DESPITE being light hearted, Peter Dutton's comment about time not mattering to Pacific Islanders even in the face of rising sea levels is serious.
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It is much more serious than cringe worthy, a gaffe or a lame joke. It is a reflection of his character.
READ MORE: Dutton apologizes for 'joke'...click here
You expect that kind of thing to be said among friends at the bar.
And it would be another day among average Joes vaguely aware of the oncoming crisis the Pacific population faces.
But Dutton is one if the country's leaders and he should not indulge in cheap humour, whether it was supposed to be private or not.
What the comment shows is that he does not take the situation seriously, and for Tony Abbott to laugh at it shows he does not either.
That comment is a rare glimpse into the uncensored personality of our leaders, who are not average Joes.
Abbott has defended Dutton's work securing a place for 12,000 Syrians.
However, last week Australia was only going to take more Syrians within the existing quota of 4000.
If it were not for the thousands of people at the Light The Dark candlelight vigils around the country, how many would Dutton and Abbot have taken in?
What is even more astounding about Dutton's comment is that rising sea levels will make his job as immigration minister even harder as he grapples with the issue of displaced Pacific Islanders.
