‘Really angry’: Jacinda Ardern’s tensions with Scott Morrison revealed

NZ’s envoy to Australia reveals the simmering tensions between Jacinda Ardern and the Morrison government over migration policies.

Jacinda Ardern berated Scott Morrison over Australia’s migration policies. Picture: NCA Newswire / Picture Calum Robertson

New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Australia has revealed the simmering tensions between Jacinda Ardern and the Morrison government over migration policies, saying the NZ Prime Minister at one point became “really angry” with Scott Morrison.

In an interview with AAP ahead of her retirement in December, Annette King said the 501 deportation policy – under which Australia deported NZ criminals even if they had never lived in NZ – was a particular bone of contention.

In 2020 Dame Jacinda confronted then PM Morrison over the policy, telling him in front of reporters: “Do not deport your people and your problems”.

“It certainly upset the Morrison government … the previous government was angry with her for raising it (even though) she had already warned that she would,” Dame Annette said.

“She berated ScoMo on his treatment of New Zealanders. It was a really important signal back home to New Zealand.”

However, she added: “There was no way there was going to be any change under the previous government.”

Jacinda Ardern with Anthony Albanese and his dog Toto. Picture: Instagram.

But it was the Morrison government’s 2021 decision to strip the citizenship of a dual Australian-NZ national who had travelled to Syria to join ISIS that really infuriated his counterpart.

“ (Ardern) was brilliant on that issue because it was a surprise to us. The way it was presented to her, it left her really angry,” Dame Annette said. “Friends don’t do that to each other. I don’t think you’ll ever see that happen again.”

At the time, Dame Jacinda publicly slammed Australia for “exporting its problems,” but went on to agree to work with Canberra to solve the issue.

Dame Annette said the way the former NZ PM stood up to Canberra showed the much smaller country should do so more often.

“New Zealanders are known to be polite. And Australians are seen to be straightforward. You’re never left in doubt what Australia thinks,” she said.

“We could take a leaf out of Australia’s book actually and be polite with purpose.

“If Australia is thinking something, at an officials level or a political level, they will tell you, where we will listen politely.

“But you saw from Jacinda Ardern’s response to the deportations, the 501s, and to the stripping of citizenship, a public rebuke of Australia that you would not have seen often in the past.”

Dame Jacinda’s relationship with Anthony Albanese is warmer, with the PM giving New Zealanders a number of concessions, including allowing New Zealanders who have lived in Australia for four years to get citizenship.

Mr Albanese has also loosened the 501 rule, with fewer Kiwis deported if they don’t have real ties to the country.

“Just after Albanese became the prime minister, she came straight over and had dinner with him at Kirribilli House,” Dame Annette said. “He reaffirmed to her what he was going to do. He was incredibly enamoured with her advocacy.”

She added that apart from the “irritant on the people-to-people stuff,” for the most part Mr Morrison and Dame Jacinda enjoyed a good working relationship.