Anthony Albanese flags giving New Zealanders in Australia voting rights

Anthony Albanese and Jacinda Ardern have made a major announcement for New Zealanders living in Australia.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hatched the plan with Anthony Albanese this week. Picture: AFP

New Zealanders living and working in Australia could soon be given the right to vote in elections, Anthony Albanese has revealed.

The Australian Prime Minister made the major announcement standing beside his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern after their leaders’ meeting in Sydney on Friday.

Mr Albanese said he would ask a parliamentary committee to consider the change, as part of the “normal review process” that occurs after a federal election in Australia.

“We’ll be asking the (committee) to consider whether there’s a way to return to systems that have existed in the past of giving New Zealand people who are here in Australia — contributing to society, paying taxes, working — voting rights here in Australia as well,” he said.

“We won’t pre-empt those processes, but it is, I think, a really commonsense position to at least examine over coming months.”

The two prime ministers hatched the plan during Ms Ardern’s trip to Sydney — her second visit to Australia since Mr Albanese was elected prime minister in May.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern along with key ministers during an Australia-New Zealand Leaders meeting on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Ms Ardern and Mr Albanese spoke to reporters on Friday morning after two days of meetings with some of their respective cabinet ministers and a delegation of kiwi business leaders.

The two leaders outlined some of their plans for a “reset” of the relationship, including proposed changes to immigration laws so that no New Zealander or Australian is “rendered permanently temporary”.

Mr Albanese said their two governments would work on a new pathway to Australian citizenship for New Zealanders by Anzac Day 2023.

Ms Ardern said: “We’ve long argued that New Zealanders are Australia’s best migrants, and I don’t say that lightly. It’s borne out by the facts.”

“If you look at the census, New Zealanders tend to translate into citizenship at a rate of about 30%. For other nationalities in Australia, it’s closer to 60%, so that demonstrates some of the barriers that exist,” she said.

Mr Albanese also said he would apply “common sense” to dealing with people deported under Australia’s “501” deportation policy who had no real relationship with New Zealand.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outlined a “reset” between Australia and New Zealand. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

The policy has been used primarily to deport New Zealand citizens with criminal convictions, even if they have lived their entire lives in Australia.

It has been a source of controversy, as well as tension between the two countries since it was introduced by the Australian Coalition government in 2014.

Mr Albanese on Friday said the Australian government would continue to deport people “when appropriate”.

“Where you have a circumstance where someone has lived their entire life effectively in Australia with no connection whatsoever to New Zealand, then common sense should apply,” he said.

“And we’ll act as friends and we’ll work through those issues in a common sense way.”

Ms Ardern and Mr Albanese also reiterated their joint commitment to economic and defence co-operation, engaging with their smaller Pacific island neighbours, and tackling climate change.