Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has distanced himself from Liberal MP Craig Kelly who has apologised to the families of MH17 victims for suggesting the world overlook the atrocity.
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Mr Kelly said there was nothing that could bring back the 298 victims, including 38 Australian citizens and residents killed in 2014 when a Russian-made missile shot down their Malaysian Airlines flight over Ukraine.
"We can't fix things that happened in the past, we've got to make sure that the relationships between Russia and the US going forward are the best they can possibly be," he told Sky News on Wednesday.
Meryn O'Brien, whose 25-year-old son Jack was killed in the disaster, told the ABC Mr Kelly's comments were "beyond the pale" but she accepted his apology.
An angry Paul Guard lost his parents Jill and Roger on MH17.
"Craig Kelly needs to take a good look at himself, but also just bear in mind that there are many Australians, hundreds of Australians who have been directly affected by this tragedy," he told ABC radio.
On Wednesday, Mr Kelly also responded to Anthony Maslin whose three children were killed in the incident, telling him nothing would bring them back.
Mr Maslin, whose children Mo, Evie and Otis were on MH17, posted an open letter on Facebook on Tuesday criticising US President Donald Trump for not holding his Russian counterpart accountable for the killing.
The Sydney MP apologised on Thursday, claiming his words were taken out of context by Labor MPs.
"It's very disappointing that some people have taken political advantage by taking those comments out of context," Mr Kelly told the ABC.
Mr Turnbull hasn't spoken to Mr Kelly about the remarks, but said they don't reflect the government's view on Russia's involvement in the "murderous" crime.
"They certainly warranted an apology, which I understand he has made," Mr Turnbull told reporters in Sydney on Thursday.
He called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to co-operate with the prosecution.
"We hold Russia responsible for the shooting down of that plane just four years ago."
Mr Kelly said that as much as he would like to "shirt-front" President Putin, the world needed the US and Russia to have a good relationship
"That doesn't mean you forgive and forget anything the Russians did," he said.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said there was no excuse for the remarks, while Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese said it was a pathetic apology.
"He is a bonehead who has caused enormous damage," Mr Albanese told 5AA radio.
Australian Associated Press
