By Jake Evans for the ABC
Christopher Luxon and Anthony Albanese had a conversation on Thursday over the issue. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has received a direct warning from New Zealand's prime minister in a phone call over plans to rewrite orders around deporting criminal Kiwis.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon spoke with Albanese on Thursday morning to express his displeasure with the Australian government's promise to rewrite the contentious 'ministerial direction 99', which made it easier for Kiwis convicted of serious crimes but who had few connections to New Zealand to remain in Australia.
Direction 99 was first issued by Immigration Minister Andrew Giles partly in an effort to pacify New Zealand over its bitterness that Australia deported violent criminals to NZ even if they had spent nearly all their lives in Australia.
It guided decision-makers reviewing appeals for cancelled visas to add weight to a person's connections to Australia in deciding whether to reinstate that person's visa or not.
Albanese confirmed it would be rewritten yesterday amid controversy over a man charged with murder, whose cancelled visa was reinstated just weeks before the alleged crime in part due to Giles' direction.
At a press conference, Luxon said he called Albanese as soon as he learned of the decision to effectively reverse Australia's position on deportations.
"We'll be advocating very strongly. I raised my concerns with the prime minister yesterday morning during our phone call," Luxon said.
"We understand Australia is a sovereign nation and it can make its own decisions, but we have great concern about that decision because we don't think that people who have very little attachment to this country but with strong connections to Australia should be deported here."
Luxon said he had been reassured by Albanese that a "common sense approach would remain".
Christopher Luxon is hoping common sense will prevail. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Speaking on ABC Radio Sydney, the prime minister said non-citizen criminals who "represent a threat to the community" should be deported.
"I informed him of what our view was, and he is very conscious of that, but we determine our policies," Albanese said.
- ABC
