‘Governing for all’ another broken promise

A quick look at the opinion polls tells us the Albanese Government, and the Prime Minister in particular, are none too popular at present across the nation, and this especially applies to rural areas.

From a farming perspective, the two iterations of Albanese in charge have been described as the worst governments in living memory.

This view has been further enforced by the latest round of water buybacks, at a cost to the Australian taxpayer of almost a mere half a billion dollars, when all the evidence tells the government it does not need more environmental water.

This latest fact has been highlighted by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, which is also struggling to work out how legislated volumes can be delivered downstream.

So any Australian - city or country - with an ounce of common-sense could be excused for asking a basic question: If we don’t need more environmental water, and it can’t be delivered, why are we spending scarce taxpayer dollars removing more water from the productive pool?

The question is even more pertinent when you consider the purchase of more water is coming at the expense of food and fibre production and exacerbating a cost of living crisis.

While our esteemed Treasurer may claim to be a doctor, even average, less-educated Aussies could be forgiven for doubting the logic of spending their hard-earned funds to reduce food production, thus making food more expensive while also increasing our reliance on imports.

Or is the end game all about politics and nothing to do with delivering the best possible Basin Plan? It’s hard to argue against this.

The latest water buybacks send clear signals that neither the Prime Minister nor his Water Minister, Murray Watt, have any interest in a Basin Plan that provides our nation with the best environmental and productive outcomes at maximum value to taxpayers.

Additionally, it’s hard to believe the current Basin Plan Review process and upcoming Water Act Review will be anything but ‘tick a box’ exercises, for which we suspect there are already foregone conclusions.

In its condemnation of the latest buybacks, the Riverina and Murray Joint Organisation (RAMJO), representing local government across the region, provides sage advice to the government when it suggests remaining water recovery funds would be best spent on collaborative environmental projects that deliver measurable outcomes.

It also called on the Federal Government to treat our communities as “partners … not policy casualties”.

This advice will be ignored by both the government and its confidantes at the MDBA, an organisation which is supposed to be independent but has failed this obligation.

Neither the Albanese Government nor the MDBA know what “partnering” with regional communities involves and, unfortunately, have no appetite to learn.

We are sure the Prime Minister would see no political damage from policies and broken promises that damage communities in the Southern Murray-Darling Basin (remember promises of a balanced Basin Plan and a Labor Party guarantee the 450GL would not be delivered if there was negative socio-economic impact?).

However, he is ignoring the cumulative damage.

There are too many regions across Australia that are suffering the consequences of broken promises and failed commitments from a city-centric government, supported by Greens and Teals who lack understanding of regional issues.

This was a driving force behind the recent election of David Farley as the One Nation Member for Farrer, and is contributing to a surge in that party’s support.

At a local level, our issue is water policy. There are various other local issues in communities across regional and rural Australia which, in many instances - and just like water - are driven by city-based ideology and a government that does not listen or, using RAMJO’s word, “partner”.

If it continues along this path, the opinion polls across the nation may well reflect the people’s view when they next go to the ballot box.

Perhaps that’s what needs to happen for Albanese and his colleagues to get the message.