Microphone picks up Peter Dutton’s tasteless joke

MICROPHONES have picked up Immigration Minister making a cheap joke at the expense of island nations threatened by climate change — a gaffe likely to embarrass the government.

IMMIGRATION Minister Peter Dutton has declined to confirm that he made a joke about Pacific islands threatened by climate change.

But he doesn’t have to because a large TV boom mic that was hanging over him and Prime Minister Tony Abbott caught it all.

“Time doesn’t mean anything when … you’re about to have water lapping at your door,” said Mr Dutton, referring to late starts at yesterday’s South Pacific Forum in Port Moresby attended by Mr Abbott.

Labor will accuse the minister of making light of the fear Pacific island nations have that rising water levels because of global warming will see their lands disappear.

Mr Abbott, Mr Dutton and Social Services Minister Scott Morrison were waiting in Parliament House for all participants to arrive for a meeting on community assistance for the 12,000 Syrian refugees Australia is to take in.

Cameras allowed in for the start of the talks were rolling as they chatted.

Social Services Minister Scott Morrison, PM Tony Abbott and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton meeting at Parliament House in Canberra.

The quips stopped when Mr Morrison pointed out the presence of the boom mic.

But they started when Mr Dutton, apparently referring to indigenous punctuality in north Queensland, said to is colleagues, “It’s Cape York time”.

Mr Abbott laughed and said something similar operated at the meeting with Pacific nations.

Mr Dutton replied, “Time doesn’t mean anything when you’re about to … you know, have water lapping on your door”.

Mr Abbott again laughed. Mr Morrison pointed out the microphone.

Mr Dutton declined to discuss the “private conversation” at a later press conference but a government source later described the remark as “poorly worded”.

Other open mic political slips include:

● NSW premier Morris Iemma was caught calling a business executive “a f***wit” before the start of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in February 2006.

● Soon after, Queensland premier Peter Beattie told Mr Iemma of Anna Bligh, “She’s deputy premier and treasurer and every other piece of s*** I don’t want”.