You know, I'm getting more and more annoyed at the police we have in this country and the people who oversee their accounting. And this articles sums it up nicely, combined with that asinine APEC exercise and other issues that some of you probably would agree on.

It's almost as if the government is writing thousands of blank cheques to any government agency involved in the War on Terror sinkhole. It gets back to the saying about government bureacracy, inefficiency and corruption. The AFP and other police forces have blown a lot of our money on these political circuses and none of them seem to be accountable to anyone for it.

And Rudd is over in Nato like a fool saying how everyone should spend more time in a desert frittering our money away on it. Money is going into Afghanistan. Fuel and ammunition are being burned every day (and the prices of fuel are high..). Everyone over there gets extra wages. And Afghanis get killed twice over by both sides...amazing... This money should be spent here in Australia on our road systems and infrastructure. Even people in the country may want to use it for the water plans or broadband services (especially since the OPEL deal was scrapped by the communications minister)

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/haneef-nine-afp-staff-still-on-his-tail/2008/04/03/1206851105553.html

"NINE federal police staff members are still working full-time on the Mohamed Haneef case as the investigation of the Indian doctor - and the bill to taxpayers - keep ticking over."

"It's extraordinary that, after more than $7.5 million of taxpayers' money and many months after the [Director of Public Prosecutions] said he had no case to answer, my client is still a suspect," said Dr Haneef's lawyer, Rod Hodgson.

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No way will I support your complaint Steel.
Pour in the money I say!
For years and years state and federal governments neglected police forces as crime leaped upwards. They just wouldnt hire new cops.
Porn created a generation of sex maniac offenders who are out there RIGHT now stalking women and young girls and the money and manpower simply wasnt there to do much about it.
Cops all over this great land worked for decades with substandard equipment. Junk walkie-talkies, old handguns like the Smith and Wesson .38 revolver. Substandard motorvehicles that simply couldnt catch high powered sports cars and hotted up V8's etc.
*Governments like the Victorian government decriminalised witchcraft and who knows what the warlocks and witches are now planning in that state?
There was never enough put into policing in this area to gather data and watch these dark prowlers of the spirit world. People in prominent positions in government (mayors and aldermen) and the judiciary even some cops dancing around with demon powers in witchrcaft covens doing abominations. Whose in our police forces is there to stop them but those with a true commitment... and heaps of money?
Yes...pour in the millions and billions of dollars because society has become too permissive and too drugged and too drunk not to!

The blame for APEC, the money allocated to counter-terrorism and the new terrorism legislation rests at the feet of the former Prime Minister, Mr Howard.

Legislation link: http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/agd/www/nationalsecurity.nsf/AllDocs/826190776D49EA90CA256FAB001BA5EA?OpenDocument

As far as the Haneef case goes, well I think most agree the case was not handled as well as it might. But add this to the fact this case gave us the first opportunity to scrutinise the new anti-terror legislation there was bound to be criticism. Police can initiate control orders but they have to be approved by the Attorney-General (the former AG the Hon Philip Ruddock MP).

As far as the continuing investigation into Haneef goes ... the police cannot just ignore evidence or information received because the case has become 'unpopular'. Are they supposed to halt all investigations because it might look bad given the looming inquiry?

Trust me I am NO apologist for government - I know too well the lengths some managers in various government agencies and departments go to to cover up mistakes including lying or omitting relevant information during inquiries and investigations. Not to mention the spin and 'guff' they provide to oversight departments like PM&C or the travesty of access to documents under Freedom of Information.

I do however, feel sorry for the police (who I have worked with at various times) who often find themselves in a "damned if you do - damned if you don't" position.

Steel I agree with you about the "sinkhole" of money wasted on terrorism. I do believe that the risk of terrorism has increased since the invasion of Iraq and that more money had to be allocated to counter-terrorism but much of it has been misdirected. An inquiry that would be worth initiating is one that would closely assess where some of this money is being used to build empires of one sort or another.

Its not the criminals costing us the money is it?

runner, some admin changed the title of this article which gives a slightly different meaning that was unintended.

Dear Steel,

I won't discuss the money that is spent on our police force - I don't know enough about it - except that from the little I've read - they could do with some 'spring cleaning.'

As for the Haneef case - it was badly handled.

Spending more money on overseas wars ... We need an awareness of lethal double standards: that 'international law' and 'international community' are often merely the preserves of great power, not the expression of the majority.

The United States can mount a posse with Britain and one or two bribed hangers-on and call it a 'coalition,' for the purpose of a wholly piratical attack on other countries, while more than 400 United Nations resolutions calling for justice in Palestine are not worth the paper they are written on.

We also need to examine the common use of 'we' and its appropriation by great power. If 'we' are to fight terrorism, then 'we' must call on the United States to end its terror in the Middle East, and elsewhere. Only then can 'we' make the world a safer place.