Sydney Mardi Gras 2023: Anthony Albanese slammed for wearing jeans and t-shirt to iconic event
Anthony Albanese has copped criticism for wearing jeans and a t-shirt to Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade as he becomes the first Prime Minister to march.
Mr Albanese led the Rainbow Labor float at the iconic parade on Saturday, as the event returned to Oxford Street after two years away during the pandemic.
The Labor leader was joined by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns as he made his way down the inner-city route.
However, the prime minister stuck out like a sore thumb among the other colourful and bejewelled attendees, as he opted for a casual shirt and jeans combo.
The prime minister stuck out like a sore thumb among festival-goers, as he opted for a casual shirt and jeans combo (he is pictured being interviewed during the parade)
Anthony Albanese (pictured with his partner Jodie Haydon) became the first Australian Prime Minister to attend Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade in conjunction with WorldPride 2023
Sydney Morning Herald reporter Amber Schultz shared a video of the leader arriving at the parade, but poked fun at his low-key ensemble.
‘Albo has arrived at Mardi Gras with a disappointing lack of glitter, sequins or fabulousness,’ she tweeted on Saturday night.
‘Cool to have the first PM march but what a missed opportunity to slay in some eyeshadow.’
Though Mr Albanese ignored the opportunity for a bit of glitz and glamour, his partner Jodie Haydon was happy to indulge, sporting a snazzy silver blazer.
Ahead of the parade, the PM warned Australians not to expect too much from him.
‘I won’t try and compete in the fashion stakes,’ Mr Albanese said.
‘Pride is something that we should be proud of, that Australia is moving towards a more and more equal community where everyone is respected, no matter who they love.’
Though Mr Albanese ignored the opportunity for a bit of glitz and glamour, his partner Jodie Haydon was happy to indulge, sporting a snazzy silver sequined blazer
Ahead of the parade, the PM warned Australians not to expect too much for him
It’s not the first time he marched in the parade, with Mr Albanese having taken part in 1983, five years after Mardi Gras' inception as a gay rights protest
Mr Albanese said partygoers needed to pay tribute to the 78ers, the Mardi Gras' first marchers
Hairy chests and oiled stomachs were on full display as revellers partied the night away
It’s not the first time he has marched in the parade, with Mr Albanese having taken part in 1983, five years after Mardi Gras' inception as a gay rights protest.
‘It’s unfortunate that I am the first (prime minister to march), but this is a celebration of modern Australia. We’re a diverse, inclusive Australia and that’s a good thing,’ he told the ABC as waved at the crowd.
‘People want to see that their government is inclusive and represents everyone, no matter who they love, no matter what their identity, no matter where they live. We need to be a country that respects everyone for who they are.’
Mr Albanese said partygoers needed to pay tribute to the 78ers, the Mardi Gras' first marchers, ‘who were thrown in jail for the simple fact of who they were because they happened to be gay of lesbian’.
‘We need to continue to argue for equality.’
Lidia Thorpe confronted police officers marching at Mardi Gras on Saturday night as thousands of scantily revellers partied well into the night
Pictures show the senator for Victoria jumping into the parade route and standing in front of an officer
Elsewhere, Lidia Thorpe confronted police officers marching at Mardi Gras on Saturday night as thousands of scantily revellers partied well into the night.
Pictures show the former Greens Senator jumping into the parade route and confronting a police officer before allegedly shouting ‘f*** the police’.
Senator Thorpe suddenly crashed the police section of the parade and repeatedly yelled her slogan in their faces, witnesses at the scene have claimed.
One reveller told Daily Mail Australia: ‘She came out of nowhere, it took a few seconds for us to realise what was going on.
‘I don’t know how she got into the parade but she ran after the cops as they marched screaming “f**k the police” at them and towards the crowd.
One group appeared to dress as the Sydney Opera house in blue and white complete with sails
Participants take part in the 45th annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade on Oxford Stret opted for blue and purple colours
‘She really got in their faces when she caught up, like inches away. Not what we expected to see tonight.
