Barnaby Joyce dodges questions about who profited from water buyback in combative interview

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Admin

Former agriculture minister says he has ‘no problems whatsoever’ with unredacted documents about transaction being released

Barnaby Joyce has attempted to pin blame for a controversial $80m water buyback on the Queensland Labor government in a belligerent marathon interview.

Speaking to Radio National’s Patricia Karvelas on Monday evening, Joyce brushed off threats of a royal commission into the issue, arguing it would have to examine the previous federal Labor government and the state government, for recommending water buybacks from Eastern Australia Agriculture (EAA).

Coalition faces calls for inquiry into Murray-Darling deals signed by Barnaby Joyce

Posted on April 20, 2019 by Admin

Sarah Hanson-Young demands a royal commission as Bill Shorten urges prime minister to produce all documents

The Coalition is facing calls for an inquiry into the Murray-Darling Basin plan water contracts signed off by the former agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce.

As the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young called for a royal commission on Saturday, Bill Shorten also weighed in, saying there were now “question marks about the probity” of the “nation’s biggest water purchase”.

Morrison government set to offer taxpayer backing for Queensland power

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Admin

Nationals MPs have demanded action to underwrite new energy generation before the election

The energy minister, Angus Taylor, has signalled to restive Queensland Nationals that taxpayer backing for a dispatchable energy project is on the way as one of the rebel MPs has warned a decision is necessary before the election.

With cabinet set to consider energy among a range of issues on Tuesday, with the budget looming and the federal election now only weeks way, Taylor told journalists it was “critically important” that Queensland see more competition in power generation, and more dispatchable supply.

Andrew Robb blames Turnbull and Joyce for ‘toxic’ relationship with China

Posted on March 11, 2019 by Admin

Former trade minister delivers scathing criticism of Coalition colleagues for souring relations

The former trade minister Andrew Robb, who took an $880,000 job with a Chinese company as soon as he left parliament, has blasted his former party room colleagues and Australia’s security agencies for creating a “toxic” relationship with China.

Robb confirmed he had left Landbridge, which holds the lease over the Darwin port, late last year, after a health precinct project he had been working on was rejected by Beijing.