Anthony Albanese is called out after pledging $350 million to Pacific countries to fight climate change during the latest FIFO trip – as Australians struggle with the cost of living at home

Anthony Albanese has been criticized by Sky News presenter Andrew Bolt for allocating millions of taxpayers’ money to climate projects for our Pacific neighbors as Australians struggle with the high cost of living.

The Prime Minister is visiting the Cook Islands for the Pacific Islands Forum, where he pledged $350 million for the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership on Thursday.

However, this funding commitment has sparked controversy at home, with Mr Bolt expressing outrage at what he called a “ridiculous” spending spree, claiming Albanians had fallen into a new “global warming” cycle.

“He flew another junket to the Pacific Islands Forum this time, using our credit card, and today he freed up another $350 million to give to Pacific countries for, you guessed it, global warming ,” said Bolt.

‘Can you believe it! $350 million here, $200 million there and more money for Tuvalu soon?

“Tuvalu does not need our money for global warming, which is not a threat there. Tuvalu is not growing and sinking under rising sea levels, Bolt claimed.

‘The Albanians just fell for it again – with your money!’

Mr Bolt referred to research from the University of Auckland showing Tuvalu’s total land area grew by 73 hectares, or 2.9 percent, in the four decades to 2014.

The research suggests that certain islands – particularly larger atolls and reef platforms – could adapt to the current rate of sea level rise.

However, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change outlines four scenarios for future increases, three of which are more severe than what Tuvalu has faced so far.

Despite the recent growth of Tuvalu’s land area, it remains a focal point for climate change activists due to its 101 low-lying islands.

Bolt went on to blast Mr Albanese’s comments that he has received “nothing but extremely positive feedback” on Australia’s climate change policies from his Pacific counterparts.

‘No joke! Extremely positive reception – well, that usually happens when you throw a whole bunch of money into the laps of Pacific leaders – they would like it,” Bolt said.

“Money that comes from Australian taxpayers, some of whom are struggling to put food on the table here at home.”

Mr Albanese held formal bilateral talks with Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Cook Islands on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting and informal discussions with other leaders from Nauru, Samoa, Tonga and the Federated States of Micronesia.

While environmental NGOs and climate activists have scorned Australia’s expansion of fossil fuel extraction, Albanese said Pacific leaders had not done the same at meetings.

“They are very positive about Australia’s position on climate change,” he said.

“It is recognized that there has been a change in Australia’s position since the change of government, and that we are taking the challenge of climate change seriously, not only at home, but also helping in the Pacific.”

The PIF summit is Albanese’s second as prime minister.

On Thursday afternoon he boarded a plane to the idyllic island of Aitutaki, where he showed off his dance moves.

On Friday, he and other leaders cruise the picturesque turquoise lagoon as the group discusses issues during a leaders’ retreat.

Identifying climate as one of the key issues at the meeting is a matter of nuclear concern, with Pacific leaders signaling their determination to keep the region nuclear-weapon-free.

Opposition stems from a legacy of the region’s painful history of nuclear weapons testing by the United States, Britain and France.

Australia’s AUKUS deal to acquire nuclear-powered submarines has many concerned.

Leaders in Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands and Fiji have previously expressed reservations on several fronts, including the extravagant costs, which exceed the entire annual GDP of PIF members apart from Australia and New Zealand.

PIF chairman and Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown has suggested that the time could have come to ‘revive’ the Rarotonga Treaty, the nuclear weapons-free pact signed during the Cold War.

Mr Albanese was less forthcoming about whether reforms were needed and declined to respond to questions about whether he supported Mr Brown’s calls.

‘We support the Rarotonga Treaty. It’s a good document. It has stood the test of time, all the arrangements that have been put in place, we have been consistent in that, and it retains our support,” he said.

The ongoing forum discussions have been overshadowed by the abrupt departure of Nauru President David Adeang, who left the summit on Thursday when their controversial choice for the next Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Baron Waqa, was discussed.

Efforts to persuade Mr Adeang to return failed and the Nauru delegation flew from the Cook Islands on Friday morning.