New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the election victory of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signalled a “reset” to Trans-Tasman relations.
Albanese and Ardern met on Thursday evening for an informal dinner before holding bilateral meetings on Friday.
“I do see this as an opportunity for a reset because there were obviously some points of friction,” Ardern said, referring to its relationship with the previous government.
Australia’s visa cancellation policy under section 501 of the migration act has seen countless people deported to New Zealand after failing a “character test” for being involved in criminal activity.
Ardern said her government was not asking Australia to remove its deportation policy but reconsider the deportation of people with no connection to New Zealand and Kiwis who have stayed in Australia for so long that they were “essentially Australians.”…