Login / Manage membership        Not receiving GetUp emails? Join now to receive updates There are currently 382248 members.

If the Minister won't come to Mohamed...

Posted on the campaign blog , July 27th, 2007
In less than one day almost 10,000 Australians have signed the GetUp petition demanding an appropriate response to the threat of terrorism in light of the Dr Haneef farce. The community response has prompted GetUp to call for the reinstatement of Dr Haneef’s visa.

Once again the Australian community has rejected these attempts to politicise matters that are the rightful domain of the legal system. The bungling has weakened our confidence in our security agencies’ ability to combat legitimate threats, and it has weakened our confidence in the Government not to blur the lines between politics, justice and national security.

The legitimate role of government agencies to protect us from terrorism has been grossly undermined by such apparent incompetence. The revocation of Dr Haneef’s visa now appears to be clearly motivated by political imperatives, not security ones. Now that criminal charges have been dropped, the Government must instil confidence in the minds of the Australian people by reinstating Dr Haneef’s visa.

35 comments

Leave Your Comment

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Campaign Blogs
This blog post is from the Campaign We're Afraid Not.
Blog Tools

Featured Articles

An historic victory in the Federal Court
Sam Mclean
Time to Pull The Plug On Internet Filtering
Eliza Cussen
Mental Health Update
Sam Mclean
Update: Your vote stopped? Get the facts!
Sam Mclean
Latest Comments
  • DD on The Latest
    I'll leave you to
    research the rest of
    your posted nonsense
    as a holiday
    project, Lynda A
    hint...
  • DD on The Latest
    You said "I actually
    lied a little
    there." Indeed you
    did Lynda Let us at
    least agree on
    something
  • DD on The Latest
    You say that the
    scientific claim
    that increasing CO2
    levels causes
    temperature change
    is a lie -...
  • DD on The Latest
    Here are some simple
    facts on mosquitos:
    "Mosquitoes, like
    most insects, are
    cold blooded...
Campaign Blogs

Join Getup

Whether it is signing a petition, engaging with the media, attending an event or helping to get a television ad on the air, you'll only ever asked to take targeted, coordinated and strategic action. Taking action is optional, convenient and proven to work!
Join Now.

Subscribe!



Richard Ure
July 27th, 2007

How can anyone continue to say the Government is "best for security"? At every turn, be it the unwarranted invasion of Iraq in the face of community concern and now the Haneef case cock up, the government has been shown to be a bunch of amateurs. And this from the folk who trumpet their "experience"!

I guess the fridge magnet factory is being pressed into service. The Haneef case news has already appeared in the London Daily Telegraph showing our law enforcement team to be a bunch of hicks (pun intended).

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Barry Dingle
July 27th, 2007

This is so, SO embarrassing for all Australians when our representatives and the authorities act so recklessly toward a visitor to our country in the forlorn hope of some political gain.

Maybe Minister Andrews should be charged with "recklessly providing support for an assault on basic human rights" and be given a SIM - "Simply Idiotic Minister" - card to wear around his neck.

And John Howard - as a lawyer - continues to amaze me in all the wrong ways.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
tonia norton
July 27th, 2007

I am shocked and horrified by the treatment of Mohammed Haneef in Australia!
How can we preach democractic values to other countries and yet deprive our own citizens so blatantly of their democratic rights?
Keeping Haneef in custody without charge for weeks on end & then sending him to a detention centre is no better than the treatment people have suffered under the communist & dictatoral governments that we condemn! Now the case has collapsed! But,too late because this man's life has already been ruined! Shame on you, Howard Government!

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
William Clancy
July 28th, 2007

Whether one considers the Government's diabolical complicity in the torture and illegal incarceration of Mamdouh Habib and David Hicks, the criminal abduction and false imprisonment of 247 people by immigration , or the horrendous treatment of Dr Haneef, it is becoming evident that the Howard Government is by far a more effective violator of Human Rights than "terrorists" in Australia are ever likely to be.

One has to wonder what part of "Inalienable and Universal Human Rights" Mr. Ruddock and Mr Howard fail to understand. We should be making it abundantly clear that our Rights are OURS, they are not Howard's to giveth or taketh away as he sees fit.

Inalienable Rights are exactly that, they cannot be removed, put aside, given up, lost, or otherwise subjugated in any way.

