I “know” I heard “Free Dr Haneef” being proclaimed on Saturday, but I accept it could have been someone’s slip of the tongue or my slip of the ear.

You need a conversation-starter, sure — but given your explanation it seems, well, even more perverse to spend time collecting signatures when you know that petitions don’t work. For me there’s also a smack of the Scientologist about it — you know, when they accost people in the street saying they’re “conducting a survey” when in fact they’re recruiting. But no, I can’t think of a better political pick-up line.

For me, the bigger issue here is that in Newtown you’re still preaching to the choir. The energy would be better spent out in Howard’s Battlerland, changing the minds of those who equate “foreign” with “terrorist”, no?

@Snarky Platypus: Keelty’s fight-to-the-end is now just embarrassing, IMHO. He chose to turn his job into a political position, and how he reaps what he sows. Agreed, we should be seeing his resignation today — though early poll results suggest that Kevin Andrews is the one facing the axe.

They had to back down and the media had to shift quickly to avoid looking out of touch. The front page of the Telegraph is a good indication of that. It just shows that the mass of people are so much better than the assholes who rule us.

What exactly have you done to achieve this “victory”? The government and other agencies involved did a very good job of sabotaging their own case – I’m not sure what you had to do with that.

On a related note, Mick Keelty’s interview in the SMH is hilarious. Please Mick, commit career hara-kiri in order to retain whatever miserly shreds of dignity you have left.

Petitions themselves don’t do anything. And yes, politicians care little for any petition, marginal seat or not. But the point is it’s a starting point for conversation and meeting others that may be willing to get involved.

Besides, we were calling for Justice for Haneef, not free Haneef. We’ve gotten a victory out of the government and they look like idiots but this man’s life is still ruined.