The election campaign has been diverted towards a controversy around water buybacks.
The Department of Agriculturethat the 2017 purchase presented a"unique opportunity" to secure almost 30 gigalitres of water in a catchment of strategic importance.
Queensland Natural Resources Minister Anthony Lynham clarified his position in a statement on Tuesday. "The Commonwealth has the clear lead for water recovery under the Basin Plan and is therefore responsible for appropriate due diligence and governance of purchase matters," he said. The Guardian reported on Tuesday that Mr Joyce asked to be kept informed by his department about progress of the sale.What do we still not know?
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'Not my job': Barnaby Joyce angrily rejects criticism over controversial water buybackTwo senior government figures have been drawn into controversy surrounding the deal, which has thrust water management to the fore of the federal election campaign.
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'Not my job': Barnaby Joyce angrily rejects criticism over controversial water buybackTwo senior government figures have been drawn into controversy surrounding the deal, which has thrust water management to the fore of the federal election campaign.
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Barnaby Joyce 'doesn't care' about water inquiry over $80 million dealBarnaby Joyce says he is 'absolutely confident' in his position regarding a controversial $80 million water purchase made when he was water minister.
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Joyce defends controversial water buyback deal | Sky News AustraliaFormer water minister Barnaby Joyce has defended his handling of a controversial water buyback deal. \n\nIn an explosive interview on ABC radio, Mr Joyce said it wasn't his job to know who benefitted from the deal. \n\nMr Joyce had reportedly signed off on the deal without questioning key details, including links to the Cayman Islands. \n\nThe Coalition attracted scrutiny for the $79 million purchase of water from two Queensland properties, owned by Eastern Australia Agriculture.\n\nMr Joyce maintains he had no idea his colleague and current Energy Minister Angus Taylor used to serve as a director at Eastern Australia Irrigation.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia \n\n\n\n\n\n
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Morrison insists Joyce did nothing wrong in approving $80 million water buyback dealPrime Minister Scott Morrison maintains Barnaby Joyce did not breach any rules when he approved a controversial water buyback deal in 2017.
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Morrison government orders probe into water buybacks in wake of Joyce controversyThe auditor-general has been asked to examine a decade’s worth of water buybacks amid sustained pressure on the Morrison government over a $79 million deal with a Cayman Islands-linked company.
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Morrison government orders probe into water buybacks in wake of Joyce controversyThe auditor-general has been asked to examine a decade’s worth of water buybacks amid sustained pressure on the Morrison government over a $79 million deal with a Cayman Islands-linked company.
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'We're exciting': Barnaby Joyce opts for sensation over sobriety in spectacular interviewIn a marathon radio interview, the former water minister lit up the airwaves with cornflake idioms, mixed metaphors and obfuscation.
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Morrison fends off water buyback concerns | Sky News AustraliaPrime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a slew of policies aimed at migrant communities as he tours the marginal seat of La Trobe in Victoria.\n\nMr Morrison says the government, if re-elected, will allocate $10 million in funding to help people from non-Australian backgrounds access aged care, while a further $5 million will also be made available to help migrants start businesses.\n\nHowever, the Prime Minister was forced to fend off calls for a royal commission into the Murray-Darling Basin as Labor calls for more details to be released about a controversial $80 million water purchase.\n\n\nImage: News Corp Australia\n\n
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Labor demands answers on $80 million water buyback dealLabor is demanding that documents explaining an $80 million taxpayer-funded water purchase be made public.
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