Former water minister Barnaby Joyce has defended his handling of a controversial water buyback deal.
In an explosive interview on ABC radio, Mr Joyce said it wasn't his job to know who benefitted from the deal. Mr Joyce had reportedly signed off on the deal without questioning key details, including links to the Cayman Islands.
The Coalition attracted scrutiny for the $79 million purchase of water from two Queensland properties, owned by Eastern Australia Agriculture. Mr Joyce maintains he had no idea his colleague and current Energy Minister Angus Taylor used to serve as a director at Eastern Australia Irrigation. Image: News Corp Australia
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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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Govt has 'questions to answer' over water deal: Hanson-Young | Sky News AustraliaFULL INTERVIEW: The Greens will today write to Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, asking him to back a royal commission into the Murray Darling Basin Plan.\n\nSenator Sarah Hanson-Young is demanding the Prime Minister present unredacted documents about a controversial $80 million water buyback as early as Monday. \n\nEnergy Minister Angus Taylor was once the director of Easter Australia Agriculture, which was awarded the lucrative water deal by then-agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce in 2017.\n\nBoth men have denied any allegations of impropriety.\n\nMs Hanson-Young says there are questions to answer about ‘whether this was value for money, who agreed and who negotiated’.\n\nSenator Sarah Hanson-Young has told Sky News Political Editor David Speers that South Australia just wants a ‘flowing, living river, and that’s not what $13 billion of taxpayers’ money so far has delivered.’\n\nImage: News Corp Australia \n\n\n
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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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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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Govt has 'questions to answer' over water deal: Hanson-Young | Sky News AustraliaFULL INTERVIEW: The Greens will today write to Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, asking him to back a royal commission into the Murray Darling Basin Plan.\n\nSenator Sarah Hanson-Young is demanding the Prime Minister present unredacted documents about a controversial $80 million water buyback as early as Monday. \n\nEnergy Minister Angus Taylor was once the director of Easter Australia Agriculture, which was awarded the lucrative water deal by then-agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce in 2017.\n\nBoth men have denied any allegations of impropriety.\n\nMs Hanson-Young says there are questions to answer about ‘whether this was value for money, who agreed and who negotiated’.\n\nSenator Sarah Hanson-Young has told Sky News Political Editor David Speers that South Australia just wants a ‘flowing, living river, and that’s not what $13 billion of taxpayers’ money so far has delivered.’\n\nImage: News Corp Australia \n\n\n
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Former Nauru leader regrets making asylum deal with Australia | Sky News AustraliaNauru's former president says he regrets making a deal with the Australian government to re-open the country's detention centre.\n\nIn a television interview with Network 10, Sprent Dabwido said the deal has caused deaths in the Pacific nation, and Nauru should scrap it.\n\nMr Dabwido has now fled his home nation and is himself seeking asylum in Australia.\n\nHe says the interview will likely be his last, as he battles terminal cancer.\n\n\n\n\n
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Former Nauru leader regrets making asylum deal with Australia | Sky News AustraliaNauru's former president says he regrets making a deal with the Australian government to re-open the country's detention centre.\n\nIn a television interview with Network 10, Sprent Dabwido said the deal has caused deaths in the Pacific nation, and Nauru should scrap it.\n\nMr Dabwido has now fled his home nation and is himself seeking asylum in Australia.\n\nHe says the interview will likely be his last, as he battles terminal cancer.\n\n\n\n\n
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PM to announce $130m defence and water funding in Tas | Sky News AustraliaPrime Minister Scott Morrison is set to officially announce two promises in Tasmania totalling about $130 million. \n\nHe will announce 479 kilometres of piping across the state to help farmers struggling with water access, and $30 million for the Australian Maritime College's defence research, which is an area of expertise for the region. \n\nThe division of Bass is currently held by Labor with a margin of just over four per cent, but the Liberals are expected to be in with a good chance as forestry is a key issue in the southern island state. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia \n\n\n\n\n
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PM announces $130m defence and water funding in Tas | Sky News AustraliaPrime Minister Scott Morrison is set to officially announce two promises in Tasmania totalling about $130 million. \n\nHe will announce 479 kilometres of piping across the state to help farmers struggling with water access, and $30 million for the Australian Maritime College's defence research, which is an area of expertise for the region. \n\nThe division of Bass is currently held by Labor with a margin of just over four per cent, but the Liberals are expected to be in with a good chance as forestry is a key issue in the southern island state. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia \n\n\n\n\n
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