Gina-Marie CheesemanDavid Hicks to be Home by October
February 22nd 2007 12:42
It what could only be described as a completely cynical political exercise it is seeming quite likely that John Howard will push to have David Hicks returned to Australia before the next election.
Both Howard and Attorney-General Philip Ruddock have been raising the issue of David Hicks and have been expressing their feigned outrage at his long detention without trial.
It seems as though the Government have suddenly become aware at just how much ordinary Australians have been disgusted by the treatment of Hicks by the Americans as well as the Australian Governments ambivalence to his detention.
Howard is now being quoted as sharing the Australian public’s anger at the long detention without trial of Hicks but it will be interesting to see just what the public’s reaction to this turn around by the government.
The Attorney-General gave even greater credence to the "home before the election" theory when he suggested on SBS the other night that he had been looking into bringing Hicks home if the trial continues to be delayed. (One wonders why this was not done earlier!)
Terry Hicks the father of David must not know wether to laugh or cry about the sudden urgency now by the government in an election year to have something done about Hicks.
On the hand Hick's father must be pleased that the government is now appearing to become active in this matter but it must sadden and anger him that this appears to be a poll driven concern and one Howard feels must be put to rest before any election.
The Hicks issue is alone would not make voters change their vote but when grouped with other issues like Iraq and Industrial Relations it may well provide the tipping point to make some change their vote and it appears that the government will put up with the derision of any Hicks return before the next election as a completely opportunistic election ploy to have it as a non-issue when voters walk into the polling booth.
John Howard has a long history of cynical election time offerings and this will be just another in a long list.
For David Hicks and his father I hope that no matter what the reason he is returned back to Australia as quickly as possible but if and when it does I only hope that John Howard and Philip Ruddock do not strut around looking for thanks for doing something that they should have done years ago.
Both Howard and Attorney-General Philip Ruddock have been raising the issue of David Hicks and have been expressing their feigned outrage at his long detention without trial.
It seems as though the Government have suddenly become aware at just how much ordinary Australians have been disgusted by the treatment of Hicks by the Americans as well as the Australian Governments ambivalence to his detention.
Howard is now being quoted as sharing the Australian public’s anger at the long detention without trial of Hicks but it will be interesting to see just what the public’s reaction to this turn around by the government.
The Attorney-General gave even greater credence to the "home before the election" theory when he suggested on SBS the other night that he had been looking into bringing Hicks home if the trial continues to be delayed. (One wonders why this was not done earlier!)
Govt offers to Assist Hicks
Terry Hicks the father of David must not know wether to laugh or cry about the sudden urgency now by the government in an election year to have something done about Hicks.
On the hand Hick's father must be pleased that the government is now appearing to become active in this matter but it must sadden and anger him that this appears to be a poll driven concern and one Howard feels must be put to rest before any election.
The Hicks issue is alone would not make voters change their vote but when grouped with other issues like Iraq and Industrial Relations it may well provide the tipping point to make some change their vote and it appears that the government will put up with the derision of any Hicks return before the next election as a completely opportunistic election ploy to have it as a non-issue when voters walk into the polling booth.
John Howard has a long history of cynical election time offerings and this will be just another in a long list.
For David Hicks and his father I hope that no matter what the reason he is returned back to Australia as quickly as possible but if and when it does I only hope that John Howard and Philip Ruddock do not strut around looking for thanks for doing something that they should have done years ago.
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