Mark Latham has defended the Prime Minister’s absence from a United Nations Climate Action Summit where teenage activist Greta Thunberg gave an impassioned speech.

The 16-year-old admonished more than 50 global leaders for their inaction on climate change.

The Prime Minister chose not to attend the summit in New York while US President Donald Trump made a brief appearance.

Greens MP Adam Bandt has said by not attending Scott Morrison was “spitting in the face of our children”.

But Mark Latham tells Karl Stefanovic the Prime Minister had every right not to attend.

“We’re grown-ups here, we don’t take lectures from a girl from Sweden who is screaming hysterically about the end of the planet because it’s just not true!

“Not everything about the climate change debate is valid, not everything about the way these hysterical claims are presented needs to be listened to by national leaders.

“I’ve got no problem with Scott Morrison getting on with the business that will actually help Australia instead of going to a one-day meeting that looks like it’s a bit of a media stunt.”

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