Prime Minister Scott Morrison has rejected criticism Australia's Pacific step-up has failed and says the relationship with the Solomon Islands will be repaired.
Labor is continuing to attack the prime minister during the election campaign for "dropping the ball" on relations with Pacific island nations.
Mr Morrison's Solomon Islands counterpart told his parliament the country was being treated like kindergarten students "walking around with Colt 45s in our hands" who needed to be supervised.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare also said his country had been threatened "with invasion" by countries opposed to its security deal with China.
Mr Sogavare's latest comments mark the second time this week he has taken aim at Australia, having earlier labelled a reference to the Solomons being in Australia's backyard as "offensive".
Mr Morrison said Mr Sogavare is free to express his opinion but it would not stop the Australian government having a relationship with the Solomon Islands.
"We have always been there for the people of the Solomon Islands and we always will be. That doesn't mean the prime ministers will always agree," he told reporters in Parramatta on Thursday.
"I have had contact with (Sogavare) in the last few months. Australia is the preferred security partner, he's communicated that to me consistently."
Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the claims levelled by Mr Sogavare weren't directed towards Australia.
Speaking at a National Press Club defence policy debate, Mr Dutton said the Pacific leader "has not a word of criticism for our country".
"He's not saying that the relationship is broken. He's not saying that Australia is an unreliable partner. He's not saying that Scott Morrison hasn't engaged with him in a leader-to-leader dialogue," Mr Dutton said.
"There's none of that coming out in the word of the Solomon Islands government.
"It is all coming out, for political reasons, from Labor."
Labor defence spokesman Brendan O'Connor said the Morrison government didn't understand "soft power" or diplomacy.
"You need to invest in the region. They must be your friends, not just your neighbours. You have to treat them equally and, frankly, they don't feel we've done that because we mock them on things that concern them," he said.
"We've derided them about their concerns about climate change. (Labor has) recently announced a policy that will invest more, helping them with their surveillance, helping them train their military, investing in broadcasting. Australia has to have a voice in the region.
"He (Scott Morrison) doesn't get soft-power diplomacy. He doesn't understand statecraft ... and that's why we're in this predicament."
Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong remains surprised Mr Morrison has not spoken to Mr Sogavare since the start of the election.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese said a government he led would have a constructive relationship with Pacific nations, citing his party's policy of people-to-people relationships.
"This is a complex relationship, but 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 told reporters in Sydney.
