Aussie minister’s quip raises concern

 PRIME Minister and Pacific Islands Forum chairman Peter O’Neill has expressed concern at the comments by Australia’s Immigration Minister on Friday.

O’Neill said the comments relating to climate change and rising sea levels were most unfortunate, and he hoped the attention the issue has received will help highlight the threat being faced by many people.

“Rising sea levels is a serious issue affecting thousands of our people around the Pacific,” the Prime Minister said.

“Communities are under threat and they are losing homes and their food sources.

“People around the Pacific are living in fear with each high tide.

“Every time seawater inundates their land, their possessions are lost.

“Food crops are also destroyed when they are covered with sea water.

“Other communities are seeing beach erosion taking away their land and eventually their houses.

“People are being forced off the land where their families have lived for thousands of years.  

“Connection to the land is very important for Pacific people, so having to leave their land is heartbreaking for many people.”

Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton apologised for the joke about climate change, which Pacific Island leaders described as vulgar.

The minister’s quip about rising sea levels was picked up by a microphone before a media event on Friday.

It was made during a conversation with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who had just returned from lengthy talks focused on climate change with Pacific Island leaders in Port Moresby.

Noting the day’s meeting on Syrian refugees was running a bit late, Dutton remarked it was running to “Cape York time”, to which Abbott replied, “we had a bit of that up in Port Moresby”.

Dutton then added: “Time doesn’t mean anything when you’re about to have water lapping at your door.”

Dutton said he regretted the private joke.