DEBORAH KNIGHT, HOST: We are joined now by Home Affairs Minister, Peter Dutton and Shadow Health Minister, Chris Bowen. Good morning to you both. Now Peter, the PM copped a lot of flack this week when he pledged $150 million for NASA's moon mission putting space before our farmers. When was this new drought funding announced and decided upon. Is it in response to that criticism?

PETER DUTTON, MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS: To put it into perspective, there are billions of dollars we set aside and provided to farming communities and drought-ravaged communities. A lot of support for families and farmers in the north with the devastation of floods and what-not in that part of our country recently as well. So the thought that this is the first $150 million or support for our farmers is a nonsense. Interestingly,I never knew this fact,but the space industry here in Australia is $4 billion industry employing 10,000 Australians. The desire is to try and build that dramatically between now and 2030. So you can do both. We are doing both. I think it is a good thing for the economy.

KNIGHT: But isn't the crisis we are facing here from our farmers more urgent and pressing in Australia?

DUTTON: As I say, this is not our first trip out if you like. The Prime Minister from last August has been out to all of these communities talking with Mayors, talking with farmers about how they have been impacted and the Government has announced many billions of dollars in assistance to our farmers, as you would expect. So this builds on all of that. This is not the first cheque that has been written or the first offer of support. It just builds on a mountain of support that is already there.

KNIGHT: And welcome news, Chris in because obviously there are also moves as part of this package to build dams to future-proof against drought which didn't happen under Labor?

CHRIS BOWEN, SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH: The Government has been talking about damns for six years but they haven't done anything about building a dam anywhere in Australlia.

KNIGHT: They are now.

BOWEN: There was a lot of talk. I mean. We have had the drought envoy, the drought coordinator, the drought summit. But all we have really seen is talk. We have been calling for drought funding to be brought forward, very substantially. So of course we would welcome this contribution today. I doubt it is going to be enough and I doubt its early enough. Really, the Government has been pretty good at spin on the drought. We have had Barnaby Joyce supporting the drought envoy. It appears he did nothing. Wrote no reports, did nothing. For all that time. I think farmers and Australians want action. They don't want more spin from the Government. Obviously we will look at what the Government proposes today in detail but we doubt it will be enough compared to the lack of action we have seen for what has been several years now for a very debilitating drought right across the country.

KNIGHT: Well the PM and Donald Trump have been very close this week, they are lock step it seems on the criticism of China. Peter, are we now hitching our wagon to the US when it comes to the trade war with China?

DUTTON: I think what the Prime Minister has done in the last week has firstly represented us very well on the international stage. I think Australians are proud of that. But I think we have also been able to demonstrate the US is an incredibly important ally to us and China is a very important strategic partner and trading partner with us. The Prime Minister has been praised in some of the Chinese newspapers.

KNIGHT: But he has also been highly criticised. The move by him to declassify China as a developed country has been viewed and quoted as one-sided and unfair.

DUTTON: I think sometimes if you come out of a debate with both sides criticising you I think you are on the money. I think he has the balance right. The US is an incredibly important partner to us but we don't seek to offend China. I don't think there is any news in the US President saying that he wants to act in the interests of Americans when it comes to trading with China or any other nation. I don't think there is any news in China representing its people as is obviously the case for us. So I think we have got the balance right and we will work with both nations. For us, we want to do what is in our national interest and that is exactly what the Prime Minister has done.

KNIGHT: Chris, do you think it is fair enough that China should have its trade rules toughened because they have been operating under the guise of being a developing country for decades yet the economy has changed?

BOWEN: The Chinese economy has grown enormously, of course it has, but there is still hundreds of millions of people in poverty in China. It is a complicated issue. The worlds international bodies have accepted Chinas classification as a developing country. They are not the only one. There are lots of other developing countries where it is arguable. But the key question is how does this help? How does Scott Morrisons speech help resolve the trade war between America and China?

KNIGHT: So you don't think the balance is right?

BOWEN: I don't see that it is making a positive and constructive contribution to make a speech in America about China, when really Australia's role should be bringing the parties together to whatever degree possible. I don't want to overstate our influence here in fairness to everybody involved. But whatever contribution we are making should be to resolve this trade dispute. Going to America and saying we agree with America, I dont think resolves this dispute one little bit.

KNIGHT: Scott Morrison has also been labelled a national embarrassment for not attending the national Climate Summit in New York. 63 world leaders spoke at that, what they are doing about climate change. Donald Trump even made a surprise appearance in the crowd. Our PM at the same time was in a different city learning among other things about a new McDonald's drive-through. Was that a good look?

DUTTON: The PM's main purpose in his visit to the UN was to talk about our countrys decision to do more on plastics in the ocean. I think that is an incredibly important environmental policy for us to adopt.

KNIGHT: Do you believe plastic in the ocean is a more pressing issue than climate change?

DUTTON: When we say we can only do one or the other - our country is doing more in relation to climate change than we have ever done. There is more investment into our country in renewables than there has ever been. On a per capita basis almost as high a level as any other country in the world. I think he is right to talk about what our country is doing in response to climate change. At the same time, we live in a part of the world, particularly when we are on the doorstep of many Pacific nations and Southeast Asia, where plastics, it is a huge issue. I think people would expect us to do both. We are doing both. I think the Prime Minister highlighted that.

KNIGHT: Chris, your response? Because Anthony Albanese has called the Prime Minister a liar over this.

BOWEN: It was hard for Scott Morrison to go to the summit because the UN made it clear you could only come with the summit if you come with concrete substantial plans to deal with climate change. Scott Morrison has none. He gave a speech which was pretty arrogant, patting himself on the back. Didn't mention that we are the biggest emitter in the world per capita. Didn't mention emissions have gone up every year for the past five years. Said that kids shouldnt be anxious about the future of climate change. Well guess what. Kids are anxious about the future of climate change and they are right to be. The young people are speaking because it is their future. They are saying, "We want to see more action." I thought it was pretty arrogant for Scott Morrison to give a speech, patting himself on the back saying we have climate change under control in Australia and don't have a go at us when the reality is far different. The Government just simply doesnt have a plan to deal with climate change. Now of course plastics in the ocean is important. The Government has been ordinary on the oceans as well. The fact Scott Morrison has finally realised we are not doing enough about oceans, great, fantastic. But you can do both, you can do oceans, and you can do climate change and this government has done precious little of either.

KNIGHT: Now grand final weekend I notice you are proudly wearing your GWS Giants tie. The orange.

BOWEN: Go the Giants

KNIGHT: You are founding a member.

BOWEN: Absolutely.

KNIGHT: Who are you going for?

DUTTON: Im going for GWS.

KNIGHT: Good man.

DUTTON: Lions are out. No colour. I will back GWS in. Tony Sheppard is a great bloke.

KNIGHT: Yes he is.

DUTTON: For that reason, but I say it with gritted teeth.

BOWEN: I say it with great enthusiasm. Foundation member. Go the boys.

KNIGHT: Thank you both for joining us this morning.