‘Pride is supposed to be about unity but she was the only one there making it about something else. Shocking, really’.
Thousands of scantily-clad revellers dressed in lingerie, budgie smugglers and leotards partied well into the night as celebrations continued in bars and clubs.
Colourful revellers wrapped in rainbows and sparkling in sequins made a pilgrimage to the queer community’s spiritual home as the celebration returns to Oxford Street after two years away during the pandemic.
Sydney’s Oxford Street is awash with glitter after 300,000 partygoers celebrated the crown jewel of the WorldPride program, which Australia hosted for the first time.
The event follows a blockbuster WorldPride opening concert in the Domain on Friday night, when Kylie Minogue headlined in a performance that included a surprise cameo from her sister Dannii.
Anthony Albanese shops at Myer, Bourke St Mall with girlfriend Jodie Haydon after Australian Open
With all the travelling he’s been doing, it’s no surprise Prime Minister Anthony Albanese needed to make a quick detour to pick up a new suitcase on Friday.
Showing he still has a good eye for a bargain, Mr Albanese was spotted wheeling out a carry-on-sized suitcase he’d bought on the last day of Myer’s stocktake sale in central Melbourne on Sunday.
The Samsonsite carry-on suitcase was on sale for $225, which meant Mr Albanese saved $150 from its normal purchase price of $375.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wheels his recently purchased suitcase in Melbourne
The Prime Minister’s girlfriend Jodie Haydon also picked up something during the last day of the Myer stocktake sale
Girlfriend Jodie Haydon also picked up something from the store as the prime minister looked harried to get his bit of shopping done on the run during what has been a jam-packed week that’s included matches at the Australian Open, a visit to Alice Springs and dining with local MPs.
On Sunday morning, he posted a happy snap of himself having breakfast with Melbourne Labor MP Kate Thwaites.
During the final, won by Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka over Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, Mr Albanese sat between Ms Haydon and an old political rival, former treasurer Peter Costello.
It seemed there was no carry over of animosity between the Labor leader and the sharp-tongued Liberal stalwart of the Howard Coalition governments with Mr Costello and Mr Albanese appearing very relaxed in each other’s company.
Mr Albanese and Ms Haydon looked in a hurry as they made their quick shopping trip in Melbourne
Mr Albanese, who is a keen social tennis player, managed to fit in two nights watching the Australian Open tennis at the Rod Laver Arena.
On Friday he attended the men’s semi-final between Serbian Novak Djokovic and American Tommy Paul before taking in the women’s final on Saturday night.
Mr Albanese (pictured centre) appears to demonstrate a fine point of play to partner Ms Haydon (pictured right) while former Liberal treasurer Tim Costello (pictured left) listens in
At Friday night’s men’s semi-final Mr Costello (pictured right) with Virgin CEO Jayne Hrdlicka (pictured centre)
Mr Albanese (pictured right) watches on as US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy flies the flag for her compatriot Tommy Paul at Friday night’s men’s Australian Open semi-final
During the men’s semi-final, Mr Albanese also showed his diplomacy by sitting with US ambassador Caroline Kennedy, JFKs daughter, who waved an American flag in support of her player.
Perhaps as a nod to his frequent flying, Mr Albanese also sat next to Virgin CEO Jayne Hrdlicka.
Mr Albanese knocked back a beer and also sheepishly responded to a loud call of ‘Albo give us a wave’ that came from the stands, much to the crowd’s delight.
Already on that day, Mr Albanese had been out greeting people to celebrate Chinese Lunar new year.
The day before he had been in the central Victorian city of Bendigo touring the manufacturing site of Bushmasters.
He thanked those making the Australian-designed light-armoured troop carriers, which have been seeing action in the Ukraine after being donated to help Ukrainian troops ward off the Russian invasion.
