'Defies common sense': Peter Dutton takes aim at school climate strikers

Peter Dutton has taken aim at school students who protested about inaction on climate change, saying they would be sitting in the dark without coal-fired power.

School students take part in a climate change strike in Brisbane last year. Source: AAP

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has laid the boot into Australian students who skipped school to rally against inaction on climate change.

Nearly 40,000 students took the day off school last Friday to participate in strikes around the country.

School students take part in a climate change strike in Brisbane last year. Source: AAP

Mr Dutton said it was "100 per cent right" to suggest people would be left to sit in the dark if coal-fired power was stripped from the grid for 48 hours.

"Let the teachers tell their students that and go out on strike - but their mobile phones aren't being charged," he told 2GB radio on Thursday.

Peter Dutton has slammed school students who protested about inaction on climate change. Source: AAP

"This is how stupid the debate's gotten, it defies common sense."