Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

'Oh shush'—yes, I know. I ask: when did we last win at Eden Park? Apparently it was in 1986, so reflect upon how long ago that was. I know there are things which are upsetting in the bilateral relationship, but really, this 'Kiwis under the bed' daft line that this government has come up with is laughable—except that it is more than laughable; it is much worse.

I am extremely disappointed in my colleague, Ms Bishop—who, despite our differences, I do think is a credible and hardworking foreign minister—who was presumably sent out today to launch an extraordinary partisan attack on our friends across the Tasman. It really was an extraordinary attack. She managed to attack both the government, by refusing to believe the Minister of Internal Affairs when he said that this issue of Mr Joyce's citizenship had been raised at their end by the media—she refused to believe him—and then she attacked the New Zealand Labour Party. It is really an extraordinarily disappointing thing that we have an Australian foreign minister who has been prepared, and/or has been sent out—it reflects badly on either the Prime Minister or on her—to risk relations with our close friend and ally, simply to distract attention from the crisis that is facing the government.

It is an extraordinary attack, and I would ask the government—I understand that they are very upset about Mr Joyce failing to do his paperwork—to reflect on the wisdom of using the Minister for Foreign Affairs in this way, and reflect on being prepared to risk our relationship with our very close friend New Zealand, in order to distract attention from the domestic political travails of the government. It is immature, it is childish and it is not the act of a mature government. Frankly, it is not the act of a mature Prime Minister. It really demonstrates this Prime Minister's glass jaw.

Of course—news flash—the Labor Party is actually not responsible for Barnaby Joyce's dad being a New Zealander. I know that might come as a surprise to a government that likes to blame the Australian Labor Party for everything, but we're actually not responsible for the fact that his dad's a New Zealander.

It has been a most unwise strategy from the Prime Minister and his senior ministers, including Senator Brandis, today. They have been prepared to attack others overseas and to risk an important bilateral relationship, simply in order to try and distract attention from the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister is a New Zealand citizen. The government would have been far better to have responded in a serious and mature fashion. Instead, we have what can only be described as a completely daft strategy of running a 'Kiwis under the bed' defence. What I say to the government on this is: grow up. I think the Australian people would look most dimly on the way in which you have sought to hyperventilate and sought to attack an important relationship because of your political problems. It is an immature and childish approach from this government, and it is one that really does no cabinet minister, no foreign minister and certainly not the Prime Minister any credit.