Mr Albanese was forced to make a quick trip to the centre of Australia on Tuesday to respond to the growing law and order crisis in Alice Springs
On Australia Day, Mr Albanese split his time between morning ceremonies in Canberra and the evening’s concert on the steps of Sydney’s Opera House overlooking the harbour.
He embarked on that after his quick sprint to the centre of Australia, where he spent four hours in Alice Springs responding to the community’s concern over spiralling crime rates, which has become a national talking point.
Mr Albanese has fielded criticism for his frequent trips overseas since become prime minister in May and earned the unflattering nickname of ‘Airbus Albo’ from his detractors.
Before his sudden trip to Alice Springs, Indigenous Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Price criticised Mr Albanese for frequently flying off to foreign destinations while ignoring what was happening in the Northern Territory.
‘You have made several overseas trips in the pursuit of supporting other nations in need yet I cannot understand why you continue to ignore the war zone in the heart of your own nation,’ she wrote in a scathing Facebook post.
Anthony Albanese and girlfriend Jodie Haydon, actor Rachel Griffiths, Bill Gates and Ricky Ponting attend Australian Open 2023 final between Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas: Watch
Djokovic was on fire as he thrashed Tsitsipas from the first set itself making a win on a 6-3 aggregate. On the other hand, Tsitsipas tried to come back stronger with some nice serves, but his efforts went in vain as he lost the second set on a tie break making it a 2-0 lead. Albeit on the third set, the Greek outperformed his first two sets, but that was not enough to stop the Serbian’s experience.
With this win, Novak ended his desolate last year, as he was not able to perform for the Australian Open 2022 because of deportation issues.
Australian Open 2023 finals also saw Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his girlfriend Jodie Haydon, an Australian financial service professional and women’s advocate attending the finals. This was the first time the Prime Minister went with his girlfriend to a sports event.
Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones claims early super access is funding cosmetic surgery
Anthony Albanese’s government has issued an extraordinary warning that cosmetic surgeons are preying on Australians by encouraging them to blow their retirement savings on beauty procedures.
Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones on Tuesday used the example in justifying why the Labor government plans to make it harder for Australians to withdraw their superannuation before retirement.
In comments to be delivered in a speech at the Sydney Institute tonight, Mr Jones suggested existing rules on withdrawing super allowed Australians to blow the money on wasteful spending like cosmetic surgery.
He will also insist the Opposition back the government’s policy, even though the Coalition wants super made available for young people to buy their first home and had allowed up to $20,000 in retirement savings to be accessed in 2020 during the start of the pandemic.
‘There should be political consensus. This is something that should be above politics,’ Mr Jones will say in prepared remarks.
Anthony Albanese’s Labor government is now demanding the Liberal Party roll over and stop opposing its plan to restrict early access to superannuation - so money isn’t spent on cosmetic surgery (the Prime Minister is pictured right with girlfriend Jodie Haydon)
‘We need a legislated objective of superannuation to stop governments trying to use super for anything but retirement incomes.
Early access to super Compassionate grounds: Palliative care for the individual or someone dependent on them. Terminal medical condition: Two registered doctors must conclude someone will die within 24 months. Permanent incapacity: Someone cannot work because of a physical or mental impairment. Financial hardship: This has to be proven to super provider. Advertisement
‘I also want to go further and call out unconscionable behaviour in the private sector.
‘There are surgeons and medical practitioners who view super as their personal river of gold.
‘They are encouraging, and even pressuring, patients to tap into their super for what might be termed life-enhancing procedures like cosmetic surgery.’
Shadow assistant treasurer Stuart Robert, who is based on the Gold Coast, said Labor was more concerned about shoring up super funds than giving individuals choice, with trade unions major investors in industry funds.
‘This is the individual’s money so this attempt is all about Labor’s nation-building scheme, but it is not about the individual and what’s right for them,’ he told ABC Radio on Tuesday.
Early access to superannuation is allowed in situations where someone is permanently incapacitated, has a physical or mental condition that stops them from working, is dying or their loved one is.
