Being able to trust the government – politicians, police and other public servants – takes on an added importance when dealing with national security, especially where that very security can often depend on actions and motives being kept secret.

It is a difficult task to ensure that protecting freedoms doesn’t destroy those same freedoms. Which is what has made the case of Mohamed Haneef such a dangerous failure for John Howard – the actions taken and the words spoken have given the impression that the Coalition Government is incapable of getting the balance right.

Many people’s trust has been lost and they are not just a collection of mad lefties. When The Australian says in an editorial that “what appears to be craven political opportunism at Dr Haneef’s misfortune should serve as a warning beacon for everyone” then ordinary people should be worried. There is a real danger that the bungling by Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews, the man who has contributed most to the growing mistrust, really will endanger national security!

Security services and federal police, when next confronted with the possible existence in Australia of a terrorist cell – as they were when alerted to the possible connection of doctors in this country to bomb-making doctors in Britain – should not have to hesitate to consider the PR implications of action.

Perhaps, to avoid any embarrassment, they will simply detain any future suspect through the latest anti-terror laws under which, as The Australian observed, “it would have been a criminal offence for anyone to even mention his arrest”.

To restore confidence, a forthright and honest admission of mistakes made is necessary. Neither the Federal Police Commissioner Keelty nor the Director of Public Prosecutions Mr Damien Bugg QC was in the mood last week for any groveling apology though Bugg has now promised to look at what went wrong in his office. Minister Andrews, meanwhile, continues to unconvincingly proclaim that he has done nothing wrong.

I have do doubt that Andrews had political advantage in his mind when he played the clever card of revoking Dr Haneef’s visa after a magistrate was prepared to set him free on bail. Politics is, after all, the game that politicians play and a majority of Australians may well have supported – and still support for that matter – taking a hard line when there is any doubt at all about a person’s connection with terrorism. But what I am sure the Government pollsters are now finding is that it on this issue, as on most, it is not the majority that a political party has to worry about. When it comes to winning elections, what matters is the minority that feels strongly enough about an issue to change how they vote.

Labor too is out there polling. And they’re finding that the minority of people truly disgusted with the Government is growing to a sizeable one. This shows in the fact that Labor’s initial reaction to the Haneef matter — agreeing with the Government’s course of action — is now giving way to attacking Minister Andrews’ handling of it.

This Government looks as if it has wedged itself. The only solution is to do a complete mea culpa with Minister Andrews sent to the back bench.