Managing an ungracious guest

Perhaps New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is feeling the pressure of the close election race she is facing across the Tasman. But her ungracious “do not deport your problems’’ com­ments as she stood beside Scott Morrison on the shore of Sydney Harbour on Friday were feeble and irritating.

Most of the 1240-plus comments posted by our readers online thought Ms Ardern was out of line in trying to lecture her host. She told Mr Morrison he should not deport convicted Kiwi-born migrants if they had little or no connection with New Zealand.

Mr Morrison played it cool, greeting his guest’s whinge with a smile and a restatement of Australia’s position: “If you’re a 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.’’

A few St Jacinda groupies in the Australian green-left media took her side, claiming she had “lashed’’ Mr Morrison’s “unfair’’ policies. Most Australians, however, and many New Zealanders who have taken out Australian citizenship, prefer to see no-hopers from across the ditch sent back if they break Australian laws.