PM Anthony Albanese signals softening of ‘501’ rule kicking out criminal Kiwis

Australia has signalled a softening of a divisive rule which has resulted in thousands of New Zealanders convicted of crimes being deported, regardless of how much time they had spent across The Ditch.

Australia has signalled a softening of a divisive rule which has resulted in thousands of New Zealanders convicted of crimes being deported regardless of how much time they had spent across the ditch.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, after his first meeting with New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to keeping the “501” rule in the Migration Act which deports visa holders — mainly kiwis — who commit crimes in Australia.

But he also flagged the need for dealing with the concerns of New Zealand in a “mature way” and with “common sense”.

Harsh implementation of the rule has been a “bugbear” of the New Zealand government for years, as it has not taken into account whether the convicted person has any ties to their country of citizenship, with many living in Australia since they were children.

Queensland has the largest share of the Kiwi diaspora in the country, with nearly 40 per cent or 220,000 people born in New Zealand living in the state as of 2016 figures.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

Mr Albanese said it was “not surprising” that Ms Ardern had been “very forceful” in her views on the deportation policy.

“We have listened to those views. We will work through some of those issues between now, and we’ll have a ministerial meeting, a leaders’ meeting, coming next month,” he told reporters in Sydney on Friday.

“And we’ll work through with our department, work through the implementation of the way that section 501 has been dealt with. But we’ve listened to the concerns and there’s more work to do.”

Ms Ardern, the first foreign leader to visit Mr Albanese since he became Prime Minister, said New Zealand was not asking for Australia to remove its deportation policy — only to amend it.

“There are those who are being deported from Australia who, for all intents and purposes, are Australian,” she said.

“Often zero connection to New Zealand. Sometimes not even having stepped foot there. That’s the place that we’re asking for that consideration to be given.

“So, anyone who claims that is somehow going to make Australia less safe, that is not true and it is not fair.”

Ms Ardern said she saw the change of government in Australia as an “opportunity for a reset” because there had been “some points of friction” with the previous government.

“The ability that we have, to have those conversations in an open manner … just demonstrating that understanding of where that tension has come from … Obviously, there’s some work to do. But in my mind, yes, this does represent a reset,” she said.

The pair also discussed climate change policy, with Ms Ardern saying she was “heartened” by the new Labor government’s more ambitious 43 per cent emissions reductions target by 2030.

Both leaders also reiterated that Australia and New Zealand were “lock-step” on views about China’s growing influence in the Pacific.

Originally published as PM Anthony Albanese signals softening of ‘501’ rule kicking out criminal Kiwis