PRIME MINISTER NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION ON THE MURRAY-DARLING

All of Labor’s fears have been confirmed with the NSW Government revealing yesterday an extremely limited inquiry into the allegations raised on 4Corners on Monday night.

 

I had made clear from the start that NSW should not be put in charge of an investigation into itself. This is why federal Labor has called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to accept the South Australian recommendation of conducting a judicial inquiry through the COAG process.

 

The reported terms of reference for the NSW inquiry do not allow an investigation into whether or not what was revealed on 4Corners is representative of wider behaviour throughout the Murray-Darling Basin.

 

Instead NSW is presuming that the only abuses which have occurred are the same ones which were exposed on 4Corners. This is not a review designed to get to the bottom of what is happening in the Murray-Darling Basin.

 

This is a review designed to deal with the fallout of a media story on Monday night.

 

This proves why Barnaby Joyce was wrong to say it’s a state issue.

 

The Prime Minister needs to take action now and back a judicial inquiry through the COAG process.