Indeed such rights can be treated by our governments in only one of two ways. They can either be defended, or they can be violated.

I have no doubt as to how I expect governments to treat mine.

William Clancy

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Storm Willett
July 28th, 2007

It is time to reinstate Dr Haneef's visa and for Ruddock, Andrews and the Federal Crown Prosecutor to resign. How can the Federal Police Commissioner possibly say to the Australian people that there is no case to answer, that his officers acted at all times professionally, sighting his people were under pressure as an excuse.
Kelty needs to take responsibility and resign as well.
A man's reputation has been assasinated and the label "terrorist" will forever dog this poor fellow. He cannot go back to work, he cannot walk down the street without people looking sideways at him.
I wouldn't blame the doctor if he wanted to leave this country and never return. Australia's reputation in the free world has taken another hit, Are we just another state of the USA?
It is also time for the alternate Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to come out publicly and demand justice be served, instead of being an echo for the Howard government and taking the soft option of not speaking out.
What is Australia becoming when the ordinary man and woman in the street can no longer feel secure in their own country for fear of being labeled a terrorist, a terrorist symapthiser, being unaustralian by Howard for standing up for our civil rights and asking questions.
It is time for this government to go and we demand leadership from the opposition at a time when this country needs it.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
jude adrigan
July 28th, 2007

It is a disgrace that Dr Haneef has been held without charge or evidence that he had anything to do with terrorism in London. We need to consider the way we treat our Muslim brothers and sisters and recognise that attitides and action of our Government is creating divisiveness within our communities. We are creating a generation of young Muslims that feel excluded and seperated from mainstream society.Give Dr Haneefs passport and visa back and apologise for this wrongdoing. I think Dr Haneef should be compensated for this unfair and disgraceful treatment.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
July 28th, 2007

When I reflect on the Prime Ministers previous statement "we will decide who comes to this country and the circumstance under which they come" I must ask two questions.

1. Who is 'we'?
2. What is the 'decision' based on?

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Joan Plank
July 29th, 2007

Haneef came to Australia because we are desperate for doctors. He was doing us a favour. Now we have lost a doctor. What about a campaign to address the lack of Australian trained doctors? Often the overseas doctors who come here are leaving countries where they are needed. What we need is to encourage young people here to enter medicine.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
July 29th, 2007

Whilst Dr Haneef has been given his freedom to leave Australia there are critical issues that must be addressed.

We must not allow our political leaders to let this debacle melt away.

What is the real situation with our anti terrorist laws, are they adequate to the task, if adequate have they been efficiently and effectively applied, and has there been inappropriate interference in the system?

As voters and citizens we must have confidence in the fundamental systems that govern this country. Outstanding questions around the Dr Haneef case must be promptly and transparently answered. An inquiry is a must.

If the wide spread adoption of our 'democratic' system is our long term response to fundamentalism and terror is then we must demonstrate a working model.

Simply presenting a head on a plate for us to jeer at is just as insulting as the treatment of Dr Haneef.

In addition to an inquiry a brave and independent political opposition is integral to our Westminster style democratic system.

The absence of critical and constructive input from the Federal Opposition is very disturbing. Wedge politics may be a nice electioneering tactic but the result for the country is the neutering of a key check and balance.

The Federal Labor Opposition is tainted by their strategy to place their own fortunes before justice and human rights.

We can no longer rely on a properly functioning federal political system to uphold values.

The last line of defence is the fourth estate and the public must continue to used letters to editors, blogs etc to demand an inquiry and the ongoing development of a free, open and fair society.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.

