Stay firm over Manus standoff

The contrast between Greens MP Adam Bandt’s ranting over the Manus Island refugee standoff and the civility of Malcolm Turnbull and New Zealand’s new Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at their joint media conference yesterday was stark. Mr Bandt’s grubby labelling of Peter Dutton as a “terrorist” on Saturday in Melbourne irresponsibly inflamed a tense situation. Mr Bandt’s words — “To look at the face of Peter Dutton is to look into the cold eyes of someone who is prepared to kill someone for political gain” — were a disgrace, especially from a parliamentarian. Barrister Julian Burnside’s endorsing the idea of a sports boycott of Australia by the rest of the world over the issue is also deplorable, as well as unpatriotic.

Ms Ardern, in restating New Zealand’s offer to take 150 refugees, first made to Julia Gillard four years ago, showed she was well aware of the difficulty Australia faced in relation to the Manus impasse. Mr Turnbull, wisely, responded that while Australia was grateful and would keep the offer on the table, the priority was to ensure as many as possible of the 1250 refugee places agreed with the US were filled. The government believes, correctly, that if any of the 587 men were sent to New Zealand, it would be a “pull” factor for people-smugglers to resume their trade. That would be in neither Australia’s nor New Zealand’s interests. It would presage a further wave of tens of thousands of refugees, with hundreds more likely to die at sea. Ms Ardern appeared to understand, despite New Zealand Labour’s promise to challenge Australia’s “draconian” immigration laws in regard to more than 150 New Zealanders being held in detention here on character and immigration grounds.

Close co-operation across the ditch is vital. It is unlikely Mr Turnbull will have the same rapport with Ms Ardern as he did with his friend and political kinsman John Key and his successor, Bill English. But as Mr Turnbull noted, John Howard worked closely with Ms Ardern’s Labour predecessor, Helen Clark. Regardless of their differences, Mr Turnbull and Ms Ardern are off to a good start, showing sense and goodwill over an issue vital to both nations.