Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has vowed never to speak the name of the Christchurch shooter, and he is "open" to discussing the terrorist's transfer back to Australia to serve his life sentence.
Morrison told Australian breakfast TV show Sunrise he spoke with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday after Justice Cameron Mander sentenced 29-year-old Australian national Brenton Tarrant to life without parole at the Christchurch High Court.
"I had a discussion yesterday with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and we were of course talking about the case itself, and I'm pleased that terrorist will never be released anywhere ever again," Morrison said.
"Whether he's held in New Zealand or Australia, look, we're open to that discussion. That obviously has a lot of implications, these sorts of decisions, and the Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and I will talk about those issues."
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has called for the terrorist's sentence to be carried out in Australia, "the country that raised him", but Ardern said on Thursday now is not the time for those discussions because the focus should be on the victims and families.
"I do feel like today probably isn't the day for too much discussion around that. I feel like today deserves to be the day for those families to hear that sentence be handed down and just to have a bit of time with that," she said.
"The one thing I should say, though, is that there isn't currently a legal basis for it so it would be a very complex undertaking. I think the thing though - more than even just the legal basis for it - that I would be most interested in is the views of the families.
"I think they've rightly prioritised this process - the sentencing - and so that's not a question I've asked them yet, but their view will be a big driver for me as to whether or not that's something we consider."
Peters said "now is the time" for Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton to "receive and carry out the terrorist's sentence" in Australia.
Dutton told Australian breakfast TV programme The Today Show he is open to the idea, but has not received a formal request from New Zealand.
"Obviously this is a very sensitive issue. I've asked for some legal advice but we'll work very closely with New Zealand. We have a very special relationship with them," Dutton said.
"We'd have to look at what happens in terms of parole or the way in which our legal system would work here. The first priority is to keep him in jail for the rest of his life and we'll work very closely with New Zealand on any request they provide.
"We've been very clear that Australian citizens who commit crimes overseas ultimately when they're deported back to our country, we accept them. But we haven't had a formal request from New Zealand as yet and we'll wait to have that discussion with them in private."
Peters told The Today Show a formal request had not yet been made because the New Zealand Government had to wait to see what sentence Tarrant was given.
"The fact is that we couldn't make any comment all those months waiting for this trial and then when he confessed to the crimes, we couldn't make a comment until the judge handed down the sentence verdict," Peters said.
"So, the statement that there's no request from New Zealand belies the fact that we couldn't make any request because we didn't know what the final outcome would be. We know it now, and that's something in the future."
Peters pointed out how expensive it is to keep the shooter in New Zealand. Cabinet papers from July showed $1.9 million had been approved to keep him behind bars for this fiscal year, with a further $1.6 million for next year and 2021.
"The sound, reasonable, logical thing to do would be to ask Australia to step up," Peters said. "I was pleased to hear Peter Dutton's comments... I think this has taken things dramatically forward in the space of 24 hours."
Morrison, speaking to The Today Show, followed in Ardern's footsteps and vowed never to speak the terrorist's name.
"First of all, I'd never speak his name and he should never be out of any prison anywhere and he should never see freedom and I'm pleased that decision was made by the New Zealand courts," Morrison said.
"We're family, New Zealand and Australia. We were horrified by this, and so my message to New Zealanders and particularly those affected is kia kaha. We're with them, stay strong."
Hundreds of Kiwi ex-prisoners have been deported back to New Zealand from Australia, despite many of them having no connection to the country.
Ardern has repeatedly flagged it with Morrison.
The pair held a press conference Sydney back in February, during which Ardern told Morrison in front of the media: "Send back Kiwis, genuine Kiwis - do not deport your people, and your problems."
Morrison said at the time Australia had no intention of changing its deportation policy.