Peter Graham
July 29th, 2007

The mistreatment of Dr Haneef by our government is, unfortunately, just another example of the incompetence and cynical disregard for Justice constantly displayed by Howard and his henchmen. After keeping Dr Haneef in custody for twelve days while "investigating" his connection to a terrorist allegation in another country, our Federal police finally brought him before a Magistrate. They presented duplicitous evidence in an attempt to make a case for a ridiculous charge. The Magistrate, acting properly in accordance with the law, ordered that Dr Haneef should be bailed pending a later appearance. This did not suit Howard's gang, who obviously wanted a terrorist of their own to alarm the citizens. His visa was revoked by Minister Andrews on the grounds of "bad character", and he was ordered placed in the Villawood centre once released. In the meantime, the Director of Public Prosecutions reviewed the evidence presentrd against the Doctor and found serious discrepancies between it and the truth, and so dropped all charges. Minister Andrews still refused to renew the visa, but when Dr Haneef expressed a wish to return to India, he returned his passport and Dr Haneef is now back home. Surprisingly, he still wishes to return to work here.
Howard, as he always does, maintains as much distance from his machinations as possible, claiming that the Police, the DPP, and Minister Andrews handled everything. He says he believes in the Separation of Powers. Why then do we have a situation in which Minister Andrews can make decisions on a person's suitability to be in Ausrealia. He is a politician who relies, firstly on his Party's backing for his position, and finally on citizens' votes for his job. He is not a member of the Judiciary, independent of politics and free to uphold the Law. He cannot be expected to make an unbiased judgement, based on evidence tested in Court, on a person's character and suitability to be allowed to be in this Country, nor should he have such power.
The record of Howard's government on human rights and the Rule of Law and Justice is abysmal, by any standards. Its politicising of any situation is to be deplored. However, we should learn from its depredations and demand from future governments that Ministers should not be given powers that rightfully belong to the Judiciary and the Courts. Parliament makes Laws, Ministers administer Departments, and Courts adjudicate on Laws and must be separate in all ways so that Democracy may function. Politicians must not be allowed to manipulate situations to their political advantage. Certainly, they must not be allowed to ride roughshod over human rights and Justice.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Arif Zaman
July 29th, 2007

One hand we are preaching to bring democracy in Iraq and East Timor and trying to get rid of democracy in our own land. What bigger example of hypocracy is there?

Do we want to see our Fed Police force to act in the same way as in Indonesia, Pakistan, Libya?

The govt. have been caught with their pants down....again...

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.

Richard Ure
July 29th, 2007

Government ministers (including Mick Keelty the self-appointed minister without portfolio and his press officer Miranda Devine (Sun Herald 29/7 p11) are saying the country would have been critical if Dr Haneef had not been investigated and charged given his distant relatives' remote alleged activities. Or was he just the nearest and most visible?

Can our security bodies assure us that everyone with the same degree of remote and time removed connection over the same period of time has been given the same degree of scrutiny and either charged or released?

And who believes the "time difference" excuse in the current communications environment? Surely it is the same as having the advantage of working two shifts yet, journalists still repeat it unquestioned.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
ann bishop
July 29th, 2007

The Minister for Immigration was at it again tonight 29/7. On the channel 7 news he made remarks insinuating Dr Haneef's guilt because the poor man wanted to go home.
I think it is quite natural for anyone to want to go home after such an experience not an admission of guilt as the Minister seemed to suggest.
This Minister should be sacked he is a disgrace.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.

Montague Smith
July 30th, 2007

I simply don't understand where the minister is coming from with his latest remarks, firstly, he is quick to lock up Haneef after a court granted him bail, then he releases him to home detention after the case is dropped by the DPP, then he allows for the Dr to leave Australia of his own will and now he's saying its suspicious, If the guy was still a threat then why on earth was he released to home detention so he could roam freely around Brisbane? Keelty claimed the Dr was still under investigation on friday, yet Keelty consulted with the minister at the weekend and agreed that the Dr could leave Australia.

I don't know about the rest of you but this stinks of bullsh*t too me.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.

Kevin Rennie
July 30th, 2007

Andrews must go!

If we believe the government, everyone but the politicians have made a mistake. Whatever happened to ministerial responsibility and political accountability. After the debacle of the AWB when no-one was held to account, Howard knows the answer to that.

Demand Andrews' resignation now! Email: kevin.andrews.mp@aph.gov.au

Kevin Rennie
from 'Labor View from Broome'
http://laborview.blogspot.com/

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Andrea Ellis
July 31st, 2007

We are failing as a country to show the world that we are infact a democracy and I am totally ashamed! The actions of Mr Andrews and his government (I did not vote them in) is bordering on dictatorship; allowing one man, and one man only, to be judge, jury and executioner is not democratic. This man should resign now but Howard and Co are just as complicit and thus should face the axe also. How many more people are to be totally shafted by this government in its fear campaign push for the top job? david icks, an Aussie citizen, was allowed to wallow in a torture chamber for 5 long years without a squeek from our government and now they have overridden a fully informed, very qualified judge with spurious accusations and inuendo and outright lies. We cannot invade a country in the guise of providing democracy when we are losing it at home inch by inch. Our government needs to go, it shames us as a nation!

