Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he will continue to deal with strained tensions with Solomon Islands "diplomatically" after the Pacific nation's leader hit out at Australia in a verbal lashing.
Solomons Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare launched an implicit attack on Australia in the country's parliament on Wednesday, raising questions about the relationship between the two countries.
He said he was "insulted" that his country was being treated like kindergarten students "walking around with Colt 45s in our hands" who needed to be supervised.
Mr Morrison said on Thursday he would continue to support Solomon Islands despite the "pressures" that Australia was facing in the Pacific region.
"Our approach has been to be supportive, to answer their call, to ensure we have provided support," he told reporters.
"We have always been there for the people of the Solomon Islands and we always will be."
Mr Sogavare has accused other countries of threatening his nation "with invasion" over the Solomon Islands-China security pact.
Mr Morrison said it was not true to suggest comments describing the prospect of Beijing establishing a military base in Solomons Islands as a "red line" amounted to this.
"We are concerned for the Solomon Islands, for the broader security in the southwest Pacific," he said.
"Should I have the opportunity, I am looking forward to sit down with all of the Pacific leaders so we can talk to each other as family about the risk this presents."
Mr Sogavare has previously said he has no intention of allowing China to establish a military base in Solomon Islands.
Mr Morrison confirmed he has been in contact with his Solomons counterpart "in the last few months".
Labor leader Anthony Albanese criticised Mr Morrison for not being proactive in mending relations with Solomon Islands.
"The fact that the Prime Minister hasn't picked up the phone to Prime Minister Sogavare says an enormous amount about what is needed, in terms of that relationship," Mr Albanese said.
"The government has dropped the ball on the Pacific right now."
On Tuesday, Mr Sogavare appeared to suggest Australia was trying to undermine his government after Mr Morrison said Solomon Islands was located in his "backyard".
"[A backyard] is where rubbish is collected and burnt. It is an area which supports the daily wellbeing of residents of the house," he told his parliament in Honiara.
"I call on those people who continue to brand us as their backyard to stop calling us that name and start to respect us as a sovereign independent nation with one equal vote in the United Nations."
Mr Sogavare's speech to Solomon Islands parliament came days after he hit out at Australia for not telling his government about signing up to the trilateral AUKUS security agreement.
in April has caused tensions between Australia and the Pacific nation and led to .
Mr Sogavare said last week he learned of the AUKUS agreement between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom in the media.
"The AUKUS Treaty will see nuclear submarines in Pacific waters," he said.
"One would expect that as a member of the Pacific family, the Solomon Islands and members of the Pacific should have been consulted to ensure this AUKUS treaty is transparent."
Mr Morrison said he spoke with Mr Sogavare the day after the pact was announced in September 2021, and "no issues were raised at that time in that discussion".
"But obviously, as time goes on and new relationships are entered into, there’s obviously been some clearly other influences in the perspective taken by the Solomon Islands prime minister," he said.
With AAP.
