WONG: Today is Earth Hour and I’d encourage all Australians to do their bit to show what it is we want to do. Which is to reduce our impact on the planet, and that is to reduce our energy use.

So at 8:30pm tonight if people could turn off their lights and use less power for that hour, that would be a really good thing. I’ll certainly be participating and 126 Commonwealth agencies will also be participating. So we’re looking forward to Australians demonstrating the way forward. That’s what Earth Hour is about. It’s a demonstration of what so many people around the world want to do and that is to tackle climate change.

I want to turn now to Senator Joyce. Senator Joyce has been appointed Tony Abbott’s Shadow Minister for Water. But the problem is Senator Joyce doesn’t believe climate change is real. And you can’t deal with the water challenges here in Australia unless you’re prepared to understand what climate change means for our water security. Climate change and water, particularly in Australia, are two sides of the same coin. And a key job of anybody who wants to be a water minister is to understand the risk that climate change poses to our water security. Senator Joyce doesn’t believe climate change is real. It just shows he’s not cut out to be the Shadow Water Minister. Happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST: Do you think South Australians should be concerned that a Queenslander is going to be in charge of such an important portfolio when often we battle Queensland?

WONG: I think South Australians should be concerned that someone who doesn’t believe climate change is real and doesn’t want to fix up the problems in the Murray Darling Basin through purchasing water, is Water Shadow Minister.

That’s the problem with Senator Joyce. He doesn’t believe climate change is real. And he doesn’t want to do anything about it. And he doesn’t want to do anything about the over-allocation that we know is part of the problem in the Murray Darling Basin. He wants to continue business as usual. That’s what he has made clear. Business as usual is what got us here.

JOURNALIST: Do you think Tony Abbott made a mistake appointing him?

WONG:  Mr Abbott’s judgment when it comes to Senator Joyce has been poor. To appoint Senator Joyce as the Shadow Minister for Finance showed very poor judgment. And unfortunately Mr Abbott has continued that same poor judgment in appointing somebody who doesn’t believe climate change is real to be Water Minister. In appointing someone who doesn’t believe we have to return water to the Murray Darling as his Water Minister.

JOURNALIST: Do you think though it may be good for you because you may be able to score a few more political points?

WONG: My focus is on practical things, practical action to fix up the Murray Darling. We know there is a ten-year plan. A ten-year challenge ahead of us to resolve the decades of over-allocation, the challenge of climate change – the major challenge we face in the Murray Darling Basin. My focus is on doing what I am doing. Rolling out infrastructure to make irrigation more efficient and purchasing water to return water to our rivers.

JOURNALIST: Do you think the aim of having a real national view of the River Murray could be under threat with the appointment of Senator Joyce?

WONG: Certainly Senator Joyce has put a view that is contrary to Tony Abbott’s. Tony Abbott says he wants a referendum. Senator Joyce doesn’t want a referendum. He apparently wants local control. The problem with local control of the Murray Darling Basin is it fails to recognise that rivers run across borders. And you have to have an approach that recognises the fact that rivers run across borders. That is what the Government has done. That is what Senator Joyce hasn’t signed up to.

JOURNALIST: What will you be testing him on or what do you think he will be tested on severely?

WONG: Senator Joyce will be tested on this: whether he is really serious about the future of the Murray Darling. If he is going to be serious about the future of the Murray Darling, he has got to recognise the risk of climate change and he has got to be prepared to start to return water to the rivers. If he is not up to both of those challenges he is not up to being a shadow water minister.

ENDS