Dr Haneef - Guilty - of being an Indian

Oh Please! Kevin Andrews, wake up. You are the problem here.

First we lock up "an Indian National", working in Australia on a "457" work visa. Then, despite the provisions of the anti-terrorism legislation which Phillip Ruddock dreamt up, which was supposedly designed to be ultra-secret, the "authorities" leak his name and photograph, and accuse him of being a cousin of a "Terrorist". Then we leak the story that he "recklessly gave material aid to Terrorists".

How many people do you know who have swapped mobile phones? Or sold them on cheaply to mates, because there was another model they liked more? Mobile Phones are not like "real property" - they are lost, stolen, passed on by younger people. It is only old boring people like me who tend to keep their "mobiles" for long times.

Then, despite the supposed water tight provisions of Ruddock's legislation, the Magistrate is about to release Dr Haneef, because clearly she is not convinced that he poses any threat to man, woman or child in Australia.

Then Kevin Andrews gets a call from the head of the Commonwealth Police, to warn him what is going down, so they decide that the Minister can use his powers (under Section 501 of the Migration Act) to deem Dr Haneef to be a person of "bad character".

He does not have to be proven to be of bad character. It is the Minister's judgement (only) which is the "test" - without any evidence being required, or any court of law to sit in judgement.

Kangaroo Court? No. No court required! Just Kevin Andrews.

Racist Humbug? Or just plain Howard Government political Humbuggery? You decide!

If you think I am going over the top, you should see what they are saying, over at crikey.com.au
Crikey!

PERSONAL DECLARATION OF INTEREST.
I was treated (successfully) in hospital, in Canberra, in 2005 and 2006, by a succession of young, intelligent, well trained foreign doctors. The majority of them were of Indian origin. I was deeply grateful to them, as individuals, and frequently expressed my personal appreciation for the work they did for me. Does that make me guilty of providing emotional support to Terrorists? Or, by being sufficiently sick that my illness created employment for them, perhaps even guilty of indirectly providing material support for Terrorists?

Oh, please, Ministers Ruddock and Andrews - get a life. It's preferable to destroying one.

A CHALLENGE TO HEALTH MINISTER - TONY ABBOTT.
How will you staff the hospitals of Australia if your jack-booted colleagues go around scaring away the same young, intelligent and well-trained foreign doctors?

Have you even thought of that?