Boos, jeers, and angry heckling erupted on the floor of NSW parliament when Member for Murray Helen Dalton butted heads with water minister Melinda Pavey.
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"You're a disgrace," Mrs Pavey yelled across the chamber floor at Mrs Dalton.
"You're a disgrace to your community."
The squabbling broke out after Mrs Dalton challenged a motion put forward by Mrs Pavey, who moved that the house "acknowledges the New South Wales Berejiklian-Barilaro Liberal-Nationals Government for its ongoing management and safeguarding of the precious resource of water during the worst drought on record."
Mrs Dalton suggested the motion be scrapped, and that the house instead "reprimands the New South Wales Government for its water mismanagement, which has made this drought much worse and much longer than it otherwise would have been."
One of the examples she gave was the Barwon-Darling Water Sharing Plan in 2012, which allowed pumping even during low flows.
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However Mrs Pavey said Mrs Dalton's criticisms were tantamount to blaming farmers for bringing the drought upon themselves.
"To join with the Labor Party and accuse farmers of bringing this drought on early is a disgrace; you are a disgrace," she said.
Mrs Dalton hit back at the suggestion she was blaming farmers, saying that the blame fell squarely on the government's shoulders.
"I didn't attack any farmers. All I did was highlight the government's gross water mismanagement in my reply speech," Mrs Dalton said.
Mrs Dalton likened the behaviour of the politicians to the primary school students she used to teach - only worse.
"The kids would never behave in such a disgraceful manner," Mrs Dalton said.
"All they do is resort to school yard bullying, tantrums, and personal attacks."
Mrs Dalton added the government "couldn't handle the truth", that they were "not fit to run the water portfolio", and that federal water minister David Littleproud should resign.
A full transcript of the exchange can by found on the NSW Parliament's Hansard.
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