Comments on: Plenty of water for Murray Darling, just no political will http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/03/plenty-of-water-for-murray-darling-just-no-political-will/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:13:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: John Hunwick http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/03/plenty-of-water-for-murray-darling-just-no-political-will/#comment-1844 John Hunwick Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-1844 The reason many people voted for the Rudd government was to reassure them that they could implement their rhetoric and, with all other Labor Governments address the problems of the RMDB. Widespread community support should give them the will to cut through the gordian knot surrounding action on this national issue. If John Howard can send troops to Iraq, then Ken Rudd can surely unleash a community based effort to put the environmental conditions right for the Basin and then rebuild the food production of the area. Spend the money, buy out big cotton and rice growers, change water allocations from %ages to specific quantities below over-allocation and based only on future availability, and do it. If we can't handle this problem as a nation then peak oil and climate change action will never occur - until it's too late of course. The reason many people voted for the Rudd government was to reassure them that they could implement their rhetoric and, with all other Labor Governments address the problems of the RMDB. Widespread community support should give them the will to cut through the gordian knot surrounding action on this national issue. If John Howard can send troops to Iraq, then Ken Rudd can surely unleash a community based effort to put the environmental conditions right for the Basin and then rebuild the food production of the area. Spend the money, buy out big cotton and rice growers, change water allocations from %ages to specific quantities below over-allocation and based only on future availability, and do it. If we can’t handle this problem as a nation then peak oil and climate change action will never occur - until it’s too late of course.

]]> By: JamesK http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/03/plenty-of-water-for-murray-darling-just-no-political-will/#comment-1845 JamesK Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-1845 No! Wally is w-ong...... No! Wally is w-ong……

]]> By: JamesK http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/03/plenty-of-water-for-murray-darling-just-no-political-will/#comment-1846 JamesK Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-1846 Garnaut in his address to the Press Club introducing his report said more than any politician of the importance to the people of Australia of the Murray-Darling culturally, environmentally and agriculturally. <br /><br />That in itself is an indictment.<br /><br />Bracks and Rudd should be roasting over hot coals because of their financially wasteful deceit.<br />There is no will only torpor. <br /><br />Interesting that Rudd uses Nelson's correct identification of the essence of the problem on Monday night's Lateline program to lambast him in parliament the following day.<br /><br />It suits Rudd to have "climate change" blamed for the imminent catatrophe facing the lower lakes. <br />It may also suggests an alterior motive for the inaction. That may be overly cynical. I hope not. <br /><br />The CSIRO reports alluded to by the PM have been widely discredited. Nelson was quite correct. The greatest devaluers of AGW are the language and silliness of champion proponents such as Hansen and our own dud Flannery and pollies with axes to grind and no particular clue of the nature of the debate such as Rudd.<br /><br />One of our greatest natural environmental resources is going down the toilet because there is no genuine desire to rescue it. The question is why?<br />Well done Bernard Keane for continuing to write in some detail on this issue! Garnaut in his address to the Press Club introducing his report said more than any politician of the importance to the people of Australia of the Murray-Darling culturally, environmentally and agriculturally.

That in itself is an indictment.

Bracks and Rudd should be roasting over hot coals because of their financially wasteful deceit.
There is no will only torpor.

Interesting that Rudd uses Nelson’s correct identification of the essence of the problem on Monday night’s Lateline program to lambast him in parliament the following day.

It suits Rudd to have “climate change” blamed for the imminent catatrophe facing the lower lakes.
It may also suggests an alterior motive for the inaction. That may be overly cynical. I hope not.

The CSIRO reports alluded to by the PM have been widely discredited. Nelson was quite correct. The greatest devaluers of AGW are the language and silliness of champion proponents such as Hansen and our own dud Flannery and pollies with axes to grind and no particular clue of the nature of the debate such as Rudd.

One of our greatest natural environmental resources is going down the toilet because there is no genuine desire to rescue it. The question is why?
Well done Bernard Keane for continuing to write in some detail on this issue!

]]> By: Wally http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/03/plenty-of-water-for-murray-darling-just-no-political-will/#comment-1847 Wally Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-1847 Wong is right! Keane is off. Remove the artificial barrier to the sea and place it across the entrance to Lake Alexandrina below Wellington and live with it. Wong is right! Keane is off. Remove the artificial barrier to the sea and place it across the entrance to Lake Alexandrina below Wellington and live with it.

]]> By: Venise Alstergren http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/03/plenty-of-water-for-murray-darling-just-no-political-will/#comment-1848 Venise Alstergren Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-1848 No Wally, you go and live with it. Most Australians (unless they are irrigators and farmers) actually do care about the dying Murray Darling Basin, and its death. No Wally, you go and live with it. Most Australians (unless they are irrigators and farmers) actually do care about the dying Murray Darling Basin, and its death.

]]> By: Matt C http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/03/plenty-of-water-for-murray-darling-just-no-political-will/#comment-1849 Matt C Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-1849 Keane is a master of this wonkish tedium, but is that really what Crikey is about? Or, at least, is that what the Canberra correspondent's role is about? Keane is a master of this wonkish tedium, but is that really what Crikey is about? Or, at least, is that what the Canberra correspondent’s role is about?

]]> By: Graeme Lewis http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/09/03/plenty-of-water-for-murray-darling-just-no-political-will/#comment-1850 Graeme Lewis Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-1850 Well said Bernard Keane! At last there is some understanding appearing that the trite words and non-action of the boring Penny Wong, and her leader show their gutless intention to do nothing - not even try!!<br /><br />There has to be a will to act, and hopefully achieve something - even a little bit of success.<br /> <br />Poor old Dr. Nelson really did get it right when he said that this crisis is nothing to do with climate change - it's all about a 1 in a 100 year drought, and 100 years of selfish mismanagement. <br /><br />The blame game has to stop and the action has to start. The "I'm alright Jack" syndrome espoused by Bracks and Brumby must be overturned by a Prime Minister with guts and the determination to get on with solutions. Don't just do one thing - do ten things now!. Then if five prove wrong, at least the other five might work.<br /><br />Unfortunately we don't have that strength of leadership do we? Well said Bernard Keane! At last there is some understanding appearing that the trite words and non-action of the boring Penny Wong, and her leader show their gutless intention to do nothing - not even try!!

There has to be a will to act, and hopefully achieve something - even a little bit of success.

Poor old Dr. Nelson really did get it right when he said that this crisis is nothing to do with climate change - it’s all about a 1 in a 100 year drought, and 100 years of selfish mismanagement.

The blame game has to stop and the action has to start. The “I’m alright Jack” syndrome espoused by Bracks and Brumby must be overturned by a Prime Minister with guts and the determination to get on with solutions. Don’t just do one thing - do ten things now!. Then if five prove wrong, at least the other five might work.

Unfortunately we don’t have that strength of leadership do we?

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