Coalition attacks Labor's $32k climate summit coffee cart - but introduced it
The Coalition criticised Labor's $32,000 coffee cart at the global climate summit, but the practice began under the Coalition government in 2021.
Deputy Opposition Leader Jane Hume called the spending excessive and performative. She questioned how it serves taxpayers during a cost-of-living crisis.
Jane Hume said she did not recall a coffee cart costing more than $30,000 when the Coalition was in office. She also questioned sending 200 bureaucrats to the conference.
That cost more than $2 million. Health Minister Mark Butler defended the spending.
The Australian Pavilion needs an attraction to draw people in, he said. Australia has the best coffee in the world.
Butler said it's an investment opportunity, not a political one. He pointed to 90,000 people registered to attend the event.
Hume countered that the government should focus on lowering taxes. She said it should make Australia a better place to do business.
She said it should do this instead of spending at overseas conferences.
- $32,000
- Coffee cart cost
- 200
- Bureaucrats sent
- More than $2 million
- Bureaucrat cost
- 90,000 registered
- Climate summit attendance
Why it mattersThis reveals a gap between Coalition criticism of Labor spending and the Coalition's own decisions, while the debate reflects broader disagreement over government priorities during economic hardship.
