WELLINGTON (CU)_Several world leaders and state officials from across the globe congratulated Australia’s Labour leader Anthony Albanese on his victory in Saturday’s election. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the first world leaders to respond to the Labour Party’s win, with both leaders speaking of close diplomatic relations with the newly elected Australian PM.
Meanwhile, the leader of neighbouring New Zealand is also closely watching Albanese’s win over the weekend, with PM Jacinda Ardern hoping that a change in Australia’s leadership would finally mean the end of divisive deportation laws. Under section 501 of Australia’s Migration Act, foreign nationals risk being deported back to their birth country and told never to return in the event that they fail to maintain ‘good character’, a matter which has triggered some frosty discussions with the Kiwi government.
The legislation allows Australia’s Immigration Minister to deport hundreds of people, a majority of whom are from New Zealand, on the basis of ‘bad character’. Meanwhile, the government of New Zealand alleges that many criminals with zero ties to the country are being deported across the Tasman, simply owing to the fact that they were born in New Zealand although they had spent their entire life in Australia.
Joining an interview on breakfast TV on Monday morning, PM Ardern said she hopes relations between the Trans-Tasman nations would improve under Australia’s new leadership. “The prime minister-elect is heading to a Quad meeting. I’m off to the United States,” she said. “We talked about the ability to meet sometime soon so that we can talk face-to-face about those issues.”
Tackling deportation laws is expected to be on the top of her agenda, with the matter being described as a “persistent issue in our relationship”. In the final few days of his election campaign, PM Albanese spoke of plans to make some concessions about the laws but said they would not be completely wiped out. “If people commit serious offences, then action should be taken in Australia’s national interests,” he said at the time. “Jacinda Ardern is someone who I’ve met with here in Australia and also in Wellington and in Auckland. I think she is an outstanding prime minister and I’m sure that we would have a very warm and cordial relationship.”
According to the Kiwi leader, one of the critical issues in relation to the 501 rule is that it even applies to individuals who have had “no connection to New Zealand”. “It’s been a persistent issue in our relationship. That was the part that you saw the prime minister-elect recognise,” PM Ardern said on Monday. “In those early talks I’ve had with Anthony, certainly he knows those are the things I’m keen to discuss… so look, let’s see, let’s have those discussions.”
