Liberal Party backbench MP Craig Kelly is apologizing for telling a man to "look over" Russia's involvement in the plane disaster than killed the man's three young children.

However, Kelly insists he was misquoted.

“If my comments were taken out of context and have been blown up I certainly apologise to everyone,” said Kelly on Radio National.  "However, what a disappointment that people have taken my comments and actually taken advantage for political reasons to blow them up and have caused additional pain to those families."

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in 2014, when it passed over eastern part of Ukraine where local forces had been battling Russian-backed rebels.  A Russian-made Buk missile fired from rebel-occupied territory struck the flight, causing it to break apart as it crashed.  All 298 passengers and crew were killed, including 38 Australians.  Australia and the Netherlands have clearly and unambiguously blamed Russia for the attack.

Three of the the victims were Perth resident Anthony Maslin's young children Mo, Evie, and Otis.  When Donald Trump held his fawning news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, Maslin said he was disgusted with Trump "kissing the arse" of the Russian leader.

But Kelly replied that "nothing is going to bring those three kids back", and that Mr. Maslin should let it go because "it is best in my opinion that the leader of the USA and the leader of Russia at least have a good talking relationship".

John and Meryn O'Brien's son Jack was 25-years old when he was a passenger on MH17, one of the 298 people who were "minding their own business on a passenger plane" when Russia fired on it and killed them, said Meryn.  They said Kelly's original comments were "beyond the pale" and welcomed his apology.

PM Turnbull agreed Kelly should have apologized and his government's position is that the Kremlin is responsible.  "We expect Russia to co-operate with the prosecution and we will continue to do everything we can to bring those who killed the passengers on that plane and the crew to account," Turnbull said in Sydney, "That is what justice cries out for."

Shadow foreign minister Penny Wong said, "We don't and we won't overlook the loss of Australian lives, that is not who we are."