Liberal senator says promising farmers more water ‘is complete garbage’ unless the science is right: ‘Put the politics to bed, for god’s sake’

A Liberal senator has accused all parties – including his own – of “playing politics” with water policy and making promises to rural communities that were the equivalent to offering “free beer” because the science says they can never be delivered.



Bill Heffernan gave the extraordinary spray in a Senate adjournment debate as the forecast “monster El Niño” and looming drought again catapults divisive water politics into the forefront of debate.

Seven of the eight crossbenchers are demanding the federal government “pause” the Murray-Darling basin plan because, they say, it favours the needs of the environment over those of farmers, irrigators and rural communities.

Liberal MP calls for Barnaby Joyce to be given full responsibility of water issues Read more

The plan has become a hot issue again in rural communities because the price for “temporary” water – annual rather than permanent water allocations – is soaring. The crossbenchers have established a Senate inquiry into the “crisis” and it is taking evidence through regional centres.

Water is also a critical issue in South Australia, reliant on flows remaining in the system as the Murray reaches the sea.

Water politics is also again causing tensions between the Liberals and the National party. The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, transferred responsibility for water policy to the agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, as part of the new Coalition agreement with the Nationals. Joyce has insisted he should take over all day-to-day handling of the water portfolio rather than cede it to his junior minister, the South Australian Liberal senator Anne Ruston.

The branch of the environment department responsible for buying back water entitlements for environmental use has transferred to the agriculture department, but the environment minister, Greg Hunt, retains powers for the commonwealth environmental water holder, the body that determines how environmental water is used.

Parliament has legislated a cap on water buybacks and any change would need a new vote.

Joyce told reporters on Thursday he had full responsibility for water, to “clear up any confusion”.

But Heffernan said all sides of politics were making false promises on water.

His first targets were the crossbenchers, who held a doorstop on Wednesday morning to call for greater recognition of the needs of farmers in the Murray-Darling plan.

Murray-Darling water buybacks capped at 1,500 gigalitres as bill passes Senate Read more

“I rise tonight because I have been bloody insulted today,” Heffernan said. “I came through the doors this morning and saw a group of people playing politics with people’s livelihoods … It is easy to go out to the electorate or to go to Griffith and say, ‘We’re going to give you more water’, or to go down the street and say, ‘We’ll provide free beer.’ You will be popular but you have got to apply some science to it.

“The only way you could do that is if the fish grow legs, because the river has actually got to run and the fish have to swim.

“To come in here and say, ‘We are going to politically promise something’ is complete garbage. It is not up to us. It is up to mother Earth ... But the science is warning us. If the prediction of the science is 40% right ... the only water that will be reliably available in the Murray Darling basin will be the environmental flows for the fish ... and high security water ...

“Put the politics to bed, for god’s sake. We are arguing about whether the National party is going to have water or someone else is going to have it. Every minister for water in this place has just about cocked it up ... We have got to apply science to this argument and not play politics with it.”

Heffernan suggested Queensland Nationals senator Matthew Canavan might have played a role in the crossbench interest in water policy.

“This today was a wedge by the so-called independents against the government about who is going to take over water. Senator Canavan is probably part of it. That is fair enough. That is politics. I do not want politics in water.”

Canavan has been contacted for comment.