Foreign Minister Penny Wong has raised concerns about Canadian allegations India was involved in an assassination as she seeks to reassure Australian communities about safety.
Tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats erupted between Canada and India after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada in 2023, which New Delhi rejects.
Asked whether she believed evidence provided by Canada through the Five Eyes intelligence sharing partnership, of which Australia is part, Senator Wong said concerns had been raised about the allegations but she did not criticise India directly.
"We've made clear our concerns about the allegations under investigation," she told reporters at a joint press conference with Indian External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar after a bilateral meeting in Canberra on Tuesday.
"We respect Canada's judicial process, we convey our views to India as you'd expect us to do and we have a principled position in relation to matters such as the rule of law and ... the sovereignty of all countries."
All communities in Australia had a right to be safe and respected, Senator Wong said.
Dr Jaishankar said Canada had "developed a pattern of making allegations without providing specifics" and chastised it for surveilling Indian diplomats, branding the move "unacceptable".
Both foreign ministers expressed concern at the vandalism of Hindu temples, following two being attacked and having donation boxes stolen in Canberra.
"Particularly in the week of Diwali, it's a very upsetting thing for members of the faith community and the Indian community more broadly," Senator Wong said.
"They should be dealt with by the appropriate law enforcement authorities."
There was a line between peaceful protest and violence, incitement of hatred or vandalism, she said.
Temples have also come under attack in Canada.
Senator Wong announced $1.6 million in grants for projects including undersea cables, quantum technology principles and digital infrastructure.
The federal government is set to release its India roadmap in coming weeks spanning trade, investment, tourism, education, clean energy and agriculture as Australia looks towards India and Southeast Asia as part of its diversification strategy.
The two nations are negotiating to expand a trade agreement, but agricultural access remains a sticking point.
Dr Jaishankar was welcomed to Parliament House with a traditional Aboriginal smoking ceremony, and an Indigenous business mission will tour India in 2025.
