Tread carefully, says Brownlee

‘‘I think you’ve got to have a reasonable dialogue and that’s why I say by all means raise the issue, but do so with a degree of caution and understanding.’’ National foreign affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern should ‘‘proceed with caution’’ when criticising Australia’s handling of refugees on Manus Island, says National foreign affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee.

Ardern visited Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Sydney earlier this month and recommitted New Zealand’s offer to accept 150 refugees and asylumseekers from its detention centres.

The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen on Manus Island where 400 refugess have barricaded themselves inside the closed facility, fearing for their safety.

Yesterday (NZ time), Ardern strengthened her comments about Australia’s handling of the situation while talking to media at the Apec summit in Vietnam.

‘‘We made the offer because we saw a great need. No matter what label you put on it there is absolute need and there is harm being done.

‘‘I see the human face of this and I see the need and role New Zealand needs to play. I think it’s clear that we don’t see what’s happening there as acceptable, that’s why the offer’s there.’’

But Brownlee said while nobody was ‘‘immune to the suffering those people on Manus Island are undergoing’’, it was not a ‘‘straight-forward matter’’.

‘‘I think if the prime minister is going to raise the issue again it should be a case of proceeding with caution and with a degree of respect for the wider problem.’’

The issue was one Australia has been dealing with for a long time as New Zealand’s trans-Tasman neighbour tries to protect its borders from illegal entry.

He said some in the Australian Government would be ‘‘surprised’’ by Ardern’s criticism. ‘‘In the end, you’re not going to make any progress by embarrassing them.

‘‘I think you’ve got to have a reasonable dialogue and that’s why I say, by all means, raise the issue but do so with a degree of caution and understanding there are wider things at play here.’’

If New Zealand took on those refugees and asylum-seekers and they became residents, it would give them access to Australia – ‘‘something many New Zealanders would want to preserve’’.

‘‘It’s interesting we’ve got a Government now of at least two parties who said they want to reduce the numbers of immigration into New Zealand ... but while being critical of Australia, who are trying to deal with illegal entry into their country.’’

Ardern plans to talk further with Turnbull about Manus Island at the East Asia Summit in the Philippines.