South Australians react with more passion to one issue above all others: management of the River Murray. The passion is understandable. We've been fighting issues surrounding the Murray for more than one hundred years, with failures in management brought to the fore by droughts and over-allocation of water.

This election offers a contrast between the major parties in management of the Murray Darling Basin.

To understand the path forward, we need to learn from the past. Increasing water extractions over decades left the system critically stressed when drought began to hit in 2002. Faced by rivers in crisis, but without constitutional powers to act, John Howard negotiated the National Water Initiative with Murray Darling states in 2004 to end over-allocation.

Less than three years later, immensely frustrated at the slow progress, Howard declared enough was enough - it was time for national Murray Darling management. Announcing this historic step he said the Commonwealth was "assuming responsibility for a problem created by the states".

Proposed reforms included a radical overhaul of water infrastructure, water buybacks and a new sustainable national plan to manage water extractions. In the months before the 2007 election he budgeted $10 billion to deliver this plan (incidentally, without going into debt).

Labor never previously supported national management. After all, the Labor state governments were failing to act, despite their promises. While adopting this policy as their own, Labor's implementation of it since their election has let the Murray Darling down.

Despite promising to "accelerate investment in all water saving infrastructure" Labor has never delivered on budgeted infrastructure spending. Penny Wong took months to appoint the Murray Darling Basin Authority, causing delay in the much anticipated national plan. And billions of the dollars budgeted have been granted to the states who messed the system up in the first place.

Murray Darling reform needs to be put back on track. The Liberal Party started this process. We remain committed to it. If elected, Tony Abbott will finish the job without the delays, failures and uncertainty that have been the hallmark of Labor.

The Murray Darling needs a national plan for water use, delivered by an independent national authority, with the teeth to act. A new Coalition Government would ensure the draft national plan is released for consultation as soon as possible.

Australia must get on with re-plumbing the Murray Darling. Water for the environment is going begging because of a failure to deliver projects like re-engineering Menindee Lakes. More water is available by upgrading farming and irrigation systems. To keep producing Australian food, grown by Australian farmers, we need to help make farming in the Murray Darling sustainable.

This is Australia’s most significant environmental priority and the Liberal Party is absolutely committed to ensuring that our great river is fixed.