Mum tells of 501’s pain
Shocked neighbour tells how shot through window in Papatoetoe almost hit his wife
The neighbour of the man shot dead by police in South Auckland said his wife was almost hit by a bullet the 501 deportee had fired into their living room earlier that night.
Tangaru Noere Turia was killed by police gunfire on Thursday night when he emerged from his grandfather’s house in Papatoetoe “brandishing a shotgun”.
Police had earlier swarmed the street on Avis Ave after Turia, 34, fired through the window of his neighbour’s home.
That neighbour was Kunal Krishneel Raju who says his wife was almost hit by the shot in the living room.
“It was just random, really random. Yeah [it came through the living room]. My missus was right next to it. It’s lucky nothing happened to her.”
Raju said there were no issues between him and Turia and that the shot through his window was unprovoked.
Turia, police say, had absconded from electronic bail at the time he was shot, waiting for sentencing on weapons charges.
He had lived in Australia since he was 6 months old — and his grieving family now intend bringing him “home” to Sydney where he will be laid to rest.
His mother, Moana Taverio, told the Herald on Sunday the 501 deportee had struggled for four years to fit into New Zealand.
“He had lived all his life being Australian.”
She said her son — known by the family name Taverio in Australia — had left Australia with mental health issues that had made his ability to integrate with New Zealand ever harder.
Turia leaves behind a grieving family in Australia, including three children, aged 7, 8 and 14.
Turia’s confrontation with police came four years after he was deported from Australia and had his visa cancelled over what Taverio said was a domestic violence incident.
The deportation took place under the “501” scheme, named for the section of the Australian Immigration
Act introduced in 2014 that allowed visas to be stripped from those considered to have disqualified themselves on “character” grounds. It has resulted in a steady stream of those with New Zealand citizenship returning even if their only connection was being born here.
“My son was one of many kids sent back. But he just didn’t fit into the environment. He had no idea of what to do or how to do it.”
Taverio said mental health issues were an ever-present part of Turia’s life, as evidenced by his behaviour during their daily phone calls.
“I feel for my son, for what he went through the whole time he was there. It’s all his mental state. There’s a voice always there, behind him, someone calling him a liar. He thinks everyone hates him, that everyone is after him.”
Taverio believed the “501” deportation policy was unfair and wrong — “particularly for those with mental health problems”. She said during the year-long detention ahead of the 2017 deportation, she had written to Australia’s immigration authorities in a bid to overturn the decision — a plea that was rejected.
“I just feel the Australian government has something against New Zealanders. Our people come here, make a living and they work for the taxpayer. It’s so wrong.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta said concerns about Australia’s deportation policy had been “consistently raised” by New Zealand, including in meetings between prime ministers.
“We remain concerned about the deportation of people who have little or no connection to New Zealand, in which they have minimal support systems in place.”
Mahuta said the Australian government was aware New Zealand wanted to see “greater compassion” for those with long-term connections in Australia.
The comments follow tough words from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, which has seen her describe the 501 policy as “corrosive”.
In the 2019-2020 financial year, Australia used the “501” law to revoke 1021 visas, 477 of which were held by New Zealand citizens.
My son was one of many kids sent back. But he just didn’t fit into the environment. He had no idea of what to do or how to do it. Moana Taverio