Political gimmick, says section of Australian media

NEW DELHI: A section of the Australian media has been extremely critical of the government’s handling of the case, saying it’s a political gimmick in an election year.

In an interview aired by SKY news, soon after the Australian government revoked Haneef’s visa, Sunday Age reporter Jason Koutsoukis said: “The Government has today made this extraordinary decision to override the judicial system and throw this person behind bars, as it were. And I think it’s unnecessary, and I think a mistake.”

He added: “I think this is a stunt. It’s a desperate stunt. The Government is looking desperately for ways to gobble up all the media air time, and look as though it’s doing something positive.

They’re miles behind in the polls, we’re three months from an election, and I think, yes, this is a stunt to sort of get people’s attention.”

However the Labour opposition worried about being soft on terror is backing John Howard’s tough stand on Haneef.

The Prime Minister told reporters on the sidelines of a book release function in New Delhi on Wednesday, “Australia  ought to extend all the facilities within the law and the rights he is entitled to.” 

“We are in touch with the (Australian) government. The minister of external affairs is also in touch with his counterpart in the Australian government,” the prime minister said.

Foreign minister Alexander Downer also said in Canberra that he was in constant touch with the Indian authorities.

Saying that foreign doctors were ‘very welcome’ in Australia, Downer said the two countries have a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on counter-terrorism.

“We’ve had good cooperation in recent times on counter terrorism. We know it’s important we keep the Indians as informed as we can about the circumstances surrounding both the charges being brought against Haneef and also the fact that he is at the moment being held in immigration detention and we’ll make sure that the Indians understand that.”