By any measure, Scott Morrison had a big agenda. It was the beginning of an election year and just six months into the job the Prime Minister wanted to start 2019 talking about border security, defence spending, tensions with China, protecting children from cyber-bullying and stopping the scourge of domestic violence.

As Australians pieced their lives back together amid summer bushfires and major flooding in four states, Morrison was asked about how climate change was contributing and making the damage worse.