[Greens-Media] Greens: Climate crisis in Murray finally hits PM

[Twomey, Chris (Sen R. Siewert)]

Greens: Climate crisis in Murray finally hits PM

"Does the Prime Minister finally get it now?"

"Have the Coalition finally realised that the Murray is dying and they
can't fiddle anymore when urgent action is needed?"

"Prime Minister Howard's climate denial over 11 years has meant that he
has presided over "collapse". Is he still sceptical about these "gloomy
predictions"?"

 "The government's failure to acknowledge the link between drought and
climate change has been the death-knell of the Murray and the farming
communities that rely on it."

 "It is a tragedy that the Murray River has reached such a critical
state," said Greens water spokesperson Senator Rachel Siewert in
Brisbane today.

"It has taken the Prime Minister and the Coalition a long time to
realise that we can never return to 'business as usual' in the Murray
Darling Basin and to bite the bullet of climate change," she said.

 "Until recently the PM has still been in denial of the impact of
climate change on dramatically reduced rainfall for the Basin."

"The Coalition are still bickering over buying back water allocations."

"They never seem to get the fact that the system was over-allocated and
in crisis and needs urgent action now," said Senator Siewert.

"The delays and the politicking is hurting the farmers and communities
of the river and contributing to a decline from which the river may
never recover."

"The PM is still in climate denial and still focusing on protecting
industries such as the coal industry while ignoring the future of our
farmers and our dying river."
	           
For more information or comment call 
Chris Twomey on 0407 725 025

Email senator.siewert at aph.gov.au
http://www.rachelsiewert.org.au

RESCUE THE SENATE


Senator Rachel Siewert
Australian Greens spokesperson on Water Resources


Thursday 19th April 2007