Picture this: Your teenage son is living with his mother and a convicted killer who was deported from Australia after finishing his 14-year jail sentence which had been extended because of his repeated violence in prison.

You're concerned for the safety of your child and you go to the police for more information about the offender's past. They refuse to tell you anything, citing privacy constraints.

Then remember this: 13-year-old Christchurch schoolgirl Jade Bayliss was murdered four years ago by the man living with her mother. Jeremy McLaughlin was kicked out of Australia ten years earlier after serving time for the killing of another teenager.

Four days before Jade was strangled her mother approached the police with concerns but again they were unable to supply details of his past.

And think about this: Over the next five years up to a thousand criminals will be deported to this country from Australia after a law change there late last year, which sees those who've served sentences of 12 months or more, detained and then possibly deported. Currently there are around 200 kiwis incarcerated in detention centres.

The two earlier, tragic cases were at the extreme end and occurred before the latest law change. But the veil of secrecy for criminals now coming into the country remains. A law is being drafted to end that and to subject criminals to the same monitoring and conditions that'd be required of them if they'd served their sentences in this country.

Not before time.

But given the free flow of people between our two countries shouldn't Kiwis there who've served their time be treated a little differently, at the very least shouldn't they be shown some dignity by avoiding detention centres?

It seems not.

A 23-year-old had served his time for robbery and assault and was released in August, but was being held in solitary confinement and without supervision pending deportation.

He'd written to Australia's Immigration Minister begging to be allowed to stay in Australia because he knew few people here. He left New Zealand with his parents at the age of four, to all intents and purposes he was an Australian, it's just that they refused to acknowledge that.

He committed suicide.

Our two countries may have the most liberal economic relationship in the world but we treat them on this side of the ditch infinitely better than they treat us on their side.