The politics of inaction

http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/politics/rudd-stays-on-top-by-keeping-off-the-playing-field-20091023-hda8.html

"Rudd wants to keep the centre-left element of his constituency happy with the "humane" part, but he also wants to deflect attack from the right. On both climate change and asylum seekers, Rudd has shown that he prefers to shut down the Opposition rather than to lead public opinion.

Rudd is emerging as a prime minister who defines himself by the fights he avoids. He is uncomfortable advocating an opinion that might be electorally risky. He would prefer to shut down an Opposition attack with narrow political tactics than to overwhelm the Opposition by mobilising broad public opinion.

Quite apart from the fact that the Government's security agencies already screen all asylum seekers, it's true that the men convicted of terrorism related charges here so far all arrived by plane."