Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has taken a swipe at New Zealand's contributions to the region's security after its justice minister criticised Australia's deportation regime.
New Zealand Justice Minister Andrew Little said Australia's deportation laws lacked "humanitarian ideals" and were the product of "venal" politics, in a report by the ABC on Tuesday into the expulsion of New Zealand citizens.
Mr Dutton on Thursday called the comments disappointing.
"I hope that he doesn't repeat them," he told 2GB.
"There's a lot that we do for New Zealand ... New Zealand don't contribute really anything to the defence effort that we've got where we're trying to surveil boats that might be on their way to New Zealand.
"So I hope that Andrew Little reflects a little more on the relationship between Australia and New Zealand where we do a lot of the heavy lifting."
Hundreds of New Zealanders have had their visas cancelled in Australia since stricter deportation laws came into place in 2014.
Some have spent the bulk of their lives in Australia and have no connection with New Zealand, raising questions about the rights being afforded to Kiwi ex-pats.
Mr Little this week also criticised Australian authorities for cancelling the visas of, and deporting, New Zealanders who had been extradited to Australia before their trials were completed - saying their victims weren't seeing justice.
On Tuesday, a 17-year-old New Zealand boy being held in a detention centre in Melbourne won a visa appeal and was released.
That followed complaints by New Zealand's acting prime minister that his placement with adult detainees breached UN agreements.
Australian Associated Press