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
John O'Reilly
July 31st, 2007

Power used in an inappropriate manner.

I was in the UK a month ago. A country that has been targeted by muslim extremists, a member of the 'I've been blown up' club that some politicians and officials seem absolutely desperate for Oz to join. People there accept that unfortunately their country has been singled out but lead their lives in spite of the very real threat BUT they do not constantly have narrow minded uptight politicians trying to frighten them.

To me - an immigrant but one who has been here for 26 years - the attitude displayed by some ( most ) politicians and officials ( police ) is the epitome of the cultural cringe still so prevalant in Oz it shows immaturity and narrow minded. Desperate to be seen as a world player they send off a few hundred troops to Iraq & Afghanistan.
The scaremongers - those who attempt to perpetrate the politics of fear in this country - should take a moment to reflect how very fortunate we really are here in Oz. A first world country with a very high standard of living but still a world 'back water'. We have an idyllic life here in comparison to almost all of the rest of the world.
Appreciate what you have. Why is it that every year we have some thousands of immigrants arriving here? July 2005 and June 2006 totalled 132,000 immigrants arriving in Oz.
The answer? they know its one of the best places on earth to live. Trouble free in comparison to almost all other countries.
Our curse is the ignorance and immaturity of some of our politicians. I firmly believe that no one should be given the level of power that government ministers have unless they have lived, worked and travelled out of Australia for at least three years of their adult life.

If Haneef does manage to return to Oz with a work visa and an apology then he will be doing it for revenge. Never the best reason to do something. If by some miracle he is allowed to return and even sue for the rotten treatment he has received in this shambels then that payment should come from the superannuation funds of the like of Andrews & Howard.
I love Oz my kids love it. Dont let paranoia $&#$ it up.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Robert Kenny
July 31st, 2007

matey, i was a political prisoner 4 times in 2002

only when it happens to a foreign national does it make any news at all

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
August 1st, 2007

Arguably the information Andrews released yesterday regarding Dr Haneef is circumstantial.

Being advised by his brother to leave Australia and to do so quietly was in retrospect good advice. How many of us if living in another country and our loved ones were made aware that security forces, rightly or wrongly, were likely to become interested in us would contact us and give us advice to get the hell out as soon as you can.

Given the above situation why would you then attempt contact the authorities at the source of the concern about you (i.e. the British Police) several times. If complicit in some activity we would simply focus all our efforts on getting out.

Dr Haneef's brothers advice is hardly damming evidence or proof.

Further Dr Haneef's lawyer, Peter Russo has stated that the information Minister Andrews released yesterday was the subject of police interviews - hardly secret information. The question remains what justified the severe action that was been taken against the Doctor. Why is the work visa still declined?

Selective releasing of information is a very poor substitute for a properly constituted inquiry based on well established rules.

There remains many unanswered question around this case and the selective release by Minister Andrews yesterday must not be allowed to be the end of the affair.

Criticism of individuals who question the handling of this case must not be branded as weak on national security. To argue this is simply bully boy politics from those who are happy to use extreme control mechanism to manage society. It mirrors the very simplistic doctrine of 'you are either with us or you are against us'. This tactic is not allowed in the school yard and it is certainly unsupportable in an intelligent society.

The real danger here is the growth of a dualistic social control system. On one side we have the well worn criminal legal system with centuries of checks, balances and review processes that in the vast majority of cases gets the appropriate outcome that society expects.

Since 9/11 we continue to see the rapid growth of another system that has few checks, balances and review processes, often driven by secret and un-disclosable information and controlled by one individual.

The announcement today that the Federal Justice Minister will consider extending search powers for Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Crime Commission (ACC) investigators indicates that the march away from a free society continues. Have we learnt nothing from recent events?

