Summary

Edit

The majority voted in favour of this motion, which means it was successful.

Motions like these don't have legal force (that is, they don't change the law or Government policy) but they do represent the will of the Senate and so have some influence.

Queensland One Nation Senator Fraser Anning, who joined our Senate last month, crossed the floor to vote "No" in this division. Senator Anning is a replacement for former One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts, who was found to be a dual citizen and so ineligible to sit in the Senate under the Constitution.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) before his resignation, the Honourable Barnaby Joyce was the Turnbull Government's Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, and

(ii) the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources has authority over the function of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan;

(b) further notes that, in his time as the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, former Minister Joyce:

(i) dismissed the suggestion that the Commonwealth investigate allegations of water theft as broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Four Corners program,

(ii) instead described those allegations as a conspiracy to 'take more water' from irrigators in an effort to 'shut more of your towns down',

(iii) suggested that allegations that irrigators in New South Wales have undermined the Murray-Darling Basin Plan were an issue for New South Wales only, as 'the people who live around where that water may have been taken live all in New South Wales',

(iv) indicated that the reason he held the responsibility for the water portfolio was to "make sure we don't have greenies running the show",

(v) stated that the decision to incorporate the water portfolio into the broader agriculture portfolio was to 'look after' irrigator communities in New South Wales, and

(vi) suggested the allegations were broadcast by Four Corners out of sympathy for 'radical greens organisations';

(c) acknowledges that the Australian taxpayer has bought billions of litres of water back under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, giving all Australians, in every state and territory, an interest in ensuring this water is used for its stated purpose;

(d) recognises that bestowing on a single minister responsibility for both agriculture and water creates a conflict of interest; and

(e) calls on the Government to split the portfolios of water and agriculture and to not return the responsibility for water to former Minister Joyce.

Votes Passed by a small majority

There was 1 rebellion in this division.

  • Fraser Anning voted No against the majority of the Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party.
Party Votes
Cory Bernardi SA Australian Conservatives Yes
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 9 Yes 0 No
Andrew Bartlett Queensland Yes
Richard Di Natale Victoria Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Nick McKim Tasmania Yes
Lee Rhiannon NSW Yes
Janet Rice Victoria Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Jordon Steele-John WA Yes
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Yes
Australian Labor Party (52% turnout) 13 Yes 0 No
Kim Carr Victoria Yes
Anthony Chisholm Queensland Yes
Jacinta Collins Victoria Yes
Sam Dastyari NSW Yes
Don Farrell SA Yes
Chris Ketter Queensland Yes
Kimberley Kitching Victoria Yes
Jenny McAllister NSW Yes
Malarndirri McCarthy NT Yes
Claire Moore Queensland Yes
Glenn Sterle WA Yes
Anne Urquhart Tasmania Yes
Murray Watt Queensland Yes
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania Absent
Carol Brown Tasmania Absent
Doug Cameron NSW Absent
Patrick Dodson WA Absent
Alex Gallacher SA Absent
Katy Gallagher ACT Absent
Gavin Marshall Victoria Absent
Deborah O'Neill NSW Absent
Helen Polley Tasmania Absent
Louise Pratt WA Absent
Lisa Singh Tasmania Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party Absent
Derryn Hinch Victoria Derryn Hinch's Justice Party Yes
Sue Lines WA Deputy President Yes
Lucy Gichuhi SA Independent Absent
David Leyonhjelm NSW Liberal Democratic Party No
Liberal National Party (50% turnout) 0 Yes 1 No
James McGrath Queensland No
Matthew Canavan Queensland Absent
Liberal Party (80% turnout) 0 Yes 16 No
Eric Abetz Tasmania No
Slade Brockman WA No
David Bushby Tasmania No
Michaelia Cash WA No
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania No
David Fawcett SA No
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW No
Mitch Fifield Victoria No
Jane Hume Victoria No
Ian Macdonald Queensland No
James Paterson Victoria No
Marise Payne NSW No
Linda Reynolds WA No
Anne Ruston SA No
Zed Seselja ACT No
Dean Smith WA No
Simon Birmingham SA Absent
George Brandis Queensland Absent
Mathias Cormann WA Absent
Arthur Sinodinos NSW Absent
National Party (67% turnout) 0 Yes 2 No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria No
Barry O'Sullivan Queensland No
John Williams NSW Absent
Nick Xenophon Team (100% turnout) 2 Yes 0 No
Stirling Griff SA Yes
Rex Patrick SA Yes
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (75% turnout) 2 Yes 1 No
Brian Burston NSW Yes
Peter Georgiou WA Yes
Fraser Anning Queensland No
Pauline Hanson Queensland Absent
Scott Ryan Victoria President No
Totals (71% turnout) 29 Yes – 22 No