Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen has sidestepped questions about why Prime Minister Anthony Albanese didn’t take any media questions while in the Pacific for the pre-COP climate event.

The Albanese Government faces intense pressure to justify the cost, estimated at more than $20 million, after a lacklustre guestlist which opposition leader Angus Taylor labelled a “pre-COP flop”.

A pre-COP event is an official meeting held a few weeks before the main United Nations Climate Change Conference — known as COP or Conference of the Parties.

Mr Bowen has hailed the multi-day event across Fiji and Tuvalu a success after bringing together representatives from more than 50 nations ahead of next month’s COP31 summit in Antalya, Turkey.

The Energy Minister, however, had to defend Mr Albanese on Wednesday after the PM left the Pacific without facing media scrutiny.

“Well, if you want to talk about scrutiny, this is my second press conference of Pre-COP.

“The only reason I didn’t hold a press conference yesterday is because I was coming and going to Tuvalu and didn’t get back until well into the evening.

“I’m here as the ministerial counterpart of Lynda (Tabuya). I’m holding a press conference today. Lynda informs me the Prime Minister of Fiji hasn’t held a press conference either. Leaders are engaged with each other.

“I’m here answering questions.”

Mr Albanese had only delivered public remarks in a speech at the event where he warned of a summer of extreme weather due to the El Niño across the Indo-Pacific.

“Climate change is not a problem for the future. It is here right now, and we know that sea levels here in the western Pacific are rising at more than twice the global average. We know also that the forecast of super El Niño may test us all,” he said.

“In Australia, we are expecting a summer of floods, of cyclones, of extreme heat, and extreme behaviour . . . The science told us that if we didn’t act to address global emissions this is precisely what would occur, and tragically that is playing out.”

Both the PM and Mr Bowen faced criticism over their performance at the event.

Mr Albanese for declining to put a floral garland on his head alongside other leaders in Tuvalu and Mr Bowen after vision appeared to capture him nodding off during speeches.

Australia received the joint-hosting rights to this year’s pre-COP with Pacific partners after a compromise with Turkey, who will host the main event, while Mr Bowen will serve as the president of negotiations.

Mr Bowen told ABC radio earlier this week that pre-COP31 was part of Australia’s $147 million package to improve relations in the Pacific, with about $20 million of taxpayer funds understood to be allocated to the summit itself.

But his shadow minister Dan Tehan dubbed it “a diplomatic embarrassment” to spend “$150m of taxpayers money and no one turned up”.

Of the 14 heads of state who attended only two were from outside the region.

Mr Taylor highlighted that while there were economic problems at home with an interest rate hike amid persistent inflation, the Energy Minister was “bored” on a Pacific island.

“The hypocrisy of this Government knows no bounds. They are out of touch,” Mr Taylor said.

“Here we have the Prime Minister over with the Energy Minister at their pre-COP flop in the South Pacific, where it’s so boring the Energy Minister falls asleep at his own conference.

“I mean, seriously. Get back here.”