Jamie Briggs, Liberal

I will be fighting hard to force the urgent release of water from the eastern states to save the Lower Lakes and the Coorong, provide security of water supply and to rescue our food producers.

The Liberal Party has an action plan which includes an assistance package of up to $50 million to help communities, wildlife and the environment in these areas.

We will put a stop to the Victorian Government's theft of up to 110 billion litres of water from the Murray Darling Basin through its North-South pipeline.

The Liberal Party will fast track the November Murray Darling Ministerial council meeting to 1 September.

A specially-convened COAG meeting will be held to refer powers over the Basin to the Commonwealth no later than 2009, not Mr Rudd's timetable of 2011.

Other candidates can protest about the Murray, but Mayo needs someone with a strong Party behind them in the House of Representatives (and the alternative Government) to get action, not more talk.

Diane Bell, Independent

I’d continue doing what I have been doing ever since the proposal to build a weir was announced in November 2006: educating my fellow citizens and politicians regarding the complex and fragile nature of this precious eco-system; advocating solutions that ensure a healthy river, healthy communities and healthy economies.

1. Short term: Action now to get fresh water to the Lower lakes before they acidify.

2. Mid term: Buy back water, buy properties, wean Adelaide off the Murray.

3. Long term: address over-allocation with a truly national plan, a sharing regime that is transparent, fair, in the interests of the River.

Andrew Castrique, Democrats

Scientists have known what to do for years.

Take the Murray-Darling out of the control of politicians!

Compulsorily purchase all existing water allocations and hand them to a controlling body with an ABSOLUTE PRIORITY to keep the Murray-Darling healthy. The body will then put down the system the amount of water required for a healthy river system. What is left over can then be auctioned to cities, irrigators, industry and anyone who requires water.

The state of our biggest river system has descended, through gross mismanagement, to a point the old communist Russia would be proud of.

As a modern, scientifically advanced country, we can do so much better. The problems with the Murray have been known for decades. And the solutions have been known for just as long.

Malcolm King, Independent

Unless someone is shot and the dams demolished, the greedy people will not release water. It will have to be compulsory acquisition.

Mathew Keizer, One Nation

If elected I would seek the cooperation of House of Reps and Senate politicians in order to force the Government to act in order that a fair outcome be achieved for all States.

If the Federal Government cannot achieve a reasonable outcome with interested parties in the Murray Darling Basin then an immediate state of emergency should be declared by the State Government and the use of existing supplies of water over which the State has control must be prioritized.

It is envisaged that a priority list as under would be established.

l. Sufficient water for domestic use needs to be set aside.

2. Producers requiring water for commercial vegetable & fruit gardens.

3. Water for sustaining livestock and dairy herds (If they cannot be agisted)

4. Limited supplies to sustain portion of commercial vineyards.

5. Tourist & recreational needs would have to be temporarily set aside.

It is envisaged that the allocation process would remain in the hands of competent producers and administrators from local & state Government sources.

IN THE LONGER TERM:

If sufficient supplies of water cannot be guaranteed from the Murrray Darling basin then the possibility of harvesting water from the S.E. Drainage system at the lower end of the Coorong should be investigated

Rachael Barons, Conservatives for Climate and Environment

I will get Federal legislation to secure our rightful share of water and to guarantee the Lower Lakes receive a sustainable flow immediately.

The legislation will have to require compulsory acquisition of water from the other states, so the Lower Lakes and Coorong can be restored to their natural environment.

Mary Brewerton, Independent

Ms Brewerton provided one answer for the series of questions posed by The Times.

After strugling to answer your questions I have decided that the best thing for me to do is to be honest with the constituents.

It is no secret that I was the ALP candidate for the seat of Mayo in the 2007 Federal election. The ALP decided (for whatever reason) not to put up a candidate in the Mayo by-election. The major parties should always field a candidate for every election and being a obstinate and driven woman I resigned from the ALP to stand as an Independent BUT

I still have faith in the Rudd Labor Government and believe that, after only nine months in office, they have not even had the chance to get 'arrogant' yet, let alone show the country what they can do. We are going through tough economic times (as is usually the case when a Labor government is voted into power). The voters are not stupid and know that much of what is happening in Australia at present is as a result of world economic factors and in particular America's sub-prime market.

Australians have been promised better health, education and child care. A detailed review and action in regards to the Murray Darling Basin is underway and climate change is firmly on the agenda. If I was elected as the Independent Federal Member for Mayo what I can promise the constituents is that I will take your real concerns and issues to a government that I will be comfortable working with AND I will do everything in my power to ensure that we get our share of the 2007 election promises.

It is my strongly held belief that Mayo has been taken for granted for too long by both of the major parties; by the Liberal Party because it is a 'safe' Liberal seat and the Labor party because it is seen as a 'safe' Liberal seat. I am convinced that there is no longer such a thing as a 'safe' seat, just look at the Makin and Kingston electorates for evidence.

I am asking you the voters of Mayo to vote with your heads in this by-election and do yourselves a great favour TURN this electorate into a marginal seat and don't be taken for granted again.

David McCabe, Democratic Labor Party

"Urgent action must be based on complete knowledge of the system. Water is being held out of the system upstream but no-one knows how much; there are licenses available to be purchased but we’re being told that it won’t help. There are plenty of good ideas but we cannot make decisions for the future without full knowledge.

The DLP wants an inquiry with the powers of a Royal Commission to audit the river. The brief will be to fix the river from the bottom up, not the top down; from the worst affected to the least. This is our only guarantee of transparency."

Bill Spragg, Independent

The Lower Lakes and Coorong are vital for the Australian and local economy and environment with tourism and business depending on healthy water systems. Over allocation is a critical factor in the lack of flows in the Murray and to address it we need to look beyond this simple statement. Australia is exporting water! We import many of the goods we use to produce, causing a balance of payments problem, which we have attempted to redress by exporting agricultural products. The only way to increase agricultural production was to irrigate otherwise unproductive lands and so an ever increasing allocation of water was needed. Mining now provides the export dollars so we can stop using water for low value export products.