http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/pm-in-hot-water-...

Julia Gillard in hot water for attending event with Tony Abbott

THE NSW and Victorian water ministers have launched an attack on Julia Gillard for attending the same community event in support of the Murray River that Tony Abbott spoke at yesterday.
In a sign of the escalating political rift between the states and the commonwealth over water reform, NSW Water Minister Katrina Hodgkinson last night hit out at the Prime Minister for attending the "I love the Murray" event in Canberra hosted by South Australian newspaper The Advertiser.

Ms Gillard attended the event, held on the lawn of Parliament House, with Water Minister Tony Burke, the Opposition Leader and Coalition water spokesman Barnaby Joyce.

"Today we saw yet another example of partisan politics coming from the Gillard government," Ms Hodgkinson said. "This is Labor attempting to look after its own interests at the expense of the Murray-Darling Basin."

Victorian Water Minister Peter Walsh also slammed the Prime Minister for her attendance at the event, saying, "Julia Gillard has shown her true colours".

"The basin plan needs to be about all communities and all environments, not just about marginal Labor seats," he said.

Neither Mr Walsh nor Ms Hodgkinson would comment on Mr Abbott's attendance.

The stoush came as Mr Abbott rejected a claim he told representatives of the group, the Women of the Living Basin, he would "tear up" the Murray-Darling Basin plan if elected to government.

Helen Dalton, a farmer from the NSW irrigation stronghold of Griffith, told The Australian the Opposition Leader said he would scrap the plan at a private meeting with members of the group last month in his Canberra office.

According to Ms Dalton, Mr Abbott said: "This is a bad plan, when I gain government I will tear up this plan."

Shona Hando, who was at the meeting, also claimed Mr Abbott used the words "tear up" the plan.

Mr Abbott's office last night said: "At no stage did Mr Abbott say that an Abbott government would 'tear it up' or 'rip up' the Murray-Darling Basin plan."

So labor are going to isolate themselves. I have a tip for your isolation. Go to an election, you will get isolated there.

Wait till the dull norms get hold of this one. Why should the PM not attend this function. After all She is trying to develop a plan that is for the long term future of a river system for all Australians. But as usual Abbott is playing wedge politics and using the farmers who exploit the river and think because they suck the life from it that they should be the only ones to say what happens to it.

So good old Abbott will get into power, shred everything that has been achieved for the long term future and planning in the interests of all Australians then blame anyone he can as things like the Murray-Darling suffer destruction and ecological disaster when the next dry hits. But the conservative states will claim hero status with the desal plants to keep the cities wet.

Just another example of Tony saying what the crowd du jour want him to say.

philperth2010 wrote on Mar 25^th, 2012 at 7:59pm:


As Julia did when Bob Brown told her to bend over.

philperth2010 wrote on Mar 25^th, 2012 at 8:09pm:

Any liberal cause should be repudiated & opposed by right thinking people.

MOTR wrote on Mar 25^th, 2012 at 8:01pm:


Yes Abbott has a history of playing to the crowd and then denying he is a populist flake....The faithful do not even attempt to defend him anymore!!!

So the Advertiser, part of News Corp, organised an event concerning the Murray Darling at Parliament house. Then condemned one side of politics for turning up.

Then ignored a bigger story, Abbott is planning on destroying Adelaide, by cutting the flow of the Murray Darling when we will probably be heading back into drought in a couple of years.
Says a lot, that we already new about News Corp.

Also, Liberals caused the Murray Darling collapse during Abbott's period in the Howard Government, after being warned at the beginning of their 12 year period. The Libs ignored it completely.

Time for Lib's little bitch to come clean. Are they pro destruction of the food bowl, destruction of the water system, destruction of farms, families and the towns/cities. Will gNats ignore Liberals attack on water and agriculture, like the Nats are ignoring Libs attack via CSG.

If so, then they deserve to lose Senate seats to the Katter Party next election. Kater may be hard right, at least he is showing care on the environmental front and so for rural/regional Australia.


Dump a Nat and gain a Kat.