And we’re not talking about the delicious fruit… Kiwi PM Chris Hipkins welcomed the Australian Government’s decision to soften its stance on deporting New Zealanders on character grounds, saying it was a “first step” on the contentious matter. The decade-long policy has seen hundreds of Aussie visa-holding Kiwi citizens who had spent over a year in jail deported to New Zealand, most notably Shane Martin – the late father of AFL star Dustin Martin. And it’s been a big sticking point in our otherwise harmonious trans-Tasman relationship. Most of those deported were convicted of drug, child abuse and domestic violence offences, and some had spent most of their lives in Oz. Under the changes, how long a criminal has lived in Australia will become a key consideration for officials considering deportation, but those deemed a risk to the community will be sent over the ditch. Shadow Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has called on Team Albanese to clarify how it will work.