‘No regrets:’ Dutton backs Australia’s tough deportation laws after criticism from Jacinda Ardern

Peter Dutton has lashed out at New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern after she escalated her attack on Australia’s tough rules for foreign criminals. Last week Ms Ardern used a media conference alongside Prime Minister Scott Morrison to attack the policy, which has seen about 2000 criminals sent back to New Zealand. “Do not deport your people and your problems,” she said. Mr Dutton said her comments were “regrettable” but he did not resile from the policy. “New Zealand obviously is in an electoral cycle at the moment,” Mr Dutton told Sky News on Monday. “It is, I think, regrettable that she made the comments but that would have played well domestically for her.” Australia’s policy of deporting foreign-born criminals has placed deep strain on trans-Tasman relations for several years. “I think for Australia we act in our national interest and her job is to act in the national interest of New Zealanders, so I don’t think there is any surprise there,” Mr Dutton said. “But I don’t have any regrets about the numbers of visas we’ve cancelled, particularly the people who have committed sexual offences against women and children.” Ms Ardern raised the example of a woman who had left NZ at the age of one but had been deported from Australia. ‘DON’T DEPORT YOUR PROBLEMS’: ARDERN LECTURES PM On Friday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has pleaded Scott Morrison not to “deport your people and your problems” in an escalation of her attack on Australia’s tough rules for foreign criminals. Ms Ardern earlier pledged to discuss Canberra’s “corrosive” deportation policy, which has seen New Zealand citizens who have committed crimes sent back to the country even if they have spent most of their lives in Australia. New Zealand claims there have been more than 2000 deportations, including the high-profile cases of AFL star Dustin Martin’s father who was sent back after living in Australia for 20 years because of links to the Rebels bikie gang. “Australia is well within its right to deport individuals who break your laws,” Ms Ardern said at a press conference. “New Zealand does the same. But we have a simple request - send back Kiwis. Genuine Kiwis. Do not deport your people and your problems. “I have heard countless cases of individuals who on any common sense test identify as Australians.” Ms Ardern said she heard stories through the New Zealand judiciary that people who had been deported were struggling to reintegrate or rehabilitate. “The success of these rehabilitations programs are reliant on a network of people, a network of family, and they have none of their those,” she said. “I’m not asking Australia stops the policy. You have deported more than 2000 individuals, and among them will be genuine Kiwis who do need to learn the consequences of their actions. “But among those 2000 are individuals who are too young to become criminals on our watch, they were too young to become patched gang members, too young to be organised criminals.” Mr Morrison said Australia wouldn’t be changing the relevant part of the Migration Act. “You commit a crime here, if convicted, once you have done your time, we send you home. That’s what the Australian policy is. And that policy is framed in Australia’s national interests,” Mr Morrison said. He suggested New Zealand was free to take the same position — that’s something the Kiwi Opposition has flagged. “We would have no objection to any country, anywhere, who would apply the same rule in terms of Australian citizens who commit crimes in other places. We would think that was totally understandable and we wouldn’t take any offence,” Mr Morrison said. He added he respected the position taken by Ms Ardern, but said it was in Australia’s national interest to deport non-citizens who had committed crimes. He recommended Kiwis living here consider becoming Aussie citizens to avoid the risk. “When you become a citizen, well, you have joined the club and if you violate our laws at that point, then that is on our watch and Australia has to take care of those situations,” Mr Morrison said. “But if you’re non-citizen, our very clear view - and our government is well-known for our clear views when it comes to issues of immigration and border security - if you have committed a crime and you’re not a citizen of Australia then you have no right to stay.” Coronavirus dominated their private discussions, Ms Ardern said.