Mr de Brum took to Twitter to denounce Mr Dutton, saying "insensitivity knows no bounds in the big polluting island down [south]". Mr Morrison, Mr Abbott and Mr Dutton laugh at the joke. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "Next time waves are battering my home [and] my grandkids are scared, I'll ask Peter Dutton to come over, and we'll see if he is still laughing," he wrote, adding he was "dismayed" by the remarks. He said the best way for Australia to "show it cares" is to bring a "proper" emissions reduction target to Paris climate talks later this year. Australia has pledged to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 per cent by 2030, based on 2005 levels.

Just days ago Mr Abbott refused to expand Australia's climate commitment at a meeting of Pacific leaders, despite fears that the survival of island nations was threatened. The Prime Minister with Immigration Minister Peter Dutton on Friday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Both Mr Abbott and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key rejected pleas by smaller Pacific nations to go beyond a commitment to limiting the global temperature rise to 2 degrees. Some Pacific leaders have criticised Australia for prioritising economic growth over the future of their people. The leaders were unable to reach an agreement after nine hours of tense talks. The Marshalls are among five island nations to join calls for a global moratorium on new coalmines – an industry Mr Abbott has described as "good for humanity".

Mr Dutton refused to explain his remark on Friday, saying it was part of a private conversation with Mr Abbott. Mr Dutton's joke came as the leaders waited for ethnic and community groups to settle in for a meeting about Syrian refugees. The exchange was cut short when Social Services Minister Scott Morrison told Mr Abbott and Mr Dutton that a microphone was recording their conversation. Mr Abbott said on Thursday he has a "very good story to tell" on climate change and Pacific leaders "should be reassured by the seriousness with which Australia is approaching this issue". Pacific-based climate action advocates from the group 350.org have written to Mr Abbott, calling on him to apologise to Pacific nations and saying Mr Dutton should resign.

"For the Pacific, climate change is about survival. We find your government's inaction deeply disturbing and your colleague's disregard for our people deeply offensive," Papua New Guinea coordinator Arianne Kassman wrote. Mr de Brum has previously warned that damage from climate extremes was already lashing his nation and crippling its ability to develop. He said the Marshalls wanted to "practise what we preach" on halting climate change and would seek to reduce methane emissions from waste, cut diesel use and embrace more solar to meet its goals. The president of Kiribati has labelled Mr Dutton as "morally irresponsible" for making a "vulgar" joke about the rising sea levels, the ABC reports. Anote Tong said the minister should "search his own soul".

"What kind of a person is he? As long as there is this kind of attitude, this kind of arrogance in any position of leadership, we will continue to have a lot of tension," he told the ABC. "I hope this doesn't reflect the deeper feelings ... about this issue because it's a serious issue for many people on this planet."