Politics live updates: Coffee cart row as Coalition attacks Labor’s COP spending, rejects hypocrisy claims

A political debate has broken out over the Albanese government’s spending at COP31, with the Coalition criticising a $32,000 expenditure on a coffee cart and the cost of sending 192 officials to the event.

During a heated clash, Deputy Opposition Leader Jane Hume described the coffee cart spending as “excessive” and “performative” amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures and rising energy bills.

While the Coalition originally introduced the initiative at the 2021 summit under former energy minister Angus Taylor, Ms Hume argued the economic circumstances were vastly different at the time.

“We didn’t spend $30,000 on a coffee cart during a cost-of-living crisis. We didn’t send almost 200 bureaucrats at a cost of $2 million when we have energy bills going up by 40 per cent,” Ms Hume told Sunrise.

“This is crazy stuff.”

Health Minister Mark Butler jumped to Labor’s defence, saying the expenditures were “necessary” and a coffee cart at the Australian pavilion was an effective way to promote the nation’s offerings on the world stage.

“It’s a necessary expenditure every year. This is the biggest industry trade expo there is in the world. It’s not just a government negotiation,” Mr Butler said.

“Now, governments for a long time have known that one of the best ways to bait the hook, to get people to stop by the Australian pavilion, is the fact we have the best coffee in the world.”

The regions are set to remain a focal point in Victoria’s election campaign, as the opposition leader hits the road ahead of early voting.

Stepping aboard the “Jess Express”, the journey was marked by a handful of jokes and another stunt aimed at Labor, with eye masks handed out bearing the message “wake up Ben”.

As the party’s bus headed down the Hume Highway towards Wodonga, pressure was building in Melbourne for Labor.

Premier Ben Carroll was on Thursday accused of “abandoning” promises made to injured workers.

It marked the latest attack by a union in the past week for the government, with the community and public sector union withdrawing its support after public service cuts.

Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Luke Hilakari hit out at the government following a pre-election budget update from Victoria’s Department of Treasury and Finance, which revealed the government had raided $1.3 billion in payments from WorkSafe.

“This surplus is built by once again ripping money away from injured workers,” Mr Hilakari said.

Back in Wodonga, Ms Wilson gathered at a local pub in the electorate of Benambra, held by retiring Liberal MP Bill Tilley for two decades, to chat with eager voters on Thursday.

The coalition is sitting strong ahead of election day, with its primary vote at 31 per cent, according to the The Australian Financial Review/RedBridge/Accent Research poll published on Wednesday.

Labor’s primary vote sits at 23 per cent, while One Nation remains strong at 22 per cent and the Greens at 15 per cent.

with AAP

Greta Thunberg has slammed Australia’s track record on climate action at COP31 talks in Turkey, saying “even a snail would agree” that the country needs to move faster.

The 23-year-old Swedish environmental and social activist’s appearance alongside speakers from Australia, Nepal, Rwanda and Gaza caused traffic chaos inside the United Nations’ climate summit in Antalya on Thursday, which also heard criticism of Australia’s ongoing mining approvals.

Australia’s Energy Minister Chris Bowen will lead negotiations at the annual event, which has drawn more than 92,000 attendees, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived on Wednesday for the leaders’ summit portion of the event.

Asked whether she agreed with comments about Australia’s slow record on climate action, Ms Thunberg said her opinion was obvious.

“Even a snail would agree with that,” she told the crowd.

“It’s commonsense. It doesn’t get more clear than that.”

with AAP

A new national centre dedicated to detecting and disrupting the threat of online violent extremism and terrorism formally begins operations on Friday after $74 million was allocated for the initiative in the May budget.

The Counter Terrorism Online Centre (CTOC) will assist ASIO and Australian Federal Police to identify, target and disrupt credible threats, and will also provide an early warning system for the nation’s joint counter terrorism teams.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, who will officially open the new centre in Sydney on Friday, has warned: “more young Australians are being radicalised online, and it happens very quickly”.

“The CTOC provides – for the first time – a single point of coordination for online threats. A converged threat environment needs a converged response, the CTOC brings together the expertise of the AFP and ASIO to keep Australians safe.”

“The capability we’ve always had to monitor extremists in the meeting room now extends to the chat room,” the Minister said in a statement.

“The CTOC will go where the threat is, regardless of ideology, online location, or actors. Their work will complement efforts of state and territory police to make sure the right action is being taken to identify and disrupt threats.”

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