Today Show interview

  • Transcript, E&OE
Subjects: Tourism figures, Logies, personal income tax cuts, company tax cuts.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Aussies are holidaying at home in record numbers, according to the latest tourism figures released this morning. Tourism Minister Steven Ciobo joins us now. Minister, good morning to you. Take us through these record-breaking stats.

STEVEN CIOBO: Good morning, Karl. Well, look, great news. We're seeing more Australians choosing to holiday at home and that's great news for the 600,000 Australians employed in the tourism industry. We're seeing really strong growth, Karl, for the first time; 100 million overnight trips, on average four nights, for 350 million domestic overnight trips and nearly 200 million daytrips as well, Karl, so great for our local economy.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Need all the help they can get, don't they? Popular destinations include?

STEVEN CIOBO: Well, you won't be surprised to know, Karl, that Sydney's number one. We've had about ten million trips there, they've spent about $7.4 billion and of course, then it just works its way down. Melbourne and Brisbane the next two most popular.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Beautiful stuff. We could all take a break, couldn't we, if the tax breaks come through? Pauline Hanson now says she'll back the personal income tax cuts. She's sort of wind-socking a little bit at the moment, blowing each way. Are you, any chance on the company tax breaks as well?

STEVEN CIOBO: Well, look, we hope so. I mean, it comes down to a fundamental difference between us and Labor. We want to make sure that we can get our tax burden down, we wanna be more competitive. We want to drive investment in the country 'cause we know, ultimately Karl that means more jobs. You don't tax your way to prosperity, so we've gotta remain competitive.

KARL STEFANOVIC: And Bill Shorten's opened up class warfare ahead of the next by elections and the election?

STEVEN CIOBO: You know, look, I think this, from my perspective, this is one of the saddest indictments on Labor's approach. I mean, instead of trying to build aspiration, instead of trying to say to people, you know, 'roll your sleeves up, have a go, and you'll keep more of your money,' instead we get this class war rhetoric from Labor, which frankly, I think says more about them than anyone else.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Steven, thanks so much for your time today. We'll see you at the Logies.

STEVEN CIOBO: All the best.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Your shout.

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