Crikey - Vanstone, Cornelia Rau and Habib

A reader wrote to Crikey:

Who has empathy for Hicks and habib

Who gives a flying ???? about Mamdou Habib? Three journalists and a couple of civil rights lawyers, perhaps. Crikey, the ABC and Fairfax should cease flogging a dead camel and admit the bloke's very suss. Talk with people around the streets and you'll learn that 99% of the Australian population has no sympathy or empathy for Habib or Hicks. The remaining 1%is attempting to keep this non-issue on the boil. Now there's this nutter Ms Rau who doesn't know what planet she's on, let alone what country, as the new cause celebre.

Maree

Sad.

Maree, these journalists and lawyers are fighting for your children and grandchildren, so that they too will enjoy the same liberties you had once enjoyed.

Prediction: When the investigation into Ms Rau's case is complete, fingers will be pointing at the States inadequacy with handling mental health patients, rather than how equitable it is to lock up people who are not dangerous.

Already, the opposition is wimping out, saying that the "inquiry should investigate all aspects of the case including the process that led to Ms Rau’s detention". What about section 177 of the Migration Act that you helped pass?

Update:Now the Prime Minister says he cannot apologize, citing that it would be legally dangerous. What a Howard. You've locked up an innocent person in our name. The least you could do is to apologize in our name too.

Update 9/2/2005: There are some reports that Cornelia declared herself as an illegal immigrant. I would have thought this in itself should have raised some warning bells. Incidentally, the old Soviet Union used to send their dissidents to mental institutions, reasoning that these people have to be mad to be openly against the government.