A full, transparent inquiry is a must and it must be implemented without haste.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Barry Dingle
August 1st, 2007

We need anti-terrorism laws.
Our current Anti-terrorism laws depend on secret information and Ministerial discretion.
But Ministers are politicians and currently politicians have a 16% trust level amongst Australians. (Morgan Gallup poll.)
How can we leave important anti-terrorism decisions to people we do not trust?
Clearly we NEED to have legal system checks built in to our anti-terrorism laws.
Barry.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Michael Rogers
August 2nd, 2007

"We expect you to protect us from terrorism, but demand you do so in a way that maintains the integrity of our legal system, due process, and our valued rights and freedoms.

We demand a trusted counter-terrorism system that responds to legitimate threats, not imagined or political ones."

This petition does no more than support the status quo. The Coalition and Labor politicians who passed the relevant "anti-terrorism" legislation would no doubt claim that protecting our rights along with saving us from the "terrorist threat" is exactly what they did.

What needs to be questioned is why any special "counter-terrorism" apparatus is needed in the first place.

South Africa withdrew its "anti-terrorist" legislation partially in response to the argument, that as South Africa had not participated in illegal invasions, did not actively support injustice in Palestine, and had not provided material support to anti-democratic regimes, its participation in the US led "war on terror" was not called for.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Emma Acciarito
August 2nd, 2007

What I think the government has done wrong is suggested Dr Haneef is in the wrong but then allowed him free. Their statements and actions are contradictory.

HOWEVER I do believe he is guilty to aiding terrorism, their is now new information that links him to the London bombings.

When he was interviewed on 60 minutes and asked the question will the Federal Police find anything he smugly said no, it doesn't take a psychologist to work out his response was not a no because he hasn't done anything but rather a no because those involved have done the perfect job or hiding all their traces.

Dr Haneef similar to the September 11 terrorists was highly educated, and living a western lifestyle...

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
alan moore
August 2nd, 2007

As a result of this Governments participation in the illegal invasion of Iraq,hundreds of thousands of people have been killed.When are the politicions responsible for this crime going to be brought to justice???

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Davan
August 3rd, 2007

What a wonderful example our Government demonstrates for children. Parliament is already a fine example on how to negotiate through differences and put your country's needs and priorities ahead of personal quests for power. Now we have the Government demonstrating how to treat people who are different from you. Today religion. Tomorrow it will be eye colour, hair colour - or perhaps whether you define Rugby as either league or union. Whereas I had been striving to teach my children the old version of "do unto others ..." it appears I have been remiss. The new version is "do unto others BEFORE they rise up and do unto you".
My love and prayers to all those who look for the Australia that predates this Government.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
alan moore
August 3rd, 2007

Approximately seventy per cent of the population claim to be christian.Most of the ministers in this government also claim to be christian and use it to gain votes. Jesus philosophy was "love your neighbour","do unto others","turn the other cheek", etc.
Haneef and David Hicks did not kill anyone as far as we know,yet their lives have been wrecked by this bunch of hypocrites.
What amazes me is the fact that a large percentage of the population,mostly christian,would even consider voting for a government who have taken us to a war,where so many innocent people have been slaughtered as a direct result of their actions.
In effect any one who votes for them is saying well done, we fully agree with the consequences of your actions.
Do christians,on judgement day, say to their god "economic management is the issue mate,i could'nt care less about the war",really expect to get to heaven??
I have'nt heard much moral outrage from cardinal pell lately.If he against stem cell research surely he should have plenty to say about Iraq??


Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Andreas Dalman
August 7th, 2007

The coalition of the willing are the real terrorists.
Without the US' involvement (and others' backing like the UK and Australia) Iraq, Al Quaeda, 9-11, the London subway bombings would never have happened.
If governments listened more to the people rather than the big corporations hungry for the dollars terrorism would not exist. There would be nothing to be angry about!

Terrorism exists on two levels.

The first level is government sponsored terror such as the US, Australia and the UK engage in. They frighten (terrorize)their population into giving up their civil liberties. We are not far from a 4th Reich. The tools they use are the same as Hitler used (propaganda, secrecy, deception). Systems of widespread government control (like water fluoridation, media control) need to be abolished and the agendas reviewed. Who are these so called 'democratic' leaders. When exactly do they listen to us, the people?

