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Pauline Hanson. Photo Getty
Pauline Hanson. Photo Getty
Australian senator Pauline Hanson has taken a swipe at New Zealand's offer to accept asylum seekers from Manus Island, saying it will open a backdoor entry for people smugglers.

It comes as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has recently been pressing Australia's government to allow New Zealand to take 150 of the 400 increasingly desperate detainees, who are refusing to leave the now-closed Manus Island detention centre.

The offer has been rebuffed several times by the Australian Government since National first made it in 2013.

Senator Hanson backed the refusal, saying the easy movement of people between New Zealand and Australia would open a backdoor entry point for people smuggling.

"[New Zealand] taking the refugees is going to send a clear message to these people smugglers and everyone else," she told TV1's Q + A programme on Sunday morning.

"You will end up in New Zealand and you can then actually come across to Australia and that is not what we want."

Senator Hanson's One Nation party has had a poor showing in the Queensland State Election, despite being tipped to do well.

While the outcome of Saturday's election is still undecided, One Nation is yet to pick up a seat as it lost its state leader, Steve Dickson, and star candidate Malcolm Roberts.

Comments

It's very simple. Hanson is right and Ardern is wrong. (and naive) And by the way, I'm a Kiwi.

That's alright. The worry would be if you shared Senator Hanson's politics.

Hanson is correct we need people like her in govement in new Zealand. This may happen when the boat people sail here...egg on PM face then.