Wingnuts will become apoplectic. Jacinda Ardern has deftly but pointedly put Scott Morrison down because of Australia’s inhumane treatment of people who have lived much of their lives in Australia but through the capricious application of policy now find that they are being forcibly removed to New Zealand.
From Henry Cooke at Stuff:
Well, that was something.
Australia and New Zealand might still be the best of friends, but its hard to see much warmth returning to the relationship between Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern after she used a visit to his home turf to directly attack him.
The pair were talking following their annual meeting in Sydney on Friday afternoon, usually a chance to talk up trade initiatives and make some jokes about the rugby. That was not this meeting.
After Morrison delivered some anodyne opening remarks about the countries being drawn together in tragedy Ardern went for the jugular over the vexed issue of Australia’s deportations of New Zealand citizens that are basically Australians.
“Australia is well within its rights to deport individuals who break your laws. New Zealand does the same. But we have a simple request. Send back Kiwis, genuine Kiwis – do not deport your people, and your problems,” Ardern said.
Scomo resembled an opossum caught in the headlights of an approaching truck. It is probably just as well they are protected animals in Australia.
Good on Jacinda for doing this, and her description of the problem, that Australia is exporting Australian made problems that are barely New Zealanders is spot on.
National with its latest tough on crime approach will be hating this. Not only has Jacinda again displayed a backbone of steel but she has again shown that she is one of the most remarkable International leaders.
The justice of her argument is clear. And she has trashed traditional notions of how New Zealand Australia relations are conducted when making her point.
Well done Jacinda.
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