Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the Australian Government is being overly sensitive about New Zealand’s offer to take Manus Island refugees.
Ardern’s comments come after Australia’s deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce sent a message to Ardern about Manus Island, telling Newstalk ZB: “I think it’s best if you stay away from another country’s business. I find that’s because others will return the favour at a time that is opportune to them”.
Today, Ardern said she was aware of Joyce’s comments.
“I have to admit that I do think it is curious that it is still coming up. It is not something obviously that we are still discussing here. We made the offer, and as far as I’m concerned that is that. I notice that the offer still remains on the table.
“We made the offer and that is that. It only seems to be the Australians that seem to continue to raise the issue.”
Asked if the Australians were being overly sensitive about New Zealand’s offer, given it was made under the previous National-led Government, Ardern said she did.
“There is nothing from our perspective that has changed to cause the ongoing commentary.”
Joyce was sworn in again on December 6 after being forced to go to a byelection because he was found, unwittingly, to have New Zealand citizenship and dual citizens are ineligible to service in the Australian Parliament.
He did not mention Ardern by name when speaking on Newstalk ZB, but his comments were clearly directed at her repeated offers for New Zealand’s to take up to 150 refugees from Australia’s offshore processing centres in Papua New Guinea and Nauru.
She also announced last month New Zealand would give $3 million to help with the refugees, which is understood to have offended the Australia Government.
Joyce said that Australia had a tough policy on boat arrivals to stop the thousands of arrivals and over 1000 drownings of people.
“That can’t go on and it did stop and that’s precisely what we wanted,” Barnaby Joyce told Larry Williams.
Asked if New Zealand should back off, he said: “I think it’s best if you stay away from another country’s business. I find that’s because others will return the favour at a time that is opportune to them.”
“Let’s respect countries'' sovereignty and let the sort out their own issues,” he said.
“And if you are going to talk to them at all, talk to them quietly and discreetly, off the record, not via telephone, not via TV.”
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Ironic that it is the (until recently) dual Kiwi/Aussie Deputy PM, Barnaby Joyce, who offers that advice: "I, Barnaby Joyce, of both NZ and Australian citizenship (well, until recently), advise you that I think it is best if you stay away from another country’s business, because others will return the favour at a time that is opportune to them”.
So there - you've been told. Keep your noses out of Aussies' business.
And that's advice coming from one Kiwi, to all of ewes.
Australians are sensitive because they know full well that they are being inhuman bullies in their treatment of these refugees. Australia should be charged with Crimes Against Humanity for this atrocity. Now they are telling refugees that they must abandon their families if they want help, how evil is that?
New Zealand should immediately change its flag so as to avoid being mistaken from these people that control all the major parties in Australian politics.
Was it not always thus? Aussies dish it out, but can't take it.
Aussies are NOT being oversensitive. They know very well if the "refugees" go to NZ they will end up straight away in Oz. There's a very good reason why the Aussies don't want them. Not very bright of Jacinda.