Comment permalink

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (L) and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison hold a...
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (L) and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison hold a joint press conference at Admiralty House in Sydney today. Photo: Reuters
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has put the boot into her transtasman counterpart, directly challenging Scott Morrison over Australia's deportation policies.

"New Zealand and Australia's relationship is being tested," she said in a joint press conference this afternoon.

Ardern did not mince her words. She directly criticised Morrison – who was standing right next to her – over his Government's policies; namely, the way Kiwis are treated by the Australian Government as well as Morrison's deportation policy.

But Ardern's comments seemingly fell on deaf ears, as Morrison confirmed that Australia would make no changes to its deportation policies.

Australia's policy was "not directed to any one country or any one nationality whatsoever", Morrison said.

"It is a statement of Australia's immigration and border laws that if people that are not citizens commit crimes in Australia, then they have violated the terms of being in this country."

But Ardern said these policies were having a "corrosive" impact on the two countries' relationship.

She was highly critical of the way New Zealanders living in Australia were being treated.

"We appreciate that many Kiwis have taken up the opportunity to live and work in Australia - many more than has happened in reverse," she said.

"Not every Kiwi migrant will be perfect, but evidence shows that the vast majority are providing a net benefit to Australia."

She pointed out that Kiwis in Australia earn more, are more likely to be employed and pay more tax than their Aussie-born counterparts - they are Australia's best migrants.

"But rather than them being given security to keep contributing, in return, their rights have been eroded."

She then moved on to the topic of deportation.

She said Australia was well within its rights to deport individuals who break its laws – New Zealand did the same, she pointed out.

"But we have a simple request. Send back Kiwis, genuine Kiwis - do not deport your people and your problems."

She said Australia had deported more than 2000 individuals and amongst them, there would have been "genuine Kiwis" who do have to learn the consequences of their actions.

But she pointed out that amongst those 2000 were individuals who were too young to become criminals.

"They were too young to become patched gang members. Too young to be organised criminals."

She said the two countries do not want a "race to the bottom" on this issue.

She added that the two leaders remain confident that by continuing to work together, they would find a solution.

"We will own our people. We ask that Australia stop exporting theirs."

Comments

I am a Kiwi who came to Aus in 2002 and as such its almost impossible to become an Aussie.
In contrast the majority of these deportees have, as said been in Aus for decades and have had every opportunity to become Aussies and chose not to or simply couldnt be bothered
Now the chickens have come home to roost as they have lived a life of crime and are now paying the price. Had they naturalised they would still be in Aus but they didnt and now moaning about it. Aus deports people from all countries , not just NZ so they are not being picked on at all.
As Morrison said, they break the law they go to their country of citizenship and why shouldnt they. There are thousands of law abiding Kiwis in Aus who have lived here equally as long and nothing is being done to them as they abide by the law. To say Aus made them into criminals is rubbish. They CHOSE to do it and so you reap as you sow.

So Australia is exporting Aussie criminals to NZ? Tsk, tsk, Jacinda...
Election coming up....!

Are you happy with the invasion of Australian bikers?
Jacinda Ardern is prominent on the world stage and standing up to Australia is commendable.

I agree with Australia on this. These are people whose families migrated to Australia over the last decades. If NZers take children to Australia, and raise them like mongrels, then that is not Australias fault. In fact I would be tempted to send the parents back with them, but in a lot of cases that won't be possible. We should be doing the exact same thing with all migrants who come here and break the law too.