The second level is what used to be called 'freedom fighting'. These people are extremists, however they are fighting for their civil liberties. Most of these people are surely driven by the inflexible inhumane attitudes of the powerful. ('Absolute power corrupts absolutely.') The CIA has been involved in 'false flag' terror attacks all over the world in the past. There are unclassified documents which prove this. I would hazard a guess that most of the recent larger scale successful terror attacks from groups such as Al Quaeda will be shown in the future to have links with the very governments which are now publicly so vehemently fighting this so called 'war on terror'. After all how can such a war exist if there is no target, and what better way than to fund the disgruntled extremists? We all know that the US helped create Saddam Hussein. If prohibition and the 'war on drugs' are anything to go by (both sides sponsored by the FBI, after all if you have money to fight you better make sure there's a target) we're in some trouble people.

We should be allowed to be different. Our individual strengths should be valued and we should help each other with our weaknesses.

Governments should be listening and caring more for what the people of planet earth want rather than their dreams of power and wealth.
Now is the time to unite as one to tackle the big problems like global warming rather than dividing in fear.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Andreas Dalman
August 7th, 2007

The coalition of the willing are the real terrorists.
Without the US' involvement (and others' backing like the UK and Australia) Iraq, Al Quaeda, 9-11, the London subway bombings would never have happened.
If governments listened more to the people rather than the big corporations hungry for the dollars terrorism would not exist. There would be nothing to be angry about!

Terrorism exists on two levels.

The first level is government sponsored terror such as the US, Australia and the UK engage in. They frighten (terrorize)their population into giving up their civil liberties. We are not far from a 4th Reich. The tools they use are the same as Hitler used (propaganda, secrecy, deception). Systems of widespread government control (like water fluoridation, media control) need to be abolished and the agendas reviewed. Who are these so called 'democratic' leaders. When exactly do they listen to us, the people?

The second level is what used to be called 'freedom fighting'. These people are extremists, however they are fighting for their civil liberties. Most of these people are surely driven by the inflexible inhumane attitudes of the powerful. ('Absolute power corrupts absolutely.') The CIA has been involved in 'false flag' terror attacks all over the world in the past. There are unclassified documents which prove this. I would hazard a guess that most of the recent larger scale successful terror attacks from groups such as Al Quaeda will be shown in the future to have links with the very governments which are now publicly so vehemently fighting this so called 'war on terror'. After all how can such a war exist if there is no target, and what better way than to fund the disgruntled extremists? We all know that the US helped create Saddam Hussein. If prohibition and the 'war on drugs' are anything to go by (both sides sponsored by the FBI, after all if you have money to fight you better make sure there's a target) we're in some trouble people.

We should be allowed to be different. Our individual strengths should be valued and we should help each other with our weaknesses.

Governments should be listening and caring more for what the people of planet earth want rather than their dreams of power and wealth.
Now is the time to unite as one to tackle the big problems like global warming rather than dividing in fear.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Bozena Sawa
August 12th, 2007


If association is a sign of "bad character" Goerge Bush should be denied Australian Visa. HIs and his family ties with the Bin Ladens are well known. Why is he not beeing chagred for terrorisim?

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.

Richard Ure
August 18th, 2007

The Australian (and other papers) are now reporting AFP pressure on Dr Haneef's representatives not to release the full transcript of the second interview. http://tinyurl.com/2my8c9.

This government does not even try to hide its underhand ways anymore in its endeavours to keep the citizenry un (or ill)-informed.

Meanwhile the security services expect our co-operation in revealing "suspicious" behaviour!

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.

Richard Ure
August 22nd, 2007

To counter Kevin Andrews' undermining our confidence in the validity of the government's "superior security credentials" as only he knows how, the TV commercial about reporting suspicious activity goes into even higher rotation. Are the costs of this campaign being debited to Mr Andrews' portfolio?

Is this another example of the government being the best for something merely because it says so?

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.

Christine Fitzgerald
October 17th, 2007

As Dr Haneef was BOT charged, it is only fair and just that his visa be reinstated. We live in a so called democracy. whereby people are presumed innocent until proven guilty, all charges were dropped against Dr Haneef and yet he is still paying for a crime he hasn't being charged with... so he is entitled to have his visa given back and allowed to return to Australia to continue practising as a Doctor.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.

Andrea Bonotto
November 2nd, 2007

My support goes to Dr. Haneef and to all whom have been caught up in similar scandals world wide since 9/11 and before.

