Prof Robert Patman: ''I think it would be smart for the Australian leadership to be seen to be responsive''. Photo: Gregor Richardson

New Zealand cannot afford to back down over protecting the human rights of its citizens being detained for months in remote Australian detention centres before being deported.

That is the view of Prof Robert Patman, an international relations specialist who heads the University of Otago department of politics.

Prof Patman says ''the jury is out'' on whether harsh treatment of New Zealanders in Australia had already damaged the transtasman relationship.

But that relationship could be harmed if New Zealanders gained the impression Australia was not responding to the ''quite considerable concern'' being felt in this country about the adverse treatment of some New Zealanders in Australia, he said. Australia recently stepped up its policy of indiscriminate deportation of people who have been imprisoned for more than 12 months, under new laws enacted late last year.

At least 200 New Zealanders are among those awaiting deportation in detention centres, including some in remote facilities such as on Christmas Island, an Australian territory near Indonesia.

Prof Patman said New Zealand was respected internationally for upholding human rights, and had built a tradition of ''toleration and understanding between people from different backgrounds and races''. While being diplomatic in its approach, the New Zealand Government ultimately could not back down over protecting the human rights of its citizens.

Other countries in the Pacific and elsewhere were also watching what New Zealand did, he said.''

There's a national and an international dimension in this,'' he said.

Prime Minister John Key said this week up to 1000 New Zealanders could eventually face deportation from Australia under the tough new immigration laws.

Mr Key has raised concerns over the deportations and will be raising the matter with Australia's new prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, when he makes his first international visit as prime minister to New Zealand this weekend.

Prof Patman said this was an ''important issue'' and a ''test'' for both countries, given the ''special relationship'' between the two countries.''

I think it would be smart for the Australian leadership to be seen to be responsive [to New Zealand concerns],'' he said.

Prof Patman believed there was some scope for Mr Turnbull to make some changes over New Zealanders, to acknowledge the special relationship. Asked about the greater problems many New Zealanders faced in becoming Australian citizens than was the case with Australians in this country, Prof Patman said there was merit in moving towards greater harmony in the citizenship rules in both countries.

Prof Patman said some actions of the Australian Government over the detentions and deportations of New Zealanders appeared ''insensitive'' and were ultimately not acceptable.

Indiscriminate deportation of New Zealanders who had served a year in prison in Australia could result in some people being sent back to this country who had no memory of New Zealand, and no support networks here.



- john.gibb@odt.co.nz