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The Nationals, in particular their now leader David Littleproud, have been quick to jump on the issue of food security and the potential threats posed by fuel shortages following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
Farmers have been screaming at The Nationals (and the Coalition more broadly) for many years to effectively advocate for change to water policy, which is the biggest long-term threat to our food security.
Littleproud is right … farmers need fuel supplies to grow the food that feeds our nation. But another vital ingredient is water.
As NSW Member for Murray Helen Dalton recently stated, there would be uproar if we poured thousands of litres of petrol down the drain so it was wasted, yet this is exactly what we are doing with water.
And no-one seems to care.
Australia desperately needs a Royal Commission into the disastrous manner in which water has been politicised and wasted over the past 15 years.
If the Coalition is serious about food security, they will admit past failings and join the growing chorus for this Royal Commission.