History will tell the truth about this dark years of state terrorism, people are rising up and not taking bullshit anymore, a movie called "zero" an investigation on 9/11 was presented last week at the Rome film festival. It has taken two years of investigation and interviews, against one day of investigation on the fact of 9/11 from US authorities. All the bullshit we have been given to swallow, all the lies about terrorism, giving up our civil liberties for freedom.

Dr. Haneef was lucky as it is David Hicks, as are the people of New Zealand of who like me was at the G8 in genova, Davos in switzerland, we are still here, no matter what happen to us but what about the millions of Iraqi, the innocent people of Afghanistan who have died. Do I give a fuck about soldiers dying? No.

31 CIA agents have been on trial in Italy about kidnapping and torturing a Muslim cleric, there is no way the US is making them face charges. Again and again, they get away with it.



Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
amaezed
November 2nd, 2007

There is no terrorism. It has all been made up to scare the public and put fear into us. That way we have no time or energy left to fight those Liberal Pollies. When are people going to see that the west has pitted one side against the other. The Elite reckon there are too many people and want to eradicate some so they can live with their oil, drugs and war business.
1% own the world, control our lives and make us into their puppets to work and consume for their fat pockets.
Business is the high priest. Bugger whether you are sick and have no time for your family. Work eat sleep and consume is the catch cry.
Art, music, respect, family values and community have all gone and in its place is BigBiz, BigPharma and a trillion shopping malls.
Who wants to work all his life and miss out on having fun as well. I mean wasn't that what life was meant to be. Why do we exist even, if its just to line their fat pockets. Costello reckons he's managing the budget. This is another politically correct way of saying: We got your money! and we aint going to give it back. We will spend it on our mates in BigBiz and BigPharma and congest the CBD's with high rise flats so as to support Biziness.
Farms are so large, they have to use chemicals to maintain them. Who's tasted real veggies lately?? not I.
This has led to people becoming increasingly sicker. Nutricianal levels have fallen and chemicals have given us cancers and dis-ease. People who work take copious amounts of sickies unknown in the past. The workplace has become the frontline.
Common sense is spoken about but when inacted looks more like more pol. correctness.
Please oh please people who claim title to "intelligence"....smell the roses, hug your kid and wife and dear friend.
This phenomena is global ... this is our revolution. Take a small part.
There is also enough water...just all in the wrong places, again due to bad geographical management. Aboriginal folk managed Australia excellently. Ask them!
Sometimes I want to swear in these pages but censorship wouldn't allow it.
byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
rc
November 3rd, 2007

In regard to recent news about Mr David Hicks and this government’s planned treatment after his release later this year should they be re-elected and the current expulsion of Dr Haneef.

I wish to make my views known to the next government that this type of ongoing tyranny is totally unacceptable in our ‘liberal democracy’.

It appears these men have not committed any crime by Australian law – nor, in the case of Mr Hicks, by any valid American law, as I’m sure time will prove once they (and we) have returned to normal sane government. If he has then those who assert this should produce the evidence.

I understand these current tactics are part of a last desperate cynical attempt by the Howard government to wedge Labor and influence the basest levels of prejudice in the society. However, something must be said – even if only by individuals like myself – that this bullying and tyranny is plain un-Australian and must be verging on the unconstitutional.

These truly fascist-leaning forces are obviously grasping at whatever they can – e.g., the Dr Haneef case did not turn out for them so they play this last desperate and dirty card. We surely need a Bill of Rights in this country if this is the trend for the future.

I want to know what Labor are going to do about this case – and this type of abuse of our justice system in general – if they get into power.

I hope that they are prepared to call for an independent commission and investigation into both these sordid affairs. Even if David Hicks cannot clear his name then he is at least entitled to be protected from this abuse of executive power. And Dr Haneef is entitled assume his worthy employment in QLD until the case against him is completed through due process in the Australian courts. Next we’ll be hearing about a ‘Tower of Canberra’ where, like its London namesake, political prisoners can be incarcerated at the whim of the Prime Minister – or even Buckingham Palace!

What purpose does it serve and what exactly do they mean by restricting Hick’s liberty by way of free access to all places and services that are available to free citizens? Reporting three times a week to police – what is that supposed to prove? And why all this public drama about the expulsion of Dr Haneef? Could it simply be a facade for sending a signal to the bigots living freely amongst us? I suspect so.

