Tennant

The psychiatrist who spoke out against ASIO and Australian Federal Police has been sacked. By the lawyer who hired him.

I suppose Christopher Tennant, the psych, did a gut reaction thing and followed his heart after hearing the utter tripe that Dennis Richardson (ASIO chief), Mick Keelty (Aus Fed Police Commissioner) and numerous un-important party backbenchers were flinging around yesterday in an effort to obscure Mamdouh Habib's torture, and outsourced torture in general.

Basically Tennant just wanted to stick up for a guy whose had a shit time. Tennant tried to contact Mr Habib's lawyer and Mr Habib before speaking out publicly but couldn't get hold of them and just took the media plunge (keep clicking, it'll open eventually - good link but a bit toey.)

I can see from the Lawyers point of view that evidence coming out in public before a trial makes things difficult, for the lawyer.

But on the other hand maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. Chris Tennant might've actually intuitively, if accidentally, chosen a timely moment. Howard & Co in parliament are counting on people being too confused to speak out on this one. Aus Govt classic card play - the public "don't need to know" anything other then what parliamentarians and cohorts spin. It's the way Howard's always tried to swing things. Anyway, heart won this time and I think it'll work out ok.

Maybe Tennant sacrificed himself for his client in a way, directing any flack towards himself while deflecting it from Mr Habib. He also seems to have shut Richardson, Keelty and the backbenchers up. And these are all admirable things, cause Mr Habib needs a) a break and b) backup.

Give A Man A Home
Ben Harper

have you ever lost your way
have you ever feared another day
have you ever misplaced your mind
watching this world leavin' you behind

won't you
won't you give
won't you give a man
give a man a home

have you ever worn thin
have you ever never known where to begin
have you ever lost your belief
watching your faith turn to grief

won't you
won't you give
won't you give a man
give a man a home

in a world that is unwhole
you have got to fight just to keep your soul
some would rather give than receive
some would rather give up before they believe

won't you
won't you give
won't you give a man
give a man a home