New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has hit out at Australian PM Scott Morrison and his government over its deportation of criminals across the Tasman.
The two countries have an agreement that if someone commits a serious crime while a tourist or migrant in the neighbouring jurisdiction, they're able to deport the perpetrator.
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However, Ms Ardern has taken issue with a few recent deportations and wants Mr Morrison to ensure they're not just sending more problems to New Zealand.
At a live press conference at Kirribilli House, the Kiwi Prime Minister said: "I'm not asking that Australia stops the policy.
"You have deported more than 2,000 individuals, and among them will be genuine Kiwis who do need to learn the consequences of their actions.
"But among those 2,000 are individuals who are too young to become criminals on our watch, they were too young to become patched gang members, too young to be organised criminals.
"We will own our people. We ask that Australia stops exporting theirs.
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"I want to conclude by just reaffirming something I have said often. We will continue to maintain rights for Australians in New Zealand.
"We do not wish to have a race to the bottom. We do remain confident that in time by working together we will find solutions that reaffirm just how important our relationship is to us. And testament to that relationship is the fact that we can raise these issues frankly and we do."
Mr Morrison seemed a little stunned by the statement, despite the same sentiment being expressed to him in private.
But Ms Ardern warned that the policy that the Australian government is employing is 'testing' the relationship between the two countries. The Kiwi leader explained that the government was deporting people who might have been born in New Zealand and then moved across the Tasman with their parents when they were a week old.
While these might be isolated incidents, Ms Ardern says she wants Australia to be more selective with who they deport.
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Morrison was unwavering in the face of these comments, and calmly replied: "We deport non-citizens who have committed crimes in Australia against our community.
"This policy is applied not specific to one country, but to any country whose citizens are here. You commit a crime here, if convicted, once you have done your time, we send you home.
"And we would have no objection to any country - anywhere - who would apply the same rule in terms of Australian citizens who commit crimes in other places. We would think that was totally understandable and we wouldn't take any offence."
Ms Ardern hit back saying sending someone to New Zealand when they have no networks, friends or family there isn't a good use of the policy.
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