Only a day after being caught out misleading the public on the amount of water that has been returned to the Murray, Senator Penny Wong has again been caught not knowing the details of her own portfolio or misleading the public about them.
This morning on ABC24 Minister Wong was asked:
INTERVIEWER: Labor’s delayed spending of $200 million on water projects because it’s still catching up with infrastructure projects on the Murray-Darling Basin. How many more delays are there going to be?
WONG: I’m not sure what the 200 million is that you’re referring to, ah, we have rolled out a substantial number of programs and projects since we came to government ….
Minister Wong was either not being truthful in her response or she is unaware of developments in her own portfolio.
Yesterday, Labor revealed that it is engaging in more accounting tricks. In relation to investments to replumb the Murray-Darling Basin it stated that:
… there are delays in the roll out of certain projects in some States. To meet this new timetable the funding profile for these projects will be adjusted so that $200 million of funding will be moved from 2012-13 and 2013-14 to 2014-15 and 2015-16.
This will better meet the new expected timing of these projects. The changes represent a timing delay for about 5 per cent of the total program spending and will improve the underlying cash balance over forward estimates by $200 million.
http://www.alp.org.au/federal-government/news/updated-net-budget-impact-of-election-policies-(15/
Minister Wong may want to check the Australian Labor Party's website more regularly.
Labor's record on the Murray-Darling Basin is one of delay and inaction. In nearly three years in power:
· Labor has not fixed the Menindee Lakes despite it being at the top of a list of projects it listed at the 2007 election
· Labor took 18 months to establish the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and now blames it for delays in the Basin Plan
· Labor has spent only $300 million of a $5.8 billion fund to replumb the Basin and save water for farmers and the environment
Labor is now flagging more delays in these investments to prop up its wasteful and reckless spending, its desperate sandbagging of marginal seats and its runaway debt.