Another reason besides Kyoto why I made the right choice to vote for the ALP in the lower house.Haneef free to work in Australia
Federal Immigration Minister Chris Evans will not move to cancel Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef's work visa.
The full bench of the Federal Court in Melbourne today dismissed an appeal by the former immigration minister Kevin Andrews against reinstating Dr Haneef's visa.
Mr Andrews revoked Dr Haneef's visa in July, despite a terrorism related charge against the Brisbane doctor being dropped.
Senator Evans says Dr Haneef is free to return to work in Australia under his current 457 Visa, which is valid until 2010.
He says the former immigration minister's calls for the Rudd Government to take the matter to the High Court will not be pursued.
"Kevin Andrews is not the one to be giving me advice about such matters, his record's not great," he said.
"I think there is a great deal of public concern about the way he handled this matter and the way the government responded, and I think there's concern that politics overrode their obligations under legislation."
The court decision was handed down while Dr Haneef's legal team watched via video link in Brisbane.
Dr Haneef's lawyer Peter Russo has spoken to Dr Haneef and he says he is pleased with the ruling.
"He is very happy that the decision has come down the way it has, but he also understands we have to wait for the current Minister to make up his mind on what he's going to do," he said.
Case 'politicised'
United Indian Association president Raj Natarajan has welcomed the decision, but says he is disappointed the previous government politicised the case.
"We know that terrorism is a real thing, it's not something someone is dreaming up, it was simply at our doorstep at Bali," he said.
"We are happy with whatever action the Government takes to counter this terrorism, but at the same time using that for political gain is something we have never liked."
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says she would be happy to have Dr Haneef return to work in the state if he can satisfy visa and medical registration requirements.
Ms Bligh says she does not know if there is a vacancy at the Gold Coast Hospital where Dr Haneef previously worked, but he would be welcomed back to Queensland Health.
"If Dr Haneef satisfied the visa requirements and the registration requirements, we'd be very pleased to have him and any other suitably qualified medical practitioners in our hospitals," she said.
"We have a lot of pressure on our hospitals, we want to see qualified doctors working in them as quickly as possible."
Mr Russo says his client still has not made a decision whether to return.
"He needs to speak to his wife about it and he needs a job to go to," he said.
"I need a piece of paper from Queensland Health and the Gold Coast Hospital saying he has a job."
And its fitting that Haneef will likely get a job, while Kevin Andrews has lost his. Heck, the wanker can't even keep a shadow ministry portfolio.
I eagerly await some ignorant bogan trying to pretend he is not a racist saying that India needs their doctors more, so he should stay in India. Of course speaking to actual Indian doctors, it seems India is one of the few countries not having trouble with a doctor shortage (Cuba is the other obvious one that springs to mind). In fact India exports its doctors to countries like ours which have a doctor shortage.
