NZ politician blasts Ardern’s silence on Charlotte Bellis

Chris Bishop blasts the PM, saying it is extraordinary Australia offered a ‘safe haven’ for pregnant journalist Charlotte Bellis before her own country.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has remained silent on the return of stranded journalist Charlotte Bellis. Picture: Getty Images

New Zealand Nationals MP Chris Bishop says it is “extraordinary” and “embarrassing” that Australia offered consular support for stranded pregnant journalist Charlotte Bellis before the New Zealand government, accusing the Ardern government of providing help after it was portrayed negatively in the international media.

In an interview on Sky News, Mr Bishop blasted the New Zealand government for initially rejecting Ms Bellis’ application to return home from Afghanistan to give birth to her child, saying whenever Jacinda Ardern is portrayed negatively in the international media, she backflips to protect her own image.

“Clearly there has been a lot of media interest here in New Zealand and in Australia and it’s started to make headlines around the world,” Mr Bishop said, adding that the Ardern government was forced to change its stance because of the international backlash.

“The one thing the Ardern government is very, very keen on is that international headlines are positive and in this case it’s negative and whenever there is a bit of media pressure they flip their decisions,” he said.

Ms Bellis, who is 25 weeks pregnant and currently based in Kabul, was eventually offered a place in New Zealand hotel quarantine last week, after her emergency application to return home was rejected because of a bottleneck in the system.

Journalist Charlotte Bellis, a New Zealand reporter for Al Jazeera. Picture: Instagram

The 35-year-old foreign correspondent, who wrote a scathing opinion piece for The New Zealand Herald about her treatment, said she was stranded in Afghanistan with her partner and was forced to turn to the Taliban for help.

Mr Bishop said the New Zealand public was not yet aware that she was offered “safe haven” by Australia before her own government.

“It’s going to be seriously embarrassing when that comes out to be honest. We have a journalist in Afghanistan, pregnant, unmarried, offered haven by the Taliban and by Australia, but not by her own government. I think most Kiwis will find that extraordinary.”

Mr Bishop said Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins, who has spoken publicly about the case, was now facing potential legal action from Ms Bellis, after he allegedly breached her privacy by revealing she had been approached by New Zealand officials.

“The Minister said that Charlotte Bellis had been offered consular assistance on two occasions. The only way he knows that is because he was told that by government officials and he made that public without a waiver and there is potential legal action now being talked about,” he said.

The Ardern government denied suggestions on Tuesday it had granted Ms Bellis a place in hotel quarantine because of the international media attention.

Ms Ardern has made no public statement about the matter.