Bishop lays into media over trust comment to Ardern
AUSTRALIA Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has lashed out at the Australian media over suggestions she had damaged her government’s ability to work constructively with New Zealand’s incoming Labour government.
‘‘Rubbish,’’ Bishop flatly responded to one journalist on Twitter. ‘‘Read what I actually said.’’
To another, she replied: ‘‘Also rubbish. Read what I said.’’
Bishop says she’s satisfied with PM-elect Jacinda Ardern’s ‘‘explanation’’.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Friday there was no need for Bishop to apologise for a fracas in August in which Bishop said it would be ‘‘very difficult’’ to trust Labour MPs in the event the party formed government – comments newly minted New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described at the time as ‘‘highly regrettable’’.
A Fairfax Media investigation earlier this year led to the revelation that Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce was a dual citizen of Australia and New Zealand – potentially rendering him ineligible to serve in Australia’s Parliament.
The High Court is expected to rule on Joyce’s case, and that of six other current and former parliamentarians, coming days.
The case inflamed tensions between the two countries when it was revealed an Australian Labor figure made contact with NZ Labour MP Chris Hipkins about Joyce’s case, before questions were raised on the matter in New Zealand’s Parliament. The thenMinister of Internal Affairs, Peter Dunne, confirmed it was Fairfax Media’s investigation that led to the discovery of Joyce’s dual citizenship and the subsequent political crisis.
Ardern said Hipkins’ conduct was wrong. ‘‘From my perspec- in tive, we’ve made it clear it shouldn’t have happened but ultimately it was questions raised by the media that caused this situation, rather than questions from us,’’ she said. ‘‘I wanted to make clear our level of involvement because we’ve been implicated far beyond what we should have been.’’
Bishop was scathing about Hipkins’ actions, but went further, saying the matter had the capacity to undermine the transTasman alliance.
‘‘New Zealand is facing an election,’’ Bishop said. ‘‘Should there be a change of government, I would find it very hard to build trust with those involved in allegations designed to under- mine the government of Australia.’’
Asked to doubled down.
‘‘I would find it very difficult to build trust with members of a political party that had been used by the Australian Labor Party to seek to undermine the Australian government,’’ she said.
Ardern later said Bishop’s ‘‘false claims’’ were ‘‘highly regrettable’’, adding that she had registered her disappointment with the Australian High Commission.
Asked if his foreign minister should offer an apology to the incoming New Zealand leader, Turnbull said no. clarify, Bishop Fairfax