An inquiry with the powers of a royal commission will put two controversial taxpayer-funded water buybacks under the blowtorch if Labor wins the federal election.
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The federal government has asked the auditor-general to look at the controversial purchases, along with other water buybacks dating back to 2008.
Questions have re-emerged during the election campaign about a buyback of 28.7 gigalitres of water from two Eastern Australia Agriculture-owned Queensland properties, Clyde and Kia Ora, for $78.9 million.
Labor's commission of inquiry will focus solely on those buybacks made when Barnaby Joyce was water minister.
The opposition's water spokesman Tony Burke said Prime Minister Scott Morrison was desperately trying to cover up the Liberals' and Nationals' chaos and incompetence.
"Labor has not received a satisfactory response to the many questions we have asked of the Morrison government about purchases made during Barnaby Joyce's time as minister," he said on Wednesday.
Mr Morrison said water purchases under both sides of politics would be looked at under the government's proposal, including a $300 million buyback when Labor was in power.
"We have referred all of those to the Auditor-General which has the full powers of a commission of inquiry in terms of requiring evidence to be produced, compel witnesses and so on," he told reporters in Darwin.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the coalition had questions to answer after the water resources department failed to provide documents explaining why nearly $80 million was splurged on water two years ago.
"This is an acknowledgement there's something suspicious about water buybacks conducted by this government," he told reporters in Townsville.
Liberal campaign spokesman Simon Birmingham said Labor's push was a smear given water ministers of all political stripes had presided over buybacks.
Three rural independent candidates - all posing serious threats to coalition opponents - have backed the push for a major inquiry.
Kevin Mack, who is gunning for Liberal frontbencher Sussan Ley's NSW seat of Farrer, told the ABC the basin plan had been haunted by a litany of disasters.
Helen Haines, who has been anointed Cathy McGowan's replacement in Indi, said the buybacks spoke broadly to a fundamental mistrust of major parties.
"Potentially this watergate issue is the tip of a melting iceberg," she told the ABC.
Former MP Rob Oakeshott is aiming to re-enter parliament in the NSW seat of Cowper by overcoming the Nationals.
"People are upset and wanting answers to what has happened in the decision-making of government," he told the ABC.
Mr Morrison insists the water buyback program has been run strictly within the rules and subject to regular reviews by the auditor-general.
The Greens have called for a broader royal commission into management of the plan.
Australian Associated Press
