The Labor government has managed to unite regional Australia, but perhaps not in the touchy- feely way that they wanted to achieve with their promises after the election.
After gaining power on the back of saying they would look after regional Australia they came up with a plan that has pulled the rug out from under communities all over the country. It’s like going to a motel and saying that we will take away 45% of your rooms, but you’ll be OK.
The Guide to the proposed Basin Plan is yet another botched Labor process. Today, the minister, Tony Burke admitted, “the comments that had been made publicly from the Authority saying that the act didn’t allow them to fully take account of socio -economic issues are not supported by this legal advice”.
At least that clears that up; the authority can adopt a triple bottom line approach, but what about the 2 million Australians in the basin who are waiting to hear just what Labor’s real plan for them is.
How could the Labor party get this so wrong? Why did they proceed under a process put in place by Penny Wong which so obviously did not get the legal advice up front so that the Act was followed? It is no good now saying we’ve got the legal advice when millions of Australians are facing a huge worry.
Why were they still banging on about how they had to give the highest priority to the environment when the act clearly states the all impacts have to be considered?
Even Mr Burke was talking about a triple bottom line approach while members of the Authority were running all over the country saying the opposite.
The Labor / Green / Independent alliance is not looking after regional Australia. Labor has created yet another fiasco up there with the pink batts and the school halls. A lot of effort for little outcome. Unfortunately, the solutions to the Murray Darling process looks like being another Labor casualty.
As Mr Burke said, “What we’ve been left with is confusion” – read the Labor party.