The wife of a man deported to New Zealand after his visa was cancelled over alleged bikie gang links, has voiced her anger about his treatment.
Shane Martin, the father of AFL player Dustin Martin, left from Sydney to Auckland yesterday.
Last month, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton confirmed the New Zealander's visa had been cancelled as part of a crackdown on people involved with outlaw motorcycle gangs.
The tough new laws imposed by Canberra allow non-citizens who have served a sentence of 12 months or more, or failed a character test, to be deported.
Mr Martin has lived in Australia for 29 years.
His wife Adriana said Mr Martin chose to retire from "a club" to live the quiet life with his family.
"My husband has never been in jail in his life, has never been convicted of a serious crime [and] runs a successful business. We bought our house and live in a beautiful suburb -- our girls go to a Catholic high school," she said.
"I have a university degree and worked in the same job for over 14 years. Prior to that I owned my own business -- never have I or my husband in our lives been on employment benefits or engaged in criminal activity."
Mr Martin has three sons; an electrician, a high-profile footballer and an Australian soldier recently returned from deployment in Afghanistan.
"I strongly believe in what the law was implemented for: persons who have committed a serious crime. Murder, crimes against children, drug dealer -- punish them , deport them, whatever.
"However my husband Shane was taken into custody, devastating our family. In the meantime I go to work, working for the government, educating the future youth of Australia -- my husband's business is operating and still paying taxes."
Newshub.
