Labor defends $1.5m climate summit junket
Seventy-five public servants from seven departments and agencies were on the junket to Azerbaijan for COP29 – the UN's flagship climate conference.
They attended at an average cost of $20,000 per head, The Australian revealed.
Speaking to media on Tuesday, Labor frontbencher Amanda Rishworth said it was 'really important' Australia was represented at the summit.
'I mean, countries across the world attend with their officials,' the Employment and Workplace Relations Minister told Nine.
Pressed on whether 75 officials were needed, she said the delegation was being unfairly scrutinised.
Ms Rishworth said former Coalition prime minister Scott Morrison 'also attended with a large contingent of public servants'.
'But we are looking to bid to host COP, actually, in Adelaide,' she said.
'And so this is important that we put our best foot forward.
'But it is not true to suggest governments of other stripes also haven't sent large numbers of public servants to COP.'
The revelation came amid concerns Labor has been too loose with the public purse.
The Coalition has often blamed government spending for driving inflation – a position not shared by the Reserve Bank, which has cut interest rates on the back of shrinking inflation.
Appearing opposite Ms Rishworth, opposition finance spokesman James Paterson said he was not convinced 75 public servants were needed.
'Did we really need to send 75 public servants from seven different government departments and agencies, two ministers and their staff, at a cost of $1.6 million at a time when Australians couldn't pay their rising electricity bills and emissions under this government are actually up, not down?' he asked.
'I mean, this is a talk fest which achieved nothing except … a climate junket for politicians and bureaucrats.'
COP summits are the main opportunity for governments to agree global action on climate change and often set legally binding commitments for partaking countries.
These commitments help shape energy and economic policies in Australia and around the world.
Most of the public servants that attended COP29 were from Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The departments sent 42 and 25 representatives respectively.
The national science agency, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry and Department of Finance all sent two each.
The prudential watchdog and Department of Health and Aged Care also sent one each.
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