Ardern 'not dissuaded' on Manus stand, despite upsetting Australia

Prime Minister Jainda Ardern talked climate change and Manus Island refugees following the Asean summit. Photo / TVNZ

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she's not dissuaded in her bid to take 150 Manus Island refugees despite pushback from the Australian Government.

Ardern said upsetting New Zealand's political allies would happen from time to time, and maintained her offer was intended to offer Australia options on how to deal with what has been called an escalating humanitarian crisis.

"I absolutely expect that when we take differing positions, we may see a response to that," she said.

"I'm not dissuaded."

Speaking to TVNZ political editor Corin Dann on Q&A at the end of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit, Ardern said she saw an opportunity to assist Australia while fulfilling New Zealand's obligations when it came to refugees.

"All I'm doing is restoring a role we've played in the past," she said.

New Zealand had traditionally been vocal on issues the country had felt strongly about.

When asked whether she was channelling former Prime Minister Helen Clark's "Tampa moment" of taking 131 Afghani refugees in 2002, Ardern said her position on Manus was "as simple as doing the right thing".

"We've got to do what we believe is right."

The issue of climate change was another crisis Ardern said she had raised at the summit, adding that she was one of just two leaders who mentioned it during one roundtable discussion.

New Zealand's Pacific Island neighbours were already seeing the effects of climate change and the country had a responsibility to highlight their concerns, she said.

When pressed on issues of domestic terrorism and whether it was time to pull Kiwi troops out of Iraq, Ardern was less committal.

On both issues she said she was seeking advice and wanted more time to review the facts before coming to a decision.

She also refused to condemn deputy PM Winston Peters for implying former Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Murray McCully should not have condemned the building of illegal Israeli settlements in 2016.

"We should absolutely use the voice we had in a critical position in the UN at that time to yes, take a stand," Ardern said.

But she said McCully should have followed a process so the move would have been seen as a decision made by the whole Government rather than an independent view of one Minister.