Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says she's moved on from her spat with the New Zealand Labour Party, which she had previously accused of meddling in Australia's political citizenship saga.
Ms Bishop met New Zealand's Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for the first time on Friday night, dining together at the home of Foreign Minister Winston Peters in Auckland.
She had previously suggested she would find it difficult to trust the NZ Labour Party after suggesting in August that it colluded with the ALP to question Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce's citizenship.
Mr Joyce was later ruled ineligible to sit in parliament and only returned to his New England seat via a by-election.
On Saturday, Ms Bishop acknowledged Ardern's criticism of Labour MP Chris Hipkins', who reportedly helped fish for information into Mr Joyce's status as a Kiwi citizen.
"The now-prime minister, Prime Minister Ardern, said that the behaviour of her colleague and the Australian Labor Party was inappropriate, it was unacceptable and shouldn't have happened," Ms Bishop said.
"I agree with her, and of course we move on.
"Australia and New Zealand have the deepest and closest of relationships - we see New Zealand as our essential partner, our natural partner."
Ms Bishop said she discussed a range of issues in an informal setting with Ms Ardern, who had travelled from the Coromandel to attend the dinner.
A day later, she had bilateral discussions with Mr Peters on Waiheke Island, and gave a full-throated endorsement of the trans-Tasman relationship.
"Australia and New Zealand stand side-by-side on virtually every major issue of concern to our nations," Ms Bishop said.
"We have fought together, defended freedom together. Australia always wants to have New Zealand at our side."
