Richmond star Dustin Martin has slammed the Australian government, branding the deportation of his father Shane as “stupid.”
Martin also made an impassioned plea in an interview on The Nine Network’s A Current Affair program for his father to be allowed to return to Australia from his exile in New Zealand.
Shane Martin, a former Rebels motorcycle club president was deported in March 2016 when officials ruled he was not of good character and removed him from the country under section 501 of the Australian Migration Act, for associating with criminal enterprise.
The 2016 Richmond club best and fairest said that despite his father having a criminal record, which includes drug and assault charges, he should be allowed to return to Australia.
Past charges dating back to 1990 in New Zealand include unlawful assault, burglary, armed with intent and drug offences.
“I’m in a footy club, he’s in a bikie club. He’s done nothing wrong,” Dustin Martin said.
“I wake up every day hoping to get a phone call from dad saying, ‘Guess what I’m coming back’,
“If he was a criminal I’d cop it, but they’ve just taken him away for association.
“Fair enough if he’d done something then you’d cop your whack, but to just be taken away for no reason – breaking up the family – I think it’s pretty stupid.”
“Just because he’s in a club, you can’t just say that he’s doing something wrong.”
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has a different viewpoint though, and said that Shane Martin was deported for a reason.
“Those criminals we are looking at are those who are identified by the police around the country and intelligence agencies — they are the highest-value targets,” Dutton said.
“They can protest their innocence. Mr Martin and others can draw their own conclusions. But this man was part of an outlaw motorcycle gang, and is a man who was president (of the club) in New South Wales.”
Republican
Guest
....only geographically but then so is PNG depending on which part of Oz you happen to live. NZ is a world away in reality.......
BigAl
Guest
Isn't New Zealand closer to the east coast than Perth ? What about those WA recruits drafted to the East of Aus. ? Also, he would have the money to fly to NZ to visit his dad - way more often than the average 26 yo would want to...
Slane
Guest
Ah man, Kiwis are special. I highly recommend a trip over to the Land of the Long White Cloud.
Republican
Guest
......concur with the Government. I also believe Kiwis assume special treatment compared to those who are immigrants from other nations, playing the guilt card that they are somehow 'special'. Personally this is little more than the pathos of expedience & I do not buy it.
Maroon Kev
Guest
"If he was a criminal I’d cop it" Old mate mustn't be aware of the criminal record!!
SonOfLordy
Guest
Stupid is getting neck tattoos. Deporting a bikie is just good policy. Round up the rest of them here on foreign passports.
Penster
Roar Guru
So much material to work with here ................ but you win.
Slane
Guest
"Richmond star Dustin Martin has slammed the Australian government, branding the deportation of his father Shane as “stupid.” Come on now guys, if Dustin Martin is an expert on anything it is being stupid. I feel that we aren't giving enough weight to his expert opinionm
Don Freo
Guest
Dusty should tell his dad not to be so naughty.
Scott
Guest
You've got to wonder where Dusty would've ended up if he wasn't playing footy, the next Rebels protégée perhaps?
Asd
Guest
Good got to thin the bad Crim's out now and again
Birdman
Guest
It seems to me Dusty has gone to another level since his dad moved O/S - may be it's not such a bad thing that he stays there.
Bob
Guest
As difficult as it is to say, I gotta say with the Government on this one.
Scott
Guest
"I'm in a footy club, he's in a bikie club." Like they're the same thing? Not sure extortion, prostitution and drug running are part of the Tigers revenue stream, but maybe it should be?