NATS CHALLENGE WATER MINISTER TO PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE

The Bracks Government has been challenged to use next Wednesday's 'Matter of Public Importance' (MPI) to debate water issues in State Parliament.

Leader of The Nationals, Peter Ryan said it was up to the government to specify the topic for next week's MPI and the emerging water crisis was the most appropriate topic.

"Water is the biggest issue in Victoria at the moment and it would be appropriate for the government to provide a full and frank debate on the topic when Parliament resumes next week," said Mr Ryan.

"The MPI is the ideal opportunity for all parties to have their say and I challenge the Minister for Water, John Thwaites, to allow a full debate on water issues."

Visiting the seat of Morwell today with Nationals candidate Russell Northe and Gippsland MP Peter Hall, Mr Ryan said the government had tabled some outlandish proposals that needed further discussion.

"Melbourne Labor's approach to water has been predicated on band-aid measures and pleasing Labor mates in the cities," said Mr Ryan.

"Spending hundreds of millions of dollars to pipe water from the Goulburn Valley to Ballarat with no community consultation whatsoever is just one of the ideas the government has put forward as it makes up water policy on the run.

"The proposal to send Melbourne's treated effluent to Gippsland in exchange for more water from Gippsland's rivers is another issue that the Nationals want to debate.

"The government has received $1.6 billion in revenue from water authorities since it came to power and we have not seen enough of this money invested in infrastructure to help our community deal with water shortages."