Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has wasted no time getting his picture snapped with New Zealand’s high-flying leader after an opportunistic selfie with Jacinda Ardern.
Ardern arrived in Australia yesterday on an RNZAF jet with an entourage of Government officials ahead of talks with Turnbull.
But before formal talks began today, Turnbull and his wife Lucy welcomed Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford into their exclusive Point Piper mansion for dinner and drinks.
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In a post to Instagram, Turnbull welcomed Ardern and Gayford to Sydney in style.
“Welcome @jacindaardern & Clarke to Sydney. Thanks for joining us for dinner at home tonight. See you tomorrow!” he wrote in his post with an image of the four overlooking Sydney’s bright lights.
Welcome @jacindaardern & Clarke to Sydney. Thanks for joining us for dinner at home tonight. See you tomorrow! A post shared by Malcolm Turnbull (@turnbullmalcolm) on Mar 1, 2018 at 3:01am PST
The trip is Ardern’s first formal visit to Australia since becoming Prime Minister in October. She made a brief trip to Sydney last year to uphold the tradition of all new prime ministers visiting Australia at the first opportunity.
Ardern, joined by seven ministers, is expected to see if she can budge Australia’s deportee policy, which has affected hundreds of Kiwi expats.
Recent tensions between the two countries were sparked following Ardern’s vocal stance on Australia’s Nauru problem where medical needs of refugees and asylum seekers have been neglected.
It’s not the first time Turnbull has hosted a New Zealand leader. Former Prime Minister Sir John Key and wife Bronagh were invited to stay at his Sydney mansion.
The sleepover was dubbed “pyjama diplomacy” by the Australian media.
Images of Key and Turnbull kayaking together also surfaced during the Kiwi’s visit to Australia when in charge of the country.
Ardern’s meeting with Turnbull comes just a week after 60 Minutes reporter Charles Wooley was slammed for an interview described as “patronising” and “repugnant”.
