I hope David Hicks is patient

Asleep inside the hotel were the leaders of 12 Asian and Pacific nations, gathered for the first Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting due to begin that day.

The explosion was widely interpreted as a political gesture aimed at one of them, most likely the Indian Prime Minister, Morarji Desai, who speculated openly that it had been a bomb directed against him by the Ananda Marga sect.

Terrorism in Australia!

I interviewed Tim Anderson about 20 years ago and he declared his innocence, and I believed him. Naturally enough, he was nervous and also indifferent about what he had endured, but I am a good judge of character and I believe he had nothing to do with the Hilton Hotel bombing. Like Hicks, he was innocent but made a scapegoat for political purposes.

The Federal Government and its servants have a responsibility to look after all Australian citizens - including David Hicks. The country’s statesmen and women must stop passing the buck and act now to free David Hicks, a foolish young man, who got caught up in a flight of fancy.

I’m sure he will return to his native land, but in the interim he needs to be patient and conscious of the fact there are sectional interest groups prepared to lobby on his behalf.

Perhaps Minister Downer could discuss the Hicks case in detail with his English counterparts and (God forbid it) raise the matter with his US buddies so that justice is done, but more important, it is seen to be done.

I am an eternal optimist and believe David Hicks will soon be home.