These authorities are out of control in my opinion. Their perverted hysteria and running amuck with the Dr Haneef case was, and is still, an international embarrassment. The past maltreatment and suggested post-release treatment of Mr David Hicks is also of the same nature.

What I would like at least is a clear signal from Mr Rudd that he is taking a reasonable and responsible position on these matters. I’d like it from Mr Howard and Mr Costello as well – but any such expression would have very little credibility with myself.

I take this issue of defending our democracy from internal rot seriously. The greatest danger to it, and therefore ourselves, is not from some misguided youth and adventuring (who, in the case of Mr Hicks, chose not to continue his fight for justice after five years of inhumane torture and torment) but from the systemic undermining of our institutions of justice and democracy by those who, like Mr Howard and Mr Ruddock and Mr Andrews, have been elected to uphold them.

I say enough is enough of this creeping ‘authoritarian capitalism’ that is seeping its way into our lives, our streets, our workplaces and soon our bedrooms!

Humbug!

I will not vote Labor, nor Coalition – even if it means a donkey vote for the House of Reps or Senate – unless I get a clear statement that these issues will be dropped straight after the election and Mr Hicks and Dr Haneef will be allowed to live safe, free and normal lives in our democratic and free Australia! If this cannot be done then we have in fact descended to the lower levels of those same totalitarian states that we are often advised that we are being protected from. More than a land mass, or a bunch of immigrants and a few poor neglected indigenous peoples: Australia is a state of mind! A state of freedom and leading example of a ‘fair go’.

If the authorities have a reasonable belief that spending our tax money on some sort of surveillance of Mr Hicks or Dr Haneef then let them do so – but this should be discrete and not infringe their liberties unless it can proven that they are breaking the Australian law. And law as determined by and in an Australian court, not in some trumped up kangaroo court in a Caribbean wilderness – a moral and ethical hell-hole that will eventually be proved in the free world to be a travesty of insane injustice – or via mass media.

Mr Andrews should now resign immediately. He claims he did not see or hear of the emails! No neither did Mr Downer know about the AWB funding Saddam Hussein’s regime while the whole world knew from Washington to Canada. There is little of no credibility in this current government: they have been caught so many times with their proverbial fingers in ‘till of truth’ that returning them will soil the public psyche for years. A change is necessary for our national health and wellbeing: but is Rudd’s Labor a real change? Or just a change of number plates? On this matter Mr Rudd can get up and quote any Christian theologian or mystic he likes – I’m sure they would all agree that there is principle and there are princes. Yes, being evicted from the farm is no doubt a hard experience, but I’m sure being evicted from the so called civil society without fair trail is even harder.

What say you Mr Rudd?

Me too on this ‘station of the cross’?

Come on Mr Rudd … simply GetUp and say you will support an independent judicial commission in the first year of your government into the mismanagement of the AWB, Hicks and Haneef affairs for the sake of systemic and cultural improvement. Let’s make it a common learning experience: give the signal.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.
Chris
November 19th, 2008

It's time we moved forward without fear. In the many years of security crackdowns in Australia there have been only two cases of noteworthy results. One was the Haneef affair. The other was the conviction of Muslim cleric Abdul Nacer Benbrika ands his followers. Years of paranoia, fear and loathing for what? A cock-up and a questionable conviction. While I have no doubt there remains a viable terrorism threat that spans continents, it is now time to reconsider our relationship with Islam and to send a message that cooperation and understanding may achieve at least as much as paranoid intervention.

Reply to this comment...

Alias:
You can customise the name that will display beside your comment.
Email:
Your email is for our records and will not be displayed.
CAPTCHA:
Enter the text as it appears above to help us prevent spam.

Abusive, racist or expletive language won't be tolerated.
Note: because you are not logged in, your post will be held until reviewed. We aim to review comments once each business day but during busy campaigning periods this is not always possible.

GetUp is Action for Australia

GetUp.org.au is an independent political movement to build a progressive Australia. GetUp! brings together like-minded people who want to bring participation back into our democracy.

Make a donation today!


© 2006-2008 GetUp! All rights reserved.
Authorised by Simon Sheikh, Level 5A, 116 Kippax St, Sydney NSW 2010