Peter Dutton sea level joke slammed as ‘bigotry’ and ‘vulgar’

Tony Abbott has again defended Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, pointing to his work on refugees.

Cape York leader Gerhardt Pearson says Peter Dutton’s joke about rising sea levels reminds him of stereotypes used in Mission days.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has again defended Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, pointing to his work on refugees, after some indigenous and Pacific Island leaders lined up to criticise Mr Dutton’s joke about rising sea levels.

Cape York leader Gerhardt Pearson says Mr Dutton’s remarks, inadvertently caught on Friday on a media microphone ahead of a press conference in Canberra, espoused a “soft bigotry’’, while Kiribati President Anote Tong described the joke as “vulgar’’.

“Peter Dutton has time to laugh and joke about the natives up north, or living on neighbouring islands,’’ Mr Pearson said in statement.

The President of Kiribati hit out at Mr Dutton’s “vulgar” joke, saying it was “quite unbecoming of leadership”.

Mr Tong said: “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”.

Cape York leader Gerhardt Pearson says Peter Dutton’s joke about rising sea levels reminds him of stereotypes used in Mission days.

Kiribati's President Anote Tong.

Labor has also used the gaffe to have a crack at Mr Dutton, with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten saying on Saturday the remark was “astounding”.

“He’s not some bloke in the outer at the footy,” Mr Shorten said.

“We depend upon his skills to present Australia in the right light. Mr Abbott now has to make a choice — are those sort of views the views you want in cabinet ministers in this country, or ... does he choose the Australian people?”

Despite the criticism, Mr Abbott said Mr Dutton should be remembered for something else he did during the week.

“He masterminded the plan to bring 12,000 needy people to this country,” Mr Abbott said in Canberra.

Later on Saturday in Perth, where he was campaigning ahead of the Canning by-election next Saturday, Mr Abbott was again questioned about what he has called a “lame joke”.

He reiterated his comments about Mr Dutton’s work involving the refugees and, when asked if he thought it was funny, said “it is not about me”.

“We made a decision that reflects Australia at its best and then we have a subsequent Twitter storm which, if I may say so, reflects Australia at its worst,” he told reporters.

Mr Dutton has declined to comment further on the conversation.

Mr Pearson, in his statement, said: “Up here in Cape York, every second of time means something.

“Time to build enterprises and create jobs in communities where youth unemployment tops 80 per cent. Time to get our kids to school, and to complete high school and get into universities, something unheard of in previous generations. Time to heal deep wounds in our communities from dispossession and poverty. We are constantly burdened with the view espouse by the likes of Dutton: it’s one of soft bigotry and low expectations, and it continues to dominate policy responses.

“In olden Mission days, well-paid managers used ‘Murri time’ to cast Bama as lazy good-for-nothings.

“Dutton’s joke using this tired old stereotype reminds me of how white superintendents ran our lives, dressed in their safari jackets and white helmets, pipe in the mouths, hands in their pockets; and how they would look down at my hardworking grandfather, mother or brother, as if they were his slaves.’’

Scott Morrison, Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton with the sound boom, upper right. Picture: Kym Smith

Mr Dutton was on Friday caught out joking about the plight of Pacific island nations facing rising seas from climate change. Noting that a meeting in Canberra was running a bit late, Mr Dutton quipped that it was running to “Cape York time”, to which Mr Abbott replied: “We had a bit of that up in Port Moresby.” Mr Dutton then said: “Time doesn’t mean anything when you’re about to 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.”

Additional reporting: AAP