Fiji`s self-appointed prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, has given Australia and New Zealand 24 hours to get their high commissioners out of Fiji.

He is expelling them both and recalling his own envoys because he says Canberra and Wellington are interfering in his country`s judiciary.

Mr Bainimarama sacked all the country`s judges when he did not like their decisions and he believes Australia has been trying to thwart his attempts to hire replacements from Sri Lanka.

He claims a scratchy recording proves Australia is meddling in Fiji`s affairs.

`Individuals appointed to the Fiji judiciary, regardless of citizenship, became subject to these travel sanctions and so that will obviously include yourself,` a voice on the recording says.

It is claimed the voice belongs to an Australian diplomat, who warns a Sri Lankan judge she will be banned from entering Australia if she accepts a job offer with the Fijian Judiciary.

`And there is a chance that the acceptance of a judicial appointment could be perceived as condoning or supporting the military regime`s actions,` the voice continues.

`But as I said, this is a decision obviously for yourself personally but I`m just giving you advance warning of Australia`s travel sanctions.`

On Monday, Fiji`s chief judge, Anthony Gates, criticised Australia and New Zealand for refusing to grant transit visas to seven Sri Lankan judges, describing the action as interference and hostile.

Fiji is hiring the judges to fill vacancies, created through Mr Bainimarama`s decision in April to scrap the country`s constitution and sack all its judges.

The sackings were in retaliation to a Fijian High Court ruling which found Mr Bainimarama`s government and 2006 coup were illegal.

And last night, after he met with the chief justice and cabinet, Mr Bainimarama announced he was expelling Australia`s high commissioner, James Batley.

`It is my ... duty that no foreign government should interfere with such judicial independence and endeavour,` he said.

On ABC1`s Lateline, Australia`s Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, described the expulsions as regrettable.

`This is a very substantial and serious setback but at some point in the cycle Fiji has to engage in a dialogue,` he said.

`We`re open to that but at the same time it`s a dialogue that can only proceed on the basis of Fiji showing some return to democratic processes and a military dictatorship effectively appointing, at its on whim, members of the judiciary, is not a trapping of democracy.`

Mr Smith will announce Australia`s response later today.

`My starting point will be a proportionate response, more often than not in these circumstances,` he said.

`And this will be, for example, the first occasion that a high commissioner from Australia to Fiji has effectively been shown the door. A proportionate response in these circumstances is often required to reflect the opprobrium, not just of Australia and New Zealand, but I think the opprobrium of the international community for the way in which Fiji is conducting itself.`

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says a return to democracy for Fiji will be `difficult`.

`But that does not mean, however, that you should soften your approach,` he told AM.

`We want to see stability in the South Pacific and we`re not about to simply allow a coup culture to spread.`

`We are not about to legitimise what is a regime which has obtained power through military force.`

Dr Jon Fraenkel, a senior research fellow at the ANU`s Governance in Melanesia program, says Fiji is moving more towards being a `pariah state`.

`It`s been suspended from the Commonwealth. It`s been suspended from the Pacific Islands Forum. The commander does not want to accept any kind of pressure towards early elections. He doesn`t even want any dialogue with his opponents until at least 2012,` he said.

`Many think that even when that happens he will be reluctant to enter into dialogue.`