SA: Nelson brings his listening tour to SA

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2008
SA: Nelson brings his listening tour to SA

ADELAIDE, April 3 AAP - Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson says water issues, especially
federal plans to take control of the Murray-Darling Basin, will be a focus of his listening
tour in South Australia.

Dr Nelson says he's concerned aspects of the plan, which included delays in bringing
extra water through the system, could disadvantage SA irrigators and farmers.

He will visit an agricultural high school in Adelaide's eastern suburbs today and meet
farmers and irrigators at Narrung, on the lower lakes of the River Murray.

Dr Nelson also plans to tour local shopping centres and will tomorrow visit St Ignatius
College, where he completed his high school education.

Dr Nelson began his day at the Central Market and said he expected his trip to Adelaide
to cover many issues.

"The key thing I'm trying to do is to use whatever position I'm privileged to have
to be a voice for people who feel they don't have it," he told ABC Radio.

"That's my privilege and responsibility now, especially.

"The things that I have been hearing and I expected to hear were concerns about cost
of living pressures - groceries and petrol - the pressures of interest rate rises and
concerns about getting in to hospital, the state of our schools and roads are a big issue.

"I also expect, obviously in South Australia, to have people talk with me about the
weather, but not in a trivial way, but particularly about water."

This is the fourth day of Dr Nelson listening tour, taking in electorates across Australia
including regional and remote locations.

AAP tjd/evt/jlw

KEYWORD: LISTENING SA

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.