Activist group GetUp! has withdrawn a controversial ad targeting former prime minister Tony Abbott following a backlash from lifesavers.

The advertisement – which was due to air in cinemas next week – featured a Mr Abbott lookalike refusing to save a drowning person while devouring an onion.

A passer-by urges the Abbott impersonator to assist the struggling swimmer.

“Look, I think you’ll find the science isn’t settled on that. Why should we act first?” he responds.

WATCH THE PULLED ADVERTISEMENT

The impersonator’s remarks reflected comments made by the former prime minister during a speech to the Global Warming Policy Foundation, a climate sceptic think-tank, in 2017.

“So far it is climate change policy that is doing harm; climate change itself is probably doing good – or at least more good than harm,” Abbott told his London audience.

But on Wednesday, the lobby group admitted it was wrong in publishing the ad, saying it had the greatest respect for Australian lifesavers and apologised for the “insensitivity of [its] timing and subject matter”.

Political campaigning in this country has reached some pretty low levels over recent years. The lying & scare tactics as examples. BUT that #GetUp lifesaver ad mocking Tony Abbott has reached an all time low. #Election2019 #auspol

— Kate🦋M© (@Kate3015) April 23, 2019

#GetUpTrashInWarringah On the weekend 2 great Volunteers , a Dad & Son lost their lives, trying to save a tourist, there has been a Minutes Silence amongst their colleagues , shame, shame, shame on GetUp + STEGGALL for even considering that this add should be aired, now

— Marlene Cameron @MarlsClayfield NO threads please (@Marlsclayfield) April 23, 2019

Seven people drowned in Australia across the Easter long weekend. They included a father and daughter in South Australia and volunteer lifesavers – 32-year-old Andy Powell and his 71-year-old father Ross Powell – who had rescued a tourist off Port Campbell on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten condemned GetUp! while distancing himself from the “grossly disrespectful” ad.

“Some of the stuff they say I haven’t agreed with, some of the stuff they’ve said in the past, I have, but this ad is well out of line,” the Labor leader said.

Royal Life Saving Australia chief executive Justin Scarr also expressed his distaste.

Yeah, nah. @GetUp terrible week for drowning or lifesaving references. Poor taste. Nothing funny about drowning https://t.co/zJnIfj944h

— Justin Scarr (@JustinScarr) April 23, 2019

The GetUp! ad will be replaced with a “more literal” version featuring footage of Mr Abbott joking with Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton in 2015 about “water lapping at [the] door” of the Pacific Islands due to rising sea levels.

GetUp! said it believed the new approach would “better accomplish” its goal.

“The intention of our campaign is to focus on Tony Abbott’s callous inaction on climate change, at a time when the World Health Organisation warns the annual death toll from climate change will reach 250,000 a year,” GetUp! told the ABC.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Abbott called on GetUp! to apologise to Australia’s 150,000-plus surf lifesavers “for mocking what they do”.

“Forget me,” he tweeted.

Forget me, but @GetUp should apologise to Australia’s 150,000 plus surf lifesavers for mocking what they do. https://t.co/3uvNyT8ZL2

— Tony Abbott (@HonTonyAbbott) April 23, 2019

GetUp!’s widely criticised advertisement follows a ‘misogynistic’ video published by the conservative lobby group Advance Australia last week.

The clip showed the group’s satirical superhero Captain GetUp gyrating against a billboard featuring Zali Steggall, Mr Abbott’s main challenger for his seat of Warringah.

-with AAP