“The NSW Nationals have leaked a Cabinet submission to the media in a desperate attempt to make it look like they’re fighting for rural communities,” Mrs Dalton said

“The Cabinet submission supposedly recommends the NSW Government withdraw from the Basin Plan, and the NSW Government resist the federal National Party’s push to take a further 450 gigalitres of productive water from Southern Basin communities”

“While I’m flattered the NSW Nationals have adopted SFF policy, it means nothing if nothing changes”.

Mrs Dalton observed the NSW Government signed on to implementing the Murray Darling Basin Plan in full as recently as August.

“This is just more posturing from Barilaro. He keeps threatening to withdraw from the Basin Plan. But every time, Gladys beats him down and puts him in place”.

“The water being pushed down the Murray River is not just for South Australia. It’s also to feed thirsty nut plantations the NSW Government have allowed to expand without regulation close to the SA border”

“Our rivers are being destroyed by corruption and mismanagement”.

“That’s why we urgently need to pause the Murray Darling Basin Plan and to conduct a federal royal commission”

Mrs Dalton questioned the impact of Murray Darling Inspector General Mick Keelty’s recent report into the Basin Plan.

“How will it be any different from the 42 other reports into water mismanagement that have been conducted since the Basin Plan was introduced in 2012?”

“We need a full royal commission with the power to summons all relevant Ministers and bureaucrats and refer criminal conduct to the police”

“I also want an update from ICAC. They supposedly started investigating Murray Darling Basin corruption almost three years ago. Since then there’s been no update or no information online.”

“It’s insane. Imagine if a criminal robbed your house three years ago, and you’d heard nothing from the police since then.”

“This is alleged criminal activity we are talking about. But they don’t seem to care because it happened out west”.