Chris Bowen defends $150m climate presidency budget | Sunrise

are set to spend almost $150 million to fund Energy Minister Chris Bowen's new side role.As President of Negotiations at the UN's next big climate conference, the role will see Mr Bowen broker climate deals between nations.And according to the Australian newspaper, more than 100 bureaucrats have been assembled to make that happen.The staff have already spent almost $500 ,000 on international travel, flying business class on every single occasion.For more, we are joined by President Chris Bowen.Mr President, should I call you?

Most people would agree protecting our environment is obviously important, but does the Office of the Presidency need $150 million?

Well, let me just make a couple of points, Mel.Firstly, the cost of actual the COP is $50 million as part of a broader $150 million engagement in the Pacific, which is important for a whole bunch of reasons, including our geopolitical interests as a country, Mel.So that's important.Dantan's been lying about those costs.It's a lot of money.These things do come at cost.

When John Howard chaired APEC, it cost money.When Tony Abbott chaired G20, it cost money.Labor supported those because we were in opposition at the time.But we said, no, this is good for the country.We've got lots of disagreements with John Howard and Tony Abbott, but we hope you succeed at this task.This is good for Australia because it gives us greater influence.

Now, a lot of these things would happen anyway.Governments, even under Scott Morrison and Tony Abbott, went to COP and participated in COP and it cost money.The difference is this time we have more influence.The Liberal Party says we're only 1 % of emissions, so we shouldn't bother.When we have a chance to influence 100 % of emissions, they say this is terrible too.So this is very important for Australia and for our region and for the Pacific to actually have a chance to impact on some of these international discussions.

We're keeping costs as low as possible.There'll be lots of different speculation.And this could have cost a lot more.Now, this would have cost a lot more.It would have cost a lot more for John Howard to chair APEC, a lot more for Tony Abbott to chair G20.Because we're doing it actually not in Australia primarily, we're doing it in another country, in Turkey, they're taking a lot of the costs.

This is a good outcome for Australia.

So you say you're doing the best to keep costs down.First of all, the difference, I guess you could say, is we're in a cost of living crisis.People are tightening their belts.And then they pick up the paper this morning and they read that your guys and women spent $485 ,602 on trips to Turkey, Fiji, Germany and Korea.Was that just in January and February?And did they all fly business class?

They would have flown the normal standard of travel for public service, which is business class, which is the same under all governments.

Even to Fiji, that's three hours from Sydney.

Yes, Scott Morrison took 30 people to COP in Glasgow and had no influence.

Let's talk about now.You know, you guys have been in for four years, so it's probably good to talk about you guys.So do you think it's appropriate for public servants to be flying business class on a three hour flight from Glasgow?

Look, there's always a value for money assessment given to every travel.You know, whether they should go, whether it can be done virtually, etc.These travel costs, right across the Government, and Governments of all persuasions in all departments, are always worthy of investigation and scrutiny, don't mind that at all, but they'll always happen, there'll always be public servants travelling, representing our country.Now, Fiji is a very important country in our region, Mel.Now, it's a very important country in our region.

Not disputing that, but it is four to, we've just Googled it actually, the FS, Canberra to Nandi, you can fly, business class is four to six times more than economy.And as you would know, because you talk to business people all the time, people are cutting back.You have to be pretty high up in a company now to fly business class.Do you think that is worth that money?It's taxpayers' money.

and these are very senior public servants and you know there are lots of travel that gets declined, lots of travel that public servants don't do, they say no look that's not really good value for the taxpayer.

So half a million in a couple of months, you haven't even, is it right you haven't even put March and April in yet?That was just for the two months?

And obviously any government engaging, particularly in our region where there's lots to debate other countries about and make sure that Australia's influence is the biggest voice in the region as opposed to other countries.It does require travel.It does require going to those countries.There's very senior public servants doing that.We're not talking about junior clerks.We're talking about some of the most senior people in our public service.

You made the point.that you have to be pretty high up in business to fly a business class, that's fair, that's a good point Nat, and these are people pretty high up in the public service.

Okay, worth the money then, according to you.Moving on, after all the noise that we've heard in the last couple of weeks, the Prime Minister is now looking at exempting some businesses from the capital gains tax overhaul we hear.Have you considered just pressing pause for a second on all this while all the consultation takes place instead of rushing it through in the next two days?

Well, I don't agree we're rushing it through.This is standard practice for tax reform, Nat, and this is big tax reform, necessary tax reform for fairness, for young Australians in particular.You know, in my electorate, I can tell you, over the last two weeks, what have people said to me?At last, someone's dealing with fairness to give young people a chance for the aspiration of getting into their own home.They've said it like that, have they?

Both of them, even the small businesses are all on board?

Overwhelmingly, the feedback to me in my electorate has been positive.People have had questions, fair enough.But people also recognise that when you've got a young person trying to get into the property market, they're turning up at an auction against an investor, the investor has negative gearing in one pocket, and the capital gains tax in the other, and they can be more than a poor young person trying to get into housing.

And that is a common comment.It seems to be small businesses have a lot of other comments.

Yeah, sure.And of course, we respect that.

It just seems soon.

And we respect that, Nat, and we are consulting about all those things, but that's a standard process.Well, as the PM's made clear, there'll be two tranches of legislation where we put the principles in place and then there's always finer implementation details.I mean, there's tax laws passed through Parliament every single day.sitting day, which are changing things, tweaking things, taking on board consultation.So you put it through, then you consult.

Is that how it works?

Well, no, you have a parallel process where you're consulting while you're also preparing the rules.

Thank you very much, Minister.I appreciate your time this morning.

Great.And we also have energy price reductions out today, which shows that our plan for renewable energy and for better pricing for Australians is working.More to do, but it's very encouraging to see those big energy price reductions out today.

OK.Yeah, we've got a segment on that coming up with those prices going down.Thank you very much.