See thats the problem, you are willing to trust that future governments won't abuse these powers. I'm not. There are just too many examples of really really bad things happening.

What we can agree on though is the need for a full enquiry, if nothing else the Haneef case bungled pretty badly, and the decision making processes and the full range of evidence needs to be assessed to ensure that something like this doesn't happen again.

James, it's not that I am happy to trust them, it's just that we don't have any choice about it. Politicians can grab these powers readily anyway, just as they have done with these powers. Whether or not these powers were enacted, if we in the future get the 'evil' government you apparently fear, that wants these powers to arrest all their opponents and 'subjugate us' we won't be able to stop them. The beauty of our system, The beauty of our parliamentary system is that this is a very unlikely outcome for the simple reason the power is diluted amongst 100 or so parliamentarian's and senators.

Whilst the absolute power of a dictator produces tyrants, by dividing up the power so widely amongst people who don't entirely trust each other, the odds of producing such a tyrant are extremely small. Neither John Howard nor Kevin Rudd enjoy anything like absolute loyalty from their parties. If they or future leaders started doing the sort of things you are fearful of, they would lose the support of their parties, parliament and even cabinet.

By extrapolation, the logic of people who would disallow parliament from passing these recent laws, we ought also to disband the army lest the politician's misuse it, or perhaps suspend parliament's power to make any new laws, lest they misuse it.

At the end of the day, we elect our leaders so they can lead. We cannot both give them the power which goes with being elected and simultaneously panic whenever they use it. You have to judge governments on what they do or commit to doing, not on what they theoretically 'might' do.

After Dr Hannef case, Andrew is known as a RACIST more than the past.

I have seen that even Christians have turned against him.

Andrew proved that he is NOT decision maker, he is a small puppy of a particular group that follow a specific guideline.