Severe financial hardship is also another reason for early access but the onus on the individual to prove they need the cash desperately to their superannuation fund.
Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones (pictured) said the Coalition needed to support Labor’s plan, even though the Opposition wants retirement savings released early so young people can buy their first home
Gold Coast Plastic Surgery’s website encourages Australians to withdraw $1,000 to $10,000 from their super as part of a financial hardship provision.
Under a headline ‘Claiming Superannuation for Surgery’, it cited an Australian Taxation Office rule allowing access to retirement savings if ‘you are in severe financial hardship, or you are in acute or chronic pain that requires medical treatment’.
When you can access your superannuation For those born before July 1, 1960, it’s 55 The rises to 56 for baby boomers born between July 1, 1960 and June 30, 1961 It’s 57 for those born between July 1, 1961 and June 30, 1962 It’s 58 for those born between July 1, 1962 and June 30, 1963 It’s 59 for those born between July 1, 1963 and June 30, 1964 It’s 60 for anyone born after July 1, 1964 Advertisement
‘So you’ve been considering plastic surgery for quite a while now but don’t have the funds for it?,’ it said.
‘Maybe you have heard other people using super for surgery to finance their surgeries.
‘In this article, you will get some insight into current rules which govern superannuation and plastic surgery.’
Mr Jones has been deployed to attack the Opposition after Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced Labor would be introducing new laws to define superannuation and prevent a future government from allowing early access to retirement savings.
Despite both major parties having some policy differences, Mr Jones suggested that any opposition to Labor’s policy would be divisive.
‘This is not the start of a culture war in Canberra,’ he said.
‘It is the start of a uniting conversation for all Australians.’
Australians, however, aren’t all united when it comes to accessing super early, with the former Coalition government in 2020 allowing retrenched workers to grab $20,000 of their retirement savings, in two $10,000 instalments.
Labor said the $36billion withdrawal from superannuation during the early months of the pandemic would leave Australians poorer in retirement.
Labor suggested existing rules on withdrawing super allowed Australians to blow the money on wasteful spending like cosmetic surgery (pictured is human Barbie doll Tara Jayne McConachy in Melbourne)
Mr Jones said almost 40 per cent of applicants at the time earned less $37,000, a level below the full-time minimum wage of $42,255.
‘How tragic that our young and our low income were encouraged by government to do this,’ he said.
‘How irresponsible that this was painted to be a sensible choice.
‘Or worse, their only choice.’
The Liberal Party went to the 2022 election vowing to allow Australians to access $50,000 from their retirement savings to buy their first home.
It would have allowed first-home buyers to invest up to $50,000 or 40 per cent of their superannuation if they had saved for a deposit of at least five per cent.
Australians can already buy an investor property to rent out through a self-managed superannuation fund.
H&R Block’s director of tax communications Mark Chapman said this was allowed provided it was bought for the ‘sole purpose’ of providing retirement benefits.
‘Borrowing criteria for an SMSF are generally much stricter than for a normal property loan which you might take out as an individual and come with higher costs, which need to be taken into account when working out if the investment is worthwhile,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
Despite houses in most capital cities being beyond the reach of average-income earners buying on their own, Mr Jones argued building more homes was the solution.
Making super available for housing deposits will only stimulate demand and therefore increase prices even further, and the government argues only a supply increase will stabilise or reduce prices.
‘Some would say that housing affordability can be addressed by letting people raid their super,’ he said.
‘But this policy is the new clothes of an emperor who doesn’t believe in superannuation.
‘We know that the answer to housing affordability is building new homes.’
Compulsory super debuted in 1992 under a Labor government.
The rate of compulsory super is increasing to 11 per cent, up from 10.5 per cent, from July 1, 2023 and is increasing by half a percentage point every year until it reaches 12 per cent in July 2025.
