New Zealand would take 150 refugees each year from Australian detention centres each year if asked to, Prime Minister John Key says. "In the instance that Australia decided to invoke that provision we would allow that to happen," Mr Key said today when asked about Mr Shorten's comments. The 150 quota was agreed between Mr Key and former Australian Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard in 2013 but has never been used. In January, 28 refugees on Nauru wrote to Mr Key, asking to be resettled in that country under the Australia-New Zealand agreement. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said resettlement in New Zealand could be an incentive for asylum seekers to board boats.

Source: New Zealand Herald June 28, 2016 02:31 UTC