<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>330563</docID> <postdate>2024-10-09 14:51:51</postdate> <headline>Australia waives immunity of diplomat’s partner in NZ</headline> <body><p><img class="wp-image-330140" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20230425001790639061-original-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Australia has waived immunity over an incident in NZ involving the partner of an Australian diplomat (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <b>Ben McKay</b> in Wellington</span></p> <p><strong>The way has been cleared for an Australian diplomat's partner to face charges over a post-Bledisloe Cup street fight after Australia removed his immunity from prosecution.</strong></p> <p>In late September, New Zealand police arrested and detained a man in the hours after the Wallabies lost to the All Blacks, only to release him later due to the quirk of law.</p> <p>Video has since emerged of the incident, published by NZ outlet Stuff, where a man being arrested yells, "You f<strong><em>ing stupid fa</em></strong>t. I've got diplomatic immunity!"</p> <p>The man's identity has not been released and police are yet to detail the charges they seek to press.</p> <p>Diplomatic immunity is a right commonly afforded to overseas-based representatives giving them freedom to conduct diplomatic business without being arrested or detained.</p> <p>Diplomats' families are also given the same privilege during overseas postings.</p> <p>Given the seriousness of the incident, NZ police initiated a request to have immunity stripped from the man so he could be charged.</p> <p>On Wednesday, a week after the incident was first reported, a spokesperson from NZ's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) confirmed Australia had granted the request.</p> <p>"The Australian government has provided waivers of immunity, enabling next steps to be taken by police," the spokesperson said.</p> <p>"The matter is now with NZ Police. MFAT won't be commenting further."</p> <p>NZ Police and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have been contacted for comment.</p> <p>Stuff interviewed a 19-year-old who provided the video and was involved in the altercation, which occurred about 3.30am.</p> <p>The teen said the man approached his group of three people, becoming aggressive.</p> <p>"He just flipped a switch and he got really aggressive and just started screaming at all of us 'I'll take on all three of you'," the teenager said.</p> <p>"He screamed at us at the top of his lungs 'I'm ready to die, I'll take on all three of you'.</p> <p>"Once the police arrived they barged him into a wall and he started screaming over and over 'I've got diplomatic immunity'."</p> <p>The case is a sensitive one for politicians on both sides of the ditch, who have sought to avoid discussing the matter.</p> <p>While NZ Police requested the waiver, no Kiwi politician offered public support for the move.</p> <p>Prime Minister Chris Luxon sidestepped whether he supported the man facing charges, and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has declined to comment throughout.</p> <p>"That's an issue for police," Mr Luxon said when asked by journalists about the matter.</p> <p>"I'm not going to go into that issue while there's an investigation going on and ultimately that's an issue that needs to be worked through properly."</p> <p>Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, also avoided specifics when asked about the case while in New Zealand for a regional defence ministers meeting.</p> <p>"We expect all of our diplomats and our diplomats families abroad to abide by the laws of the countries of which they are in. That is a matter which is well understood by our diplomatic community," he told Radio NZ.</p> </body>