Anthony Albanese at the Australian Open: Jacinta Price slams PM for leaving Alice Springs for tennis
Anthony Albanese has been slammed for spending three days ‘chugging beers’ at the Australian Open with his partner Jodie - after staying just four hours in the lawless Outback town of Alice Springs.
The Prime Minister spent three nights in Melbourne last week - attending the tennis on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, to watch a semi-final, the women’s final and the men’s final.
Mr Albanese flew in to Melbourne after staying just half a day in Alice Springs, in the red centre of the Northern Territory, last Tuesday - leading to him being slammed as the ‘FIFO (fly in, fly out) PM’.
The town has been grappling with a devastating youth crime wave since alcohol bans in the city lapsed in July.
Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who served as the former deputy mayor of Alice Springs, slammed the prime minister on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese scoffing an ice cream at the tennis with his partner Jodie Haydon and Virgin CEO Jayne Hrdlicka at the men’s singles final on Sunday
The PM was blasted for ‘chugging beers’ by Senator Jacinta Price. Mr Albanese at the tennis semi-finals on Friday
Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said seeing the PM at the tennis was a ‘kick in the guts’ to Northern Territory locals
‘It’s an insult and a kick in the guts for the people of Alice Springs to see the PM spending more time relaxing and chugging back beers at the tennis than what he did on the ground in Alice Springs,’ Senator Price told reporters.
‘The threats and mayhem haven’t stopped.
‘We locals are subject to no longer being able to shop after 7pm as our shopping centres and town goes into lockdown.’
Warren Mundine, a former Labor Party national president and Liberal candidate, said he felt ‘really, really sick’ about seeing Mr Albanese at the tennis.
‘You’ve got all these people who are being abused… assaulted in the Northern Territory, and he (Albanese) spent three days lounging around the tennis courts, drinking beer and having a great time with mates,’ he said.
Both Senator Price and Mr Mundine called on the PM and Linda Burney, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, to return to Alice Springs.
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley said Mr Albanese spending ‘just four hours’ in Alice Springs but days at the tennis ‘didn’t pass the pub test’.
‘You don’t get to be a part-time prime minister,’ she said.
Shocking video from the troubled remote Northern Territory town shows a pub on one of the main streets under siege by belligerent teenagers on Saturday night.
The young man at first only tried to block the incoming blows and push the attacker away, but it escalated to a brawl after the teenager challenged him to a fight and kept hitting him
A guest at the pub who filmed the disturbing scenes described it as the ‘most terrifying night of my life’.
The footage showed an Aboriginal girl hurling abuse through a fence at patrons before customers sitting in the pub beer garden started to fight with locals.
The video comes as Twitter users took aim at the prime minister after he was photographed sitting next to former Liberal treasurer Peter Costello at the Australian Open women’s final on Saturday night in Melbourne.
Mr Albanese and Mr Costello looked very relaxed in each other’s company as they watched Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka win her first major against Elena Rybakina.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured right) and former Liberal treasurer Peter Costello were spotted sitting together at the Australian Open on Saturday night
Twitter users were anything but relaxed about the situation.
‘Reports of Albo cosying up to Peter Costello at the tennis makes me really uncomfortable,’ one wrote.
‘Look I’m cracking the sh**s because he was sitting next to Peter Costello,’ another said candidly.
‘You know what? I’m unsurprised. It makes me feel more than uncomfortable; it makes me feel nauseous,’ said another.
‘Your skin would crawl,’ another wrote.
Quite a few harked back to an old quote of Mr Albanese’s that he likes ‘fighting Tories (conservatives). That’s what I do’.
‘Albo sitting with Peter Costello at the tennis. This is what fighting Tories looks like, I guess?’ one Twitter user sarcastically noted.
The Prime Minister showed himself to be a dedicated tennis fan as he attended the Australian Open for three nights including Sunday night’s final where he pictured between partner Jodie Haydon (left) and Tennis Australia Chair Jayne Hrdlicka
Mr Costello was back at the tennis on Sunday night but this time sitting with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton
A few were quick to read political significance into the seating arrangement.
