Haneef case highlights eroding civil rights

The current case in Australia where Dr. Mohammad Haneef, who is accused of "recklessly" associating with those accused of terrorism (the recent car bombing at Glasgow airport), has revealed the extent to which there has been a general erosion of the safety nets provided by due process for both citizens and visa holders in this country. Australian Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlet comments:

It is a fundamental principle in any democracy that a person should only be imprisoned following the use of a fair and transparent process, free of political interference.

The case of Dr Mohammed Haneef is a stark demonstration of the way the Migration Act enables politically motivated decisions to be used to imprison people, regardless of judicial processes.

The Democrats have consistently been calling for an urgent reform of the Migration Act:

The Democrats believe that more than ever there needs to be proper independent oversight of the use of ministerial powers;

We believe there must be mechanisms to prevent violations of natural justice and to protect due process and the presumption of innocence.

We should be outraged by such reckless treatment of a person in our country because tomorrow it may be us. This issue is not about supporting terrorism, nor about the guilt or innocence of Dr. Haneef, it is about protecting our fundamental rights and freedoms. You can take action by signing a petition here.