CIOBO ON COUP: LET’S MOVE ON
TOUGH WEEK BUT I’M EXCITED
GOLD Coast Federal MP Steven Ciobo says it was a “judgment call” to resign as Tourism Minister during the Liberal Party leadership upheaval he dubs one of the hardest weeks of his life.
The MP for Moncrieff returned to the Gold Coast yesterday, refusing to admit regret from last week’s Canberra turmoil that ended Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership and left the Liberal Coalition languishing in polls.
Mr Ciobo quit as Tourism, Trade and Investment Minister on Thursday, saying “it is clear to me the Prime Minister has lost the support of the party room and it is critical the leadership is resolved”.
New Prime Minister Scott Morrison has now appointed him Defence Industry Minister. Labor Senator Murray Watt has joined Mayor Tom Tate to say the loss of a Gold Coast-based tourism minister is a blow for the city.
Asked about how he felt he’d played his cards last week and if he had regrets, Mr Ciobo told the Bulletin yesterday: “I never like the kinds of activity we saw take place last week. It was an incredibly difficult period.
“I’m a firm believer you have to act with integrity. For that reason I had to tender my resignation.
“It brings me no joy at all. Malcolm Turnbull is a good friend of mine. These things are always tough.
“I’ve had two terribly hard weeks in my life, the hardest by far was health issues with firstborn son but last week was second hardest,” he said.
Mr Ciobo has long been a Turnbull backer and is believed to have weighed in behind initial challenger Peter Dutton.
“I used a judgment call,” Mr Ciobo said. “I’m not going to rake over the coals in terms of who did what. Frankly I don’t think the people I represent have any interest, I barely have any interest in that, to be blunt. My focus is about effecting change for the city, change for the community that represents what it is they are after.”
A bullish Mr Ciobo shrugged off a Newspoll for The Australian showing the Coalition primary vote drop four points to 33 per cent, on par with 2008’s slump.
“I don’t get caught up in day-to-day polls. What you have to look at is the big picture, what you have to focus on are the details for ordinary Gold Coasters – what’s their job security like, how is the economy going, can they get a good education, do we have decent healthcare? That’s what matters to people.”
Last week Cr Tate was critical of Mr Ciobo quitting the tourism post and Mr Watt is calling it a “problem”.
But Mr Ciobo didn’t see it as a blow: “No, of course not. The city has always had a strong and thriving tourism industry. I haven’t always held that portfolio. What matters most is there are now very strong voices for this city around the Cabinet table.
“We are absolutely in the midst of a golden age for inbound tourism.”
Cr Tate posted online yesterday: “I wish Steven Ciobo all the best with managing the Naval Shipbuilding Plan – he may not have been able to sink one off the Gold Coast, but I hope he succeeds with building the best ones for our Defence Force.”