Channel 7, Weekend Sunrise

MONIQUE WRIGHT: Joining us, we have Trade and Tourism Minister Steven Ciobo who's on the Gold Coast and Opposition Trade Minister Jason Clare. Morning to you both. Steven, we'll start with you. The devastation in your home state following Cyclone Debbie. We've been talking about it, of course, all morning and all week. As Tourism Minister and a Gold Coast local, you must be extremely concerned about the damage and that that will be magnified by people cancelling holidays leading up to Easter? What are you planning to do to help?

STEVEN CIOBO: Look you're absolutely right, and of course, like all Aussies, our thoughts and concerns and prayers are still with those who have been adversely affected. I think one of the main things that Aussies can realise though, especially coming up to the Easter holidays and coming into winter, is that one of the best ways they can help, especially for those areas that have been cyclone affected around the Whitsundays, the winter period is the Whitsundays' peak tourism season, so I would just encourage every Aussie, if they've already made a booking in that part of the world, please follow through on it. Maybe put a call into your accommodation provider and just check it's all ok, and if you haven't yet made Easter plans, why not consider coming to South-East Queensland or the Central Coast. That is a great way to have a holiday, but also show a bit of support to local Aussies who are otherwise affected.

ANDREW O'KEEFE: Alright well hopefully the infrastructure will be back in place to cope with the tourists then. Now, there was a moment in Question Time when Greens MP Adam Brandt asked this question:

ADAM BANDT: Given the destruction that cyclones wreak upon our country, why do you push policies like burning more coal that will make cyclones more intense?

ANDREW O'KEEFE: Now he did get a Prime Ministerial reprimand for asking such a question while a disaster was occurring. Jason, whenever we have a natural disaster, or a drought, flood, massive fire, politicians say, "This is not the time to politicise climate change". When is the right time to discuss the impacts on our climate change?

JASON CLARE: Well Andrew, certainly when people are missing, when people have died, when roofs have been blown off houses, when homes are still underwater, we shouldn't be engaging in what is just stupid and insensitive remarks like we saw from Adam Brandt in the Parliament this week. I think this is a serious issue that should be dealt with seriously, and taking that sort of approach, I think, just trivialises the debate.

MONIQUE WRIGHT: Alright, Steven, what are your thoughts on it? Fair game? Off limits? Bad timing?

STEVEN CIOBO: I agree completely with Jason. This was not the time or place to do it. There is an appropriate time, and look, let's be frank, we've been having this conversation for many years now. The simple fact that he decided to do it in Parliament this week wasn't about actually having a genuine desire to discuss this issue, it was just about trying to capitalise on the media interest. And I just think that frankly that's pretty rank.

ANDREW O'KEEFE: But when else are you going to capitalise on media interest? Because the media, by and large, has been ignoring this issue. You've got to seize your opportunities don't you? I mean, this is the reality of climate change, that cyclones get worse, droughts get worse, fires get worse.

STEVEN CIOBO: I mean I don't think that anyone is disagreeing that this hasn't been a topic of discussion for many years now. It has. We've been talking about this issue for many years. I think that most Aussies would get the connections and assumptions, and also the predictions that are made about it. But I really genuinely, like Jason, I think when people's homes still have water flowing across their floors, and we've got people out actively searching for people who might have been swept away in floodwaters etcetera, that is not the time to be standing up and making a song and dance about it in question time.

ANDREW O'KEEFE: Alright, well listen, thanks so much for joining us both. We look forward to seeing you next week.

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