Judith Collins would rather have Scott Morrison as Kiwi PM than Jacinda Ardern

Judith Collins wants to cut a deal with Australia - they can have Jacinda Ardern, and we'll take Scott Morrison.

Our Prime Minister topped a survey across the ditch earlier this year for most trustworthy politician, scoring 77/100. The highest-ranked true-blue Aussie was Penny Wong, way back on 53.

Morrison, who surprised everyone by winning the recent general election, scored 43/100. 

Labour MP Peeni Henare, appearing with Collins on Friday's broadcast of The AM Show, said it was a sign Aussies would rather be led by Ardern than Morrison.

Collins was quick to interject.

"I wish she would go - I would rather have Scott Morrison any day," she told host Ryan Bridge.

Scott Morrison.
Scott Morrison. Photo credit: Reuters

Ardern is currently in Australia, where the age-old issue of the country's treatment of New Zealanders is expected to once again be on the table. The Prime Minister on Thursday said Australia's deportation of criminals to here, despite no real links to New Zealand, was having a "corrosive" effect on relations.

Morrison was Minister for Immigration and Border Protection when the hardline policy came into place in late 2014.

"Australia needs to remember most of our workforce built their cities, built their country, and now we're seeing them being sent home. I think there's an imbalance in the power there," said Henare.

"But the fact that most of the public prefer Jacinda Ardern over their Prime Minister is hope that perhaps in the future Australia might find a new leader, find someone better. I don't know. I've never met the man."

Jacinda Ardern.
Jacinda Ardern. Photo credit: Reuters

But Collins is a fan, telling The AM Show on Friday he was "helpful" when she dealt with him in her time as a minister. She said the Government should take a softer stance on Australia, including criticism of its controversial asylum seeker policy. 

"Don't go off bagging them on things like Manus Island and what they have to deal with, with the people-smuggling issues they have dealt with successfully. We have no idea what they put up with, and going around virtue-signalling and trying to embarrass a government thinking you're going to get to deal with a Labor government instead, guess what happened? Bill Shorten went nowhere." 

Labor leader Shorten was widely tipped to become Prime Minister, but defied the polls to lose. 

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