Boom tish: Peter Dutton caught out in joke about Pacific sea levels

It appears some cabinet ministers still cannot ­recognise a long black cylinder hovering just above their heads.

Politicians have faced incessant harassment from microphones for decades yet it appears some cabinet ministers still cannot ­recognise a long black cylinder hovering just above their heads.

Awaiting the arrival of ethnic and religious leaders for a refugee resettlement meeting at Parliament House, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton was caught joking, apparently, about rising sea levels inundating the homes of Pacific islanders.

As delegates started meandering in, Mr Dutton suggested to Tony Abbott that their guests were running on “Cape York time” — an apparent allusion to the unpunctual lifestyle in remote far north Queensland.

The Prime Minister, who had just returned from climate talks with Pacific leaders in Papua New Guinea, chuckled back: “We had a bit of that up in Port Moresby.”

Mr Dutton replied to his leader: “Time doesn’t mean anything when you’re about to be, you know, have water lapping at your door.”

Mr Abbott began to laugh loudly, but was silenced by Social Services Minister Scott Morrison, who pointed out the microphone. “There’s a boom up there.” After the meeting, Mr Dutton brushed off questions about the “private conversation” with his boss.

Pacific Island leaders this week failed to convince Australia to support its push for greenhouse gas reductions that would aim to limit average temperature rises to 1.5C.

Labor deputy Tanya Plibersek said climate change was no laughing matter and insisted the Prime Minister apologise.

Koreti Tiumalu, the Pacific co-ordinator of climate activist group 350.org, has written to Mr Abbott seeking an apology for laughing at Mr Dutton’s “deeply offensive” comment.