July 24, 2007 10:39am
FOREIGN Minister Alexander Downer remains comfortable with the way the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have handled the investigation into accused terrorism supporter Mohamed Haneef.
Mr Downer today dismissed as party politicking Queensland Premier Peter Beattie’s likening of the AFP performance to the Keystone Cops.
He said if a terrorist attack was carried out in Australia, everybody would be asking why the Government did not take more responsible measures.
“If there is a terrorist attack in Australia, then the next big campaign will be why didn’t the Federal Government take more responsible measures to make sure such an attack didn’t happen,” Mr Downer said on ABC Radio today.
“We are risk averse in terms of terrorism, we don’t want to see terrorist attacks in Australia so we’re tough on this issue.”
He rejected calls for a Senate inquiry into the handling of the Haneef case from Mr Beattie and said if the Queensland premier had concerns about the AFP’s investigation, he could ring the Queensland police commissioner.
“It is actually a joint investigation by the federal police and the Queensland police,” Mr Downer said.
“(Mr Beattie) has gone out and denigrated not the Queensland police, but the federal police for party political reasons and that reflects very badly on him.
“I am entirely comfortable (with the investigation) – the federal police are enormously professional.”
He admitted it was difficult to get the balance right between civil liberties and stopping terrorism.
“Civil liberty issues are enormously important to all of us but so is stopping people, and this is no reflection on Dr Haneef, so is protecting the Australian community from terrorists,” Mr Downer said.
“It is difficult to get that balance right.”
– Herald Sun (July 24, 2007)
