THE journalist who drew bizarre silence from Tony Abbott in a televised confrontation is standing by his report, insisting it was not a grab for ratings.

Mr Abbott glowered in silence for 25 seconds after Channel 7's Mark Riley aired footage of him commenting "s*** happens" while discussing events surrounding a Digger's death in Afghanistan.

The Opposition Leader denied making light of 22-year-old Lance-Corporal Jared MacKinney's death during a firefight with Taliban insurgents last year.

Speaking on television this morning, Riley defended his report amid criticism from senior Liberals and members of the public who said Mr Abbott had been unfairly ambushed.

"Is it tacky for me to report what Tony Abbott's said in the context of a battle in which a soldier has been killed? No, no I don't think it is," he said on the network's Sunrise program.

Scroll down to see the footage

"This is the era of shining a light in politics, isn't it? And my job is to observe and report and analyse what political leaders say."

Riley said he was not responsible for how Mr Abbott responded when confronted with the video. He rejected suggestion that the report was a grab for ratings.

"You know me, that's not my go," he said.

Mr Abbott has apologised to the widow of Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney after Channel 7 played footage of him apparently dismissing the death while speaking to troops on a visit to the country.

Mr Abbott said last night Channel 7 had taken his remarks out of context, as he was discussing whether the unit had had sufficient firepower support during the incident. The next section of footage, which Channel 7 did not air in its initial report, shows a solider agreeing with Mr Abbott's comment, saying "it certainly does".

After the footage aired Mr Abbott immediately rang Lance Corporal MacKinney's widow Beckie to apologise.

"Tony and I spoke at length and I fully accept that he was quoted out of context in the television news," Ms MacKinney said in a statement. "As far as we, Jared's family, are concerned there is no issue, the matter is over, and we will be making no further comment."

This morning, Mr Abbott has said that should be the end of the issue. It was an "unfortunate incident", he said on Macquarie radio, but "out of respect to Becky MacKinney I think we should all move on".

However, the soldier's father said Mr Abbott's comments were out of line and had made him feel sick. Ian MacKinney described Mr Abbott as thoughtless, ignorant and uncaring. "It just shows how good he is, or isn't. I'm not going to let it bother me, but it just shows he's not very thoughtful. He doesn't care too much," he said.

Closing ranks

Labor ministers have stayed out of the storm so far. Defence Minister Stephen Smith has said Mr Abbott would not have meant to cause offence. "When we're dealing with difficult and tragic circumstances we all express ourselves differently," he has said on ABC radio.

Some Liberal MPs have rallied around their leader. Stuart Robert, who was with Mr Abbott in Afghanistan, has said Mr Abbott had merely given a "very natural, soldier-like reaction that in the fog of war with everything available unfortunately tragedy happens".

Frontbencher Christopher Pyne has called the report "a beat-up" and all it has shown is that "Tony Abbott is a real person who says real things and Australians really appreciate that". Andrew Robb has said Seven should apologise to Mr Abbott for a "desperately low act".

In the Channel 7 interview, after being shown the footage obtained by the network under Freedom of Information, Mr Abbott said: "Yeah look, you've taken this out of context. You weren't there. I would never seek to make light of the death of an Australian soldier. I was doing my best to support the soldier I was discussing with them. Look, a soldier has died and you shouldn't be trying to turn this into a subsequent media circus."

Then for just over 45 seconds he stared silently as journalist Mark Riley asked more questions before saying, "I've given you the response you deserve". This morning, Mr Abbott has said his response was a "dignified silence" and viewers should make up their own minds on how Channel 7 handled the story.

Liberal MPs have said Mr Abbott was right to be speechless at Seven's "ambush", which they have called "inappropriate", "appalling" and "dirtbag reporting".

Abbott visit

While in Afghanistan, Mr Abbott had fired a machine gun under the supervision of troops. But his office banned public release of Defence video of the Opposition Leader blazing away.



Mr Abbott's media adviser had argued his boss would not look good in the scenes.



It is understood the Seven network applied for the video under FOI to run the banned rapid fire isles, and when it was provided noted the exchange with the soldiers.

LC MacKinney, 28, from the 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, was killed during an intense firefight with Taliban insurgents in the Deh Rawud region last August.

He left behind a daughter, Annabell, and a son, Noah, who was born on September 10 last year, just hours after his funeral was held in Brisbane.