Nationals snatch water ministry

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This was published 13 years ago

Nationals snatch water ministry

By Paul Austin and David Rood

THE Nationals will get the crucial water portfolio in Victoria's new cabinet, and Premier Ted Baillieu will become arts minister.

The Age believes Nationals deputy leader Peter Walsh will be sworn in today as water minister, with Liberal deputy leader Louise Asher missing out.

This is a U-turn by Mr Baillieu, who before the election repeatedly indicated Ms Asher and Mr Walsh would share the sensitive portfolio in government, as they did in opposition.

Mr Walsh, the member for Swan Hill and a former head of the Victorian Farmers Federation, will have responsibility for ''shutting down'' Labor's $750 million north-south pipeline and exposing previously confidential contract details for the $5.7 billion desalination plant.

The appointment of a rural-based Nationals MP as water minister could complicate negotiations with the Gillard government and the Queensland, NSW and South Australian governments on the future of the Murray-Darling Basin.

Mr Baillieu is already at odds with Prime Minister Julia Gillard on health policy, with the new premier vowing to try to get a better deal from Canberra for Victoria's public hospitals.

Mr Baillieu's decision to take on the arts portfolio is a throw-back to the Jeff Kennett era - the former Liberal premier was also arts minister.

Mr Baillieu, who will unveil the cabinet line-up at a swearing-in ceremony at Government House today, yesterday backtracked on his suggestion he might have to dump key election promises. On Tuesday, he flagged ditching or deferring spending commitments if an audit of the state's finances found holes in the budget.

That audit will go ahead, but Mr Baillieu yesterday pledged to implement all his election promises.

He made the commitment after receiving assurances in briefings by public service chiefs that there were ''no surprises'' in the accounts.

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''On the basis of that assurance, we will certainly be proceeding with … all our commitments and we will be looking to bring them forward if possible,'' he said.

Veteran Liberal MP Ken Smith will become lower house speaker, with colleague Christine Fyffe as deputy speaker. Liberal Bruce Atkinson will be president of the upper house.

And Parliament will be recalled by Mr Baillieu for a special sitting just four days before Christmas.

The Premier-elect was greeted by applause as he entered the Coalition party meeting yesterday, flanked by Nationals leader and his deputy, Peter Ryan.

As each new Coalition MP was introduced, they also received a loud round of applause.

Mr Baillieu told his colleagues they had an opportunity of a lifetime in front of them, but all they had achieved so far was that opportunity.

''It's an honour; we'll do it [govern] with humility, we'll do it with decency, we'll do it with transparency,'' he said.

Mr Baillieu said he would seek to reverse by the end of the year the Brumby government's controversial decision to extend clearways in inner suburban shopping strips.

While he has said he will shut down the north-south pipeline, yesterday he promised to keep it in working order in case it was needed in an emergency. ''It's basically at the moment a hose that is sitting there to fill a bucket that's already full,'' Mr Baillieu said.

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