John Alexander, the sitting Liberal MP for Bennelong, has sought to downplay his comments that Australia's climate policy priority in the Pacific should be helping people "move to higher ground" rather than curbing coal.

Mr Alexander told a forum at the Epping Uniting Church on Monday Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama recently asked Australia, "please stop burning coal, you know the water level's just coming up and it's threatening our communities", according to audio obtained by the Herald and The Age.

Climate change is of major concern to low-lying Pacific nations such as Kiribati. Credit:Justin McManus

Australia's priority, though, should be assisting our neighbours to move "their settlements to higher ground", he said. "I think we should turn our minds to that positive contribution to our region.

"It's very much like your house is on fire, your children are in the house - should you call the fire brigade and get the children out of the house?" Mr Alexander told the public event.