Ardern calls deportation policy ‘unjust’
The ‘‘corrosive’’ issue of deportation was top of the agenda when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met with her Australian counterpart on Friday.
Earlier, ahead of bilateral talks in Melbourne, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny gifted Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford a cuddly rabbit and a book of Australian animals for baby Neve.
Ardern thanked the pair for a previous gift they gave their daughter, saying she chewed on it all the time.
The lighthearted exchange took place in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Office before a morning tea that was followed by the one-hour official talks.
After the meeting, Ardern told media the time she had with Morrison was useful and as expected, she continued to raise issues around deportation and citizenship.
‘‘If something is unfair and unjust, you don’t let it go.’’
He told her the position of Australia remained the same.
Australia has deported more than 1500 New Zealand citizens since changes were made to Australia’s Migration Act in 2014. Morrison was immigration minister at the time the policy was introduced.
Last week, Australia’s foreign minister Marise Payne told reporters in New Zealand that Australia had no intention of reviewing its policy.
New Zealand absolutely accepted that Australia was within its rights to deport those who have engaged in criminal activity, Ardern said.
However, there were more extreme cases that would not make any sense to any ‘‘fair minded person’’ and she shared examples with him.
New Zealanders did not think the policy was ‘‘fair dinkum’’, she said.
Morrison had registered her concern: ‘‘He knows that I consider it to be corrosive to the relationship’’.
It did not undermine the transtasman
relationship but it could not be taken for granted, she said.
‘‘There is no question, we have a strong friendship. I think it’s the strength of our friendship that I am very open about this being corrosive and we can talk freely with each other.’’
‘‘We do need to speak frankly and I’ll say publicly what I say privately to PM Morrison on this.’’
They also discussed events since they last met, such as the Christchurch Call, the G20 and the deployment decision by New Zealand.
In June, Ardern announced New Zealand troops would soon be coming home from Iraq in the next year.
They also talked about the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum and the Leadership Forum in February. They discussed the work
‘‘There is no question, we have a strong friendship. I think it’s the strength of our friendship that I am very open about this being corrosive and we can talk freely with each other.’’ Jacinda Ardern
they wanted to do on behalf of small businesses and exporters and in particular, e-invoicing.
In February, both prime ministers announced a joint intention to adopt the Pan European Public Procurement Online framework for e-invoicing, which would see the automated direct exchange of invoices between a buyer’s and a supplier’s finance systems.
Ardern and Morrison last met in Christchurch after the March 15 terror attack, where they had an awkward moment – she offered her hand and he went in for a hug.
The meeting with Morrison on Friday was also the first time they met since his re-election.
The opening ‘‘welcome’’ remarks focused on banter around the Black Caps World Cup defeat.
Morrison had supported the Kiwis and sent a text message of support to Ardern.
She enjoyed having the support of so many Australians in the final but wasn’t so sure if New Zealand would have done the same, if the roles reversed, she said.
On a more serious note, Morrison said New Zealand was more than a friend, even closer than the Pacific family.
Ardern said she was grateful she could always pick up the phone to him.
When they met, they got straight down to business, she said.
‘‘Even Jenny and Clarke had to sit through us. We started ticking off things as soon as we saw each other.’’