do is cut $65 billion of company tax while workers are battling to put food on the table.

 

This is a government that is just so consumed by its internal conflict, by more rubbish every day, that it’s just impossible for this government to govern in what they describe themselves, as “a grown up government”.

 

Well we’ve demonstrated clearly over the last period of time this is anything but a grown up government. I said before the Liberals don’t like the Nationals, the Nationals don’t like the Liberals and the Liberals don’t like each other, and now you have got the Nationals not liking each other either.

 

This is just an absolute terrible situation. This is a government that is absolutely incapable of dealing with the key issues because they are so split and riven internally and you know Barnaby Joyce should just go.

 

This guy it’s clear has not met ministerial standards, has used his position to benefit himself over many periods and I just think it’s time people said enough is enough and Malcolm Turnbull showed some leadership - which he is probably incapable of doing -  and actually fixed this problem.

 

Let’s get a government that can actually deal with the issue of wages, deal with the issues of jobs, deal with the issues of the environment and electricity prices. Only Labor can do that.

 

JOURNALIST Just on the disallowance motion from last night, do you think NSW and Victoria will follow through on their threats and withdraw from the Murray Darling Basin Plan?

CAMERON: Who knows. I mean state governments are always positioning themselves to try and benefit state governments - that how politics work in this country. Tony Burke has indicated that he is prepared to continue discussions on this, but you can’t have a situation where the National Party run water in this country and allow the rorts that have gone on.

 

You can’t allow that to happen and it’s clear that you have to have access to water all down the Murry Darling Basin and unless that’s fixed we will continue to have problems.

 

JOURNALIST Are negotiations underway do you know to save the plan?

CAMERON: Well I am not sure if negotiations are actually underway now but I think Tony Burke said yesterday he is prepared to engage to try and deal with the issues.

 

Tony Burke’s a good negotiator, Tony Burke will do whatever he can, and Labor will do whatever we can to help resolve this issue but it has to be done on a fair and reasonable basis. You can’t have South Australia as some of the Liberals would have them, with absolutely no water.

 

JOURNALIST: Just from listening to some of the National Members of Parliament yesterday it sounds like the pressure is coming off Barnaby Joyce. Is that your assessment?

 

CAMERON: No. Just because Barnaby Joyce has stood over his fellow Nationals doesn’t mean to say the pressure is off. This guy has done the wrong thing, this guy is an absolute hypocrite in the context of all he has argued over the years and it really is time for a new leader in the National Party.

 

But as long as Barnaby Joyce is there I have got to say I am not too fussed. The longer this chaos continues the worse it is for Malcolm Turnbull, the worse it is for this government.

 

They really need to take some leadership. Malcolm Turnbull is incapable of showing any leadership. He is completely under the control of the National Party, he is beholden to Barnaby Joyce for his job and he will not take any step that any leader anywhere in the country would take faced with the situation that he is faced with now.

 

JOURNALIST: Just finally, she is a former Premier, a former Sky News presenter. Kristina Keneally – what are you expecting from her in the Senate?

 

CAMERON: Kristina is an extremely professional politician, extremely capable, she will be an asset to the Labor Party in the Senate, she will make a great contribution for the people in New South Wales and nationally and I am looking forward to working with Kristina to ensure we build more and more pressure on this dirty rotten government that can’t deliver on anything and make sure that we get a change of government at the next election. Kristina Keneally will play a big part in that.