‘More proof Labor has become LNP lite… Also why was Albo sitting next to Peter Costello at the Women’s tennis final?’ one wrote.
Some tried to rationalise Mr Albanese’s actions.
‘My mother always said “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer” I like to think this is what he is doing,’ wrote one Twitter user.
Mr Albanese enjoys a beer with Ms Hrdlicka (middle) while at the Australia Open on Friday night for the men’s semi-final
A number of people noted that Mr Costello, who was treasurer during the Howard government from 1996 to 2007, still holds important positions such as chair of Australian Open broadcaster Nine and also the publicly owned Future Fund.
Mr Albanese, who is a keen social tennis player, was back at the Australian Open on Sunday night for the men’s final along with his partner Jodie Haydon.
Mr Costello was back as well but this time he sat next to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, while Mr Albanese was flanked by Tennis Australia Chair and Virgin CEO Jayne Hrdlicka.
It was the third night that Mr Albanese had taken his place in the stands of Rod Laver as he attended Friday night as well for the men’s semi-final between American Tommy Paul and eventual tournament winner Novak Djokovic.
Anthony Albanese accuses Voice critics of inciting ‘culture war’ - ‘open to improving’ proposal
The Prime Minister is going on the front foot in his campaign for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament by accusing his opponents of ‘trying to start a culture war’.
In a speech to be delivered on Sunday, Anthony Albanese will urge Australians to support a referendum to enshrine the Voice in Australia’s Constitution.
He will appeal to people’s ‘generosity, sense of fairness and optimism’, while saying he is ‘open to improvements or alterations’ to the proposed changes.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured right with his partner Jodie Haydon) is going on the front foot in his campaign for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (pictured left with his wife Kirilly), recently wrote a letter with 15 questions to Mr Albanese, asking for further clarification on the Voice to Parliament
Australians will vote in a referendum in the second half of this year on whether the constitution should be amended to create an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander body to provide advice to the federal parliament on policies affecting them.
Liberal Opposition leader Peter Dutton recently wrote a letter with 15 questions to Mr Albanese, asking for further clarification on the Voice to Parliament, after attending a referendum working group on Thursday.
‘Australians deserve to be informed before voting at a referendum,’ a Liberal Party spokesman said.
Mr Albanese will use his speech to claim democracy is under threat, saying Australia must learn from events such as the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, and the January 8, 2023 riots in Brazil.
‘Democracy can never be taken for granted. It needs to be nourished, protected, cared for, treated with respect,’ he will say.
‘The Referendum Working Group have already outlined some clear fundamentals,’ Mr Albanese will tell the audience at the Chifley Research Centre in Canberra.
‘The Voice won’t administer funding. It will not deliver programs. It will not have any kind of veto power over decision-making.’
Mr Albanese will address criticism that the proposed clauses are vague by comparing them with Parliament’s powers to make laws on the country’s defence, as outlined in the Constitution.
‘It doesn’t spell-out the size of the ADF, or where it should be based or what sort of defence hardware we should have,’ he will say.
‘And just as well - that section of the Constitution doesn’t even mention the air force, for the very good reason that it became law before the first powered flight.’
Anthony Albanese will on Sunday compare some of the opposition to the Voice to the January 6, 2021 riots in Washington DC. Pictured are supporters of former US president Donald Trump in Washington on that day
He will the authors of Australia’s Federation understood it was up to the government, parliament and the people to ‘deal with the detail and implementation through legislation’.
‘The Constitution contains the power and then parliament uses its democratic authority to build the institution and renovate it as needed.
‘At this year’s referendum - Australians will be voting on the principle.’
His comments come after increasing criticism of the proposal, including calls for specifics to be clarified before a referendum is to be considered.
Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser urged the Federal Government to deal with Mr Dutton’s ‘reasonable questions’ about the Voice.
