{"id":45047,"date":"2019-04-20T14:39:02","date_gmt":"2019-04-20T04:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/?p=45047"},"modified":"2022-05-02T13:03:58","modified_gmt":"2022-05-02T03:03:58","slug":"farrervotes-farmers-outraged-over-water-piracy-jansant-reports-on-watergate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/farrervotes-farmers-outraged-over-water-piracy-jansant-reports-on-watergate\/","title":{"rendered":"#FarrerVotes farmers outraged over water ‘piracy’: @jansant reports on #Watergate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Independent candidate for Farrer Kevin Mack wants answers over #Watergate buy-back scandal. Photo: Wayne Jansson<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Farmers are “angry” over allegations aired on <\/a>The Project<\/a><\/em> that record prices were paid by former Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Barnaby Joyce under the buy-back scheme to a company founded by current Energy Minister Angus Taylor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Fibs<\/em> spoke with Independent candidate for the NSW rural electorate of Farrer, Kevin Mack (@Mack4Farrer<\/a>), who said the level of outrage was already high before revelations about the Ministers’ behaviour were aired on Network Ten’s current affairs program on Thursday, April 18. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mack told No Fibs<\/em> the latest allegations surrounding Angus Taylor and Barnaby Joyce have increased the level of anger in the rural city of Griffith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One guy was going around saying he wanted to burn the flag.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

People are saying:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They’re pirating water, they’re stealing water.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In the interview recorded with No Fibs<\/em> Mr Mack said:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you read and listen to what was on with Angus Taylor, Barnaby Joyce and others in the Liberal Party, it would appear to be personal gain.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It’s off-farm water, it’s also floodplain water, it wasn’t even irrigated water. They’ve given them money for water that doesn’t exist but if it floods it could exist.<\/p>Kevin Mack<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Mr Mack and a number of farmers in the rural electorate have long been calling for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) to be paused and reviewed, and ultimately a Royal Commission held \u2014 they have renewed and amplified their call, with Mr Mack saying:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to be strong, like we’ve done with the banks, we need to understand whose fingers are in the pie.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Resignation questions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Under Barnaby Joyce’s oversight, the government paid Eastern Australia Agriculture $79 million<\/a> via the water buy-back scheme in 2017, although the most recent allegations centre on that company having been founded by Angus Taylor<\/a> with a holding company \u2014 Eastern Australian Irrigation \u2014 domiciled in the Cayman Islands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2017 there were $200m in water buy-backs without an open tender<\/a> process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Mack questioned why so many Coalition MP’s resigned before the election, saying:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A percentage of those [that resigned] were in cabinet, and the cabinet were the people who authorised the purchase of water that went into Eastern Australian Agriculture that was previously fronted by Angus Taylor.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this month farmers heckled and booed the sitting Liberal Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley, calling for the MDBP to be paused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n