Albanese signals new rights for Kiwis in Oz

‘Common-sense’ approach on 501s promised after talks with Ardern

"We don’t want people to be temporary residents forever." Australian PM Anthony Albanese

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a major shift on the contentious “501” deportations policy towards New Zealanders and vowed to work on pathways to citizenship and grant voting rights to residents.

Albanese stated while Australia would retain the right to deport people it would now be done in a “common-sense” approach based on “actions of friends”.

“In situations where someone had lived their entire life in Australia and they have no connection to New Zealand we will work through it as friends and in a common-sense way.”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met with Albanese yesterday morning in the final stop of her fiveday visit to Australia.

Albanese said they had a “very successful discussion”, that also reflected the “reset” between the countries as announced during Ardern’s previous visit.

“There are no closer friends than Australia and New Zealand,” Albanese said after emerging from formal talks.

Albanese announced a range of reviews into policies affecting New Zealanders living in Australia, including pathways to citizenship, voting rights of residents, and deportations.

The topic has long been a sore point between the countries. Australians living in New Zealand are granted a range of rights and services — including a guaranteed pathway to citizenship and the ability to vote — but this is not reciprocated across the Tasman.

“We don’t want people to be temporary residents forever. We will work on pathways to citizenship with a timeline of Anzac Day 2023,” Albanese said.

He said he and Ardern and ministers would work to ensure there were equal rights in their respective countries.

Meanwhile, “unilaterally”, Australia would look into voting rights of residents.

“In New Zealand if you are a resident for a year you have voting rights, are able to participate fully in those processes,” he said.

As part of the normal review process after a federal election, Albanese said they would look at returning systems of giving New Zealand people living in Australia, who are paying taxes, voting rights.

“I think it is a really commonsense position, to at least examine,” he said.

On the 501s deportation policy, Albanese said the action around that would now be one of “friends”. Ardern had “not been backward in raising the issue” in their discussions, he said.

Australia would continue to deport people, but “common sense” would apply, he said.

Ardern and Albanese also discussed new decisions, including having annual meetings with economic and international ministers, along with respective climate ministers.

This would focus on the shift to clean energy in the economy, Albanese said. There would also be foreign affairs and defence minister meetings.

Ardern said bringing the climate portfolio into the bilateral exchanges was important not only for the two countries working together but how they operated in the wider Pacific.

On the Pacific Islands Forum, Albanese said they were looking to engage with the Pacific family, on issues of climate change, and maritime security.

On the Pacific Island Forum and the China and Solomon Islands deal, Ardern said based on the Biketawa Declaration, regional security issues were for the forum.

New Zealand was clearly opposed to the militarisation of the Pacific, she said.