This "denial" language is a bit strong - we know where that leads ? ... what next ? ... the old flat-earther insult ?!

Govt 'in denial' over water, climate change link.


The Federal Opposition says the Government must stop viewing climate change and water as two separate issues if it is to save the Murray-Darling river system.
The Murray-Darling has been named as one of the most endangered rivers in the world.
A new report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) places the Murray-Darling in the top 10 at-risk waterways and found it is threatened by exotic fish, over-allocation of water and climate change.
But Opposition spokesman on water, Anthony Albanese, says the Government is still in denial about the link between climate change and the river's problems.
"It's very clear that unless we have a solution which avoids dangerous climate change we won't have a solution to our water crisis," he said.
"The Government seems determined to try and view these two issues as somehow separated."
No agreement
Meanwhile, after more than five weeks of negotiations, the Victorian and federal governments still cannot agree on the terms of a Commonwealth takeover of the Murray-Darling River system.
It was early February when Prime Minister John Howard announced his $10 billion takeover plan.
New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia all agreed to the deal after negotiations, but Victoria refused to sign on.
The Victorian and federal governments vowed to keep negotiating but more than five weeks after the first meeting, they are no closer to striking a deal.
Victorian Water Minister, John Thwaites, says the Federal Government has made some concessions, including strengthening irrigators water rights.
"I think we are getting somewhere, we have made some real advances, which is good," he said.
"I'm now quite pleased to continue these discussions."
But the Victorian Government still is not prepared to hand control of the state's water to the Commonwealth.
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