This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Michael McCormack has apologised to Pacific Island nations for his comments that they will survive the climate crisis – in part – “because many of their workers come here to pick our fruit”.

The deputy prime minister offered a qualified apology at a doorstop in Brisbane, six days after the remarks which further soured a bitter experience at the Pacific Islands Forum, where Australia was roundly criticised for watering down a communique on the climate crisis.

The comments, first reported by Guardian Australia, led Tuvalu to threaten to withdraw from the seasonal worker program and were criticised by Labor as “deeply offensive”.

Tuvalu threatens to exit Australia's seasonal worker program after deputy PM's comments Read more

Asked about the offence taken by Pacific Islanders, McCormack told reporters: “Well, look, if any insult was taken, I sincerely apologise.”

The Nationals leader said Australia “will always be great friends of the Pacific Islands, and certainly we rely on the Pacific Islands”.

Play Video 2:27 Michael McCormack 'annoyed' at calls to end coal so Pacific islands 'can survive' – video

“I come from an electorate where there’s a strong horticultural sector, which couldn’t operate without the labour force that is provided by the Pacific Islands, and we value that, we treasure that, we encourage that and we want it to continue.”

Anote Tong, the former president of Kiribati, said the fact McCormack “had stepped forward is good”.

“Whether it was good enough for some people – [people] will always have different perspectives on that but at least he admitted that he might have been wrong. Many people believe he was definitely wrong.”

On Friday, McCormack had said he “got annoyed” at countries calling on Australia to shut down its resources sector, arguing they would survive because of “large aid assistance from Australia” and because “many of their workers come here and pick our fruit”.

McCormack sought to contextualise his comments by noting he had been “asked about the resources sector, and the Pacific Islands’ view on that” and argued that Australia’s strong resources sector helps it “continue to be able to support the Pacific Islands”.

“When the Pacific Islands are strong, we want to be there to make them even stronger and when they’re hurting we want to make sure that we’re there to support them all the time – as we always have in the past, as we always will in the future.”

The low-lying Pacific islands are on the frontline of the climate crisis, battling rising sea levels and related problems that have forced some residents to move to higher ground.

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The Pacific Islands Forum concluded with a statement of intent but no binding commitment to limit temperature rises to no more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. References to phasing out coal-fired power and coal exports were removed from the communique, however references to the “climate change crisis” remained.

On the sidelines of the forum, Fiji’s prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, accused Scott Morrison of a “very insulting and condescending” attitude, warning Australia’s approach would push nations closer to China.

Labor has questioned the Morrison government’s commitment to combating climate change, arguing it lacks credibility because it has presided over increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

It has referred to home affairs minister Peter Dutton’s quip in 2015 about water lapping at the doors of Australia’s Pacific neighbours. Dutton also apologised for those comments.