Coalition and Labor clash over $682,000 hotel bill for pre-COP climate meetings

Senate estimates hearing sees fiery exchange as Liberal senator questions five-star venue costs and Labor defends spending

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published26 October 2026

Updated26 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Sources5 outlets

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A Senate estimates hearing erupted into a heated exchange on Monday as Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson questioned the government's $682,000 expenditure on rooms at Sydney's Sofitel Darling Harbour for pre-COP climate meetings, prompting Labor Senator Tim Ayres to accuse the Coalition of undermining Australia's Pacific engagement.

The Albanese government spent $682,000 on rooms at the five-star Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour to host a series of pre-COP meetings in September, with the contract part of the $150 million budgeted for pre-COP events, according to Dr Sally Box, head of the international climate negotiations division in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

Senator Henderson said the expenditure was “simply out of control” and asked why the government was spending almost $700,000 on meeting rooms and accommodation when “you could almost buy a hotel for that amount of money”. Dr Box confirmed the contract supported at least five separate events over several weeks but said she did not have a breakdown of meeting rooms, days, or whether accommodation was included, and why the venue needed to be five-star. She described the events as “mandated events under the UNFCCC” or workshops to facilitate negotiations.

Senator Ayres intervened, saying Senator Henderson's comment about buying a hotel for nearly $700,000 was not true, and pointed to the 2014 G20 under the Abbott government, which booked out 7000 hotel rooms across Brisbane including luxury five-star resorts at a cost of $20 million. He accused the Coalition of lacking seriousness on Pacific issues, citing a 2015 hot mic incident involving then-immigration minister Peter Dutton and then-prime minister Tony Abbott, and Nationals senator Matt Canavan's recent comments about the prime minister and a minister looking “silly” in Hawaiian shirts at pre-COP events.

Earlier in the hearing, David Higgins, the department's head of division for international climate and energy, said Australia's contracted commitments for the pre-COP event in Fiji could reach $34.6 million, an “outer bound” figure higher than the previously reported $20 million, with expected recoupment from attending nations over the next month. The breakdown included $8.4 million for accommodation and venues, about $20 million for event management, $2 million for host broadcaster services, and additional costs for procurement support. Department secretary Mike Kaiser approved travel for 51 operational staff and 48 negotiation staff.

The hearing briefly paused to pay tribute to independent MP Helen Haines, who was seriously injured in an alleged attack last week.

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Fiji pre-COP event cost categories, as reported by the department

A$ million

Figures are from the department's 'outer bound' estimate; event management was reported as 'about $20 million'. Additional procurement support was not itemised. Source: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Senate estimates, as reported by Br

Analysis

Why This Matters

The clash highlights ongoing political divisions over climate spending and Australia's role in the Pacific, with the Coalition questioning fiscal prudence while Labor frames the expenditure as essential for regional engagement.
The cost of pre-COP events, both domestically and in Fiji, may influence public perception of government climate priorities and spending ahead of COP31 in Turkey.
The exchange underscores how climate policy remains a partisan battleground, with each side using past examples to discredit the other.

Background

Pre-COP meetings are preparatory gatherings held ahead of the annual United Nations climate summit (COP). Australia hosted a series of such meetings in September, including events in Sydney and Fiji. The government has allocated $150 million for pre-COP activities, part of broader efforts to shape the international climate agenda. The Coalition has criticised these expenditures, while Labor points to previous Coalition-era spending, such as the 2014 G20, as comparable or greater.

Key Perspectives

Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson: Says the $682,000 hotel contract and overall $150 million pre-COP budget show expenditure that is “simply out of control”, questioning why a five-star venue was necessary. Labor Senator Tim Ayres: Argues the Coalition is not serious about the Pacific, pointing to past Coalition spending on the G20 and mocking comments about Pacific leaders, and says the pre-COP spending is fully funded by a $500 million Coalition-era strategic international partnership.

What to Watch

The department's final reconciliation of Fiji pre-COP costs, including recoupment from attending nations.
Further Senate estimates hearings, which may reveal more details on other pre-COP contracts.
The political fallout from the exchange, particularly ahead of COP31, and whether it affects public support for government climate spending.

Sources

Fiery exchange over pre-COP hotel bill · The Age
‘You could almost buy a hotel’: Fiery exchange over climate summit costs · Brisbane Times
‘You could almost buy a hotel’: Fiery exchange over climate summit costs · The Sydney Morning Herald
‘You could almost buy a hotel’: Fiery exchange over climate summit costs · WAtoday
Labor’s Pre-COP31 climate summit bill revealed · The Australian

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.

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SupportedThe Coalition and Labor clashed over a $682,000 hotel contract for pre-COP climate meetings.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The Albanese government spent $682,000 on rooms at a five-star hotel in Sydney to host a series of pre-COP meetings in September”
SupportedThe Senate estimates hearing featured a fiery exchange in which Liberal senator Sarah Henderson questioned the venue costs and Labor senator Tim Ayres defended the spending.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “questions over the contract leading to a fiery exchange in the Senate. ... Henderson’s comment about being able to buy a hotel for nearly $700,000 prompted the intervention of Labor senator Tim Ayres”
SupportedThe exchange took place on Monday.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Earlier in Monday’s Senate estimates hearing”
SupportedHenderson said the expenditure was “simply out of control”.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Liberal senator Sarah Henderson said expenditure by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water was “simply out of control””
SupportedHenderson asked why the government was spending almost $700,000 when “you could almost buy a hotel for that amount of money”.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “asked why the government was spending almost $700,000 on meeting rooms and accommodation when “you could almost buy a hotel for that amount of money”.”
Partly supportedAyres accused the Coalition of undermining Australia’s Pacific engagement.Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““Your questions about a much smaller amount of money really do underline the lack of seriousness with which the Coalition views this set of issues in the Pacific,” Ayres said.”
SupportedThe Sofitel contract was part of the $150 million budgeted for pre-COP, and supported at least five events over several weeks.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Box said the contract with Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour was part of the $150 million budgeted for pre-COP. Box said the contract supported at least five separate events over several weeks”
SupportedBox said she did not have a breakdown of the meeting rooms, days, whether accommodation was included, or why the venue needed to be five-star.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “she did not have a breakdown of how many meeting rooms were involved over how many days and whether it also included accommodation, or why the venue needed to be five-star.”
SupportedBox described the events as “mandated events under the UNFCCC” or workshops to facilitate negotiations.Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““These are either mandated events under the UNFCCC that we were hosting in Australia, or they were workshops to support the facilitation of conversations between delegations on negotiations-related issues,” Box said.”
SupportedAyres said the Abbott government booked 7,000 Brisbane hotel rooms for the 2014 G20, including luxury five-star resorts, at a cost of $20 million.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “during the G20 in 2014, the Abbott government booked out 7000 hotel rooms across Brisbane including luxury five-star resorts at a cost of $20 million.”
SupportedHiggins said Fiji pre-COP contracted commitments could reach $34.6 million, an outer-bound figure, with some costs expected to be recouped from attending nations over the next month.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “the pre-COP event in Fiji had included contracted commitments of $34.6 million, but this was an “outer bound”, with the government expected to recoup some costs from attending nations over the next month.”
SupportedThe hearing paused for a tribute to independent MP Helen Haines, who was seriously injured in an alleged attack the previous week.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “after a short break to pay tribute to independent MP Helen Haines who was seriously injured in an alleged attack last week.”