Jacqui Lambie says she negotiated a secret deal on asylum seeker resettlement in exchange for vote on government legislation

The vote in support for the government's legislation in 2019 helped tighten refugee medical transfer laws for refugees on Nauru and Papua New Guinea.

In exchange, the government committed to an agreement to to resettle 450 refugees in New Zealand over three years.

Senator Lambie on Friday morning said she was told the agreement would be terminated if she disclosed the terms of the deal.

Regardless, she has broken her silence.

"For years, I held up my end of the agreement," Senator Lambie said.

"Yesterday, the government held up their end.

"I have tried to keep calm throughout this process. I've tried to remember that any level of frustration, anxiety, disappointment or anger I was feeling about this taking forever, those asylum seekers were feeling at levels I couldn't even comprehend."

IN OTHER NEWS:

She said at the time of the deal, New Zealand was facing an election and the government was concerned about the refugees the country would be accepting.

Senator Lambie said the time necessary resettlement assessments took was compounded by border closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I agreed to repeal medevac in exchange for an end to offshore detention," she said.

"An end which, when secured, would mean we wouldn't have a need for medevac."