Pictured are supporters of Brazilian former president Jair Bolsonaro clashing with security forces during an invasion of the Presidential Palace in Brasilia on January 8, 2023. Anthony Albanese will say on Sunday that Australia must learn from what happened in Brazil
Mr Albanese will tell his audience on Sunday that some opponents are pushing ‘misinformation’ about the Voice online.
‘That’s an inevitable consequence of trying to achieve change,’ he will say.
‘There are always those who want to create confusion and provoke division, to try and stall progress.
‘But moments of national decision, such as this referendum, are also an opportunity for our people to show their best qualities: their generosity, their sense of fairness, their optimism for the future.
‘That’s why I’m optimistic for the success of the referendum - because I’ve always been optimistic about the character of the Australian people.’
A recent poll for Nine newspapers found Australians’ support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament has fallen from 53 to 47 per cent.
Kiwi criminals will be allowed to STAY in Australia under a major law change from Anthony Albanese
Hundreds of New Zealanders convicted of serious crimes in Australia may avoid being booted from the country under sweeping changes to the federal government’s deportation policies.
A government spokesperson on Wednesday said Australia would take a ‘common sense approach’ to deportations, having flagged a shift shortly after Labor took power in 2022.
Under the existing policy, New Zealanders can be deported on ‘character grounds’ - or if they have been jailed for 12 months or longer.
Officials will now consider how long they have been in the country before a decision is made to boot them out.
About 2,000 New Zealanders were deported between 2014 and 2020. One is pictured above in September 2020
They will also consider the impact deportation would have on dependent children who are Australian citizens or permanent residents.
The changes by the Albanese government have been welcomed across the Tasman, where leaders have long complained about the issue of deportations.
‘Under these changes, the Department of Home Affairs must now consider the length of time someone has lived in the Australian community as one of the primary considerations when determining whether to cancel someone’s visa,’ the spokesperson said.
‘Where individuals pose a risk to the community, the Australian government will continue to cancel their visas and remove them.’
The new policy will not be applied retrospectively.
Australia deports hundreds of people to New Zealand annually using a power under the Migration Act, which allows the immigration minister to evict on the basis of character rather than criminal convictions.
New Zealand sees it as an abrogation of the trans-Tasman friendship, as many of the people deported have little to no connection to Australia’s near-neighbour.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured right with his partner Jodie Haydon) is about to restrict the deportation of Kiwi criminals to New Zealand
About 2,000 Kiwis were deported between 2014 and 2020.
New Zealand’s former prime minister Jacinda Ardern clashed with the previous prime minister Scott Morrison over the issue, but declared a ‘reset’ in relations with Anthony Albanese as leader and Clare O’Neil as Home Affairs Minister.
At the time of Ms Ardern’s visit last June, the Shadow Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said ‘the Government must resist pressure to go soft on removing criminals who are citizens of New Zealand.’
Most of the Kiwi visa holders who were deported to New Zealand under the 501 policy had live in Australia since they were children.
Some of them were sent back even if they had no ties to the country other than their NZ passport.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil (pictured) and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese were urged by New Zealand to make changes to Australia’s deportation policy
Criminals deported from Australia committed 8,000 offences since 2015 including 57 sex crimes and 861 drug and antisocial behaviour crimes.
Ms Ardern previously said the policy ‘unquestionably’ increased gang violence in New Zealand.
She said she did not want to stop all deportations from Australia, just cases where the criminal is ‘essentially Australian’.
‘New Zealand is not asking for Australia to remove their deportation policy. We never have,’ she said.
‘New Zealand, of course, deports individuals who have been in New Zealand for a short time and who have acted outside our expectations for anyone who chooses or wishes to stay as a resident.
‘But there are those who are being deported from Australia who, for all intents and purposes, are Australian.
‘Often zero connection to New Zealand. Sometimes not even having stepped foot there. That’s the place that we’re asking for that consideration to be given.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Andrews for comment.