The Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama has hit back at comments made by the Australian Deputy PM Michael McCormack.

McCormack on Friday told a business community in Australia that Pacific Island Nations affected by the climate crisis will continue to survive “because many of their workers come here to pick our fruit.”

Bainimarama told FBC News that if this is the Australian Government’s idea of a step up in its relations with the Pacific, it’s certainly not a step forward. It’s a step backwards.

The Prime Minister adding that he was not going to dignify McCormack’s comment with a personal response.

According to The Guardian Australia, McCormack continued to vent about PICs and the climate crisis.

“I also get a little bit annoyed when we have people in those sorts of countries who point the finger at Australia and say we should be shutting down all our resources sector so that, so that, you know, they will continue to survive, there’s no question they’ll continue to survive and they’ll continue to survive on large aid assistance from Australia.  They will continue to survive, because many of their workers come here and pick our fruit.”

Meanwhile, Australia’s Acting Opposition Leader, Richard Marles said that these are ignorant comments from McCormack who was the Acting Prime Minister then while Scott Morrison attended the Pacific Islands Forum Meeting in Tuvalu.

McCormack’s comments were made after the critical talks at PIFS in Funafuti that almost collapsed over Australia’s position on coal and climate change.