Ardern congratulates Albanese on win
WELLINGTON: The Prime Minister has congratulated Australia’s Anthony Albanese following Saturday night’s election.
The Australian Labor Party has won the election, seizing power from the Liberal/National Coalition.
In his victory speech, Mr Albanese said he wanted to bring Australians together ‘‘to seek our common purpose and promote unity and optimism not fear and division’’.
Jacinda Ardern has congratulated him and acknowledged the outgoing Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Ms Ardern said she spoke to Mr Albanese yesterday morning and looked forward to formally meeting him soon.
In a statement, Ms Ardern said they have met before and she has no doubt they will have ‘‘a strong working relationship that will serve both countries well’’.
‘‘Australia is our most important partner, our only official ally and single economic market relationship, and I believe our countries will work even more closely together in these tumultuous times.
‘‘I hope to meet Prime Minister Albanese in the near future, and look forward to working with him on a range of issues including supporting New Zealanders living in Australia, making Transtasman business even easier, deepening our partnership with our close friends in the Pacific, and advancing our interests on the world stage.’’
Ms Ardern said the relationship between Australia and New Zealand was at its best when the two countries worked together, acknowledging mutual interests, shared values and the uniqueness of their perspectives.
Ms Ardern said the two countries needed ‘‘to stand united as allies and whanau, recognising the strength in our diversity’’.
Act New Zealand foreign affairs spokeswoman Brooke van Velden also congratulated Mr Albanese and said the Government should strengthen ties with Australia.
But New Zealand political pollster Stephen Mills told Sunday Morning that he did not expect
Australia’s Labor Party to reverse the policy of deporting criminals to New Zealand.
Mr Mills has been working on
Australia’s Labor Party campaign and said it would be unusual to see the policy reversed.
Mr Mills doubted Labor would
have implemented the policy if it had been in power but it was probably too hard to change it now. — RNZ