With accusations of water theft in the Murray-Darling Basin still swirling, Barnaby Joyce has dared the opposition to ask him about it in parliament.
Both Labor and the Greens have stepped up their call for a judicial inquiry into allegations of mismanagement and water theft first unveiled by a Four Corners investigation in August.
But Labor has been refusing to ask Mr Joyce questions in parliament until the High Court resolves his status after he was found to be a dual citizen.
Mr Joyce, the minister responsible for water resources, dismissed Labor's motives.
"It's all theatrics ... there's no seriousness about it. I'll get no question. They'll prefer to do some kind of gimmick for the camera rather than ask the hard questions," he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
"If they're serious about it, they'll ask me a question about it today in question time rather than playing parlour games."
There are five independent inquiries or reviews underway to investigate issues with water allocations.
An interim report released by former senior state public servant Ken Matthews has raised concerns about ineffectual compliance and enforcement arrangements in NSW.
The report recommended a "systemic fix" be considered at the ministerial level.
Labor frontbencher Penny Wong said when Malcolm Turnbull was minister for water resources he had supported reform in the basin
"What we know is that the National Party is undermining this reform. He needs to take control," the South Australian senator said.
"He needs to take the water responsibilities away from Barnaby Joyce and he needs to have a proper judicial inquiry."
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young - also from SA - added to calls for water to be removed from Mr Joyce's responsibilities.
"It is just ridiculous that a man who has sat there and overseen the corruption and theft of water can still sit on the Turnbull government's front bench as a minister," she said.
The Greens will move a motion on Wednesday calling on the Senate not to consider any bills within Mr Joyce's portfolio until the prime minister reallocates the water portfolio to another minister "with competent legal authority to act".
