Togatuki’s sentence for robbery and assault had ended in August, but he was being held ahead of his deportation to New Zealand – the country he had left aged four.
Advertisement
The broader issue of detentions and deportations is one Mr Key also wants to discuss with Mr Turnbull, when the timing for a meeting can be worked out.
New Zealand’s Christmas Island’s Shire president and Trade Union representative Gordon Thomson said many New Zealanders have reached the nation with pending deportation from Australia.
Mr Key has said New Zealand is unhappy with the situation and he believed Kiwis could be “collateral damage” in a wider policy shift, but today he said it appeared “quite a lot” of those locked-up had serious convictions from sexual offences through to murder.
“We can register our disappointment there, but doesn’t mean we can change it”.
“In New Zealand, we make humanitarian exceptions, on a case by case basis, for people who are in extraordinary situations like Junior Togatuki was in”, said Ms Delahunty. “The Government must do something about this now”, Mr Little said.
Bishop’s response had been “helpful and positive” but ultimately Australian policy was a matter for that government.
Togatuki died after writing farewell messages to his family in his cell, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Allegedly kept in solitary confinement for weeks, he was suffering schizophrenia and anxiety.
“The death of Junior Togatuki was a preventable tragedy”.
The Green parties of New Zealand and Australia are jointly calling on the Australian Government to halt the indiscriminate deportation of New Zealanders, and people from other countries, and are raising concerns about their continued detention in off-shore detention centres.
“Many of those people have moved on with their lives and become good members of the community, with strong ties to Australia and none to New Zealand”.
However, New Zealanders who have previously served jail time in Australia are now being sent there and held for months, Radio New Zealand has reported. “We love our cousins across the ditch but they must be subject to the same laws as everyone else”, he said.
“I confirmed there will be an investigation by New South Wales police, I also confirmed that our Immigration Minister will meet with your Immigration Minister to discuss this matter”.
Advertisement
“If they don’t get any satisfaction our Government might have to then look at taking Australia to whatever relevant global tribunal to test the legality of what they’re doing to those who are detained and who they want to deport”.
