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Another Aussie Cabinet Minister caught out

He might wear an Amnesty badge, but Australian Federal Attorney-General Ruddock has disgraced his office and profession as a lawyer. Interestingly, he is nowhere to be seen in the election campaign presently underway.

Yet another lawyer - former barrister Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews - with a less than impressive record on a number of levels, has now been caught out in trying to circumvent the law in the now famous [infamous?] Haneef case, as The Australian reveals this morning:

"Confidential emails between top AFP agents and a senior public servant advising Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews indicate that there was a secret plan to thwart a decision bya magistrate to release then terror suspect Mohamed Haneef on bail.

The emails show the AFP was aware of a weekend "contingency" plan to ensure the Indian doctor would remain behind bars by having Mr Andrews revoke his visa under the Migration Act in the event of bail being granted by Brisbane magistrate Jacqui Payne on the following Monday.

The disclosure of the emails will be used against Mr Andrews, who has always insisted that he made his decision to revoke Dr Haneef's visa under the Migration Act and that it was "unrelated to the question of proceedings in the criminal court in Brisbane".

As the article goes on to point out:

"Under the Migration Act, such a contingency necessarily needed to involve Mr Andrews."

Watch out for the Minister not assuming any responsibility for has happened here, that he knew nothing and the usual spin. It won't wash Minister - well, at least whilst he remains in office if the polls are anything to go by!

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