It was inevitable many MPS would go with polls and bring back Rudd. They may rhetorically dismiss the importance of polls at times, but longstanding trends in polls are everything.

Rudd is more popular with younger people as morgan poll shows, and the election will be closer, although it was always going to close up when the crunch came wen people started to weigh up which major party will benefit their families the most.

Still, I think the past five years is ample reason why the ALP needs a time in opposition. Or put it this way, if they are the best option, Australia is in trouble.

I think Abbott is smarter than the haters would concede, but perhaps I am still too much of an optimist.

So the charge stands, PM Rudd should never have involved Indonesia in domestic politics. It was a diplomatic gaffe to be regretted.

James Hacker: "Foreign affairs are a complicated business, aren't they?"
Sir Humphrey Appleby: "Yes, indeed, Prime Minister. That's why we leave it to the Foreign Office."

from, "Yes, Prime Minister"

But wait a bit, the egotistical PM Rudd boasted of his diplomtic experience in the same breath as he presented the image of gun boats facing off, and war.

What a jackass, the Labor Caucas has made another blunder.

Indonesia has been dispatching boats for years into West Papua about 600 persons each day to bring the balance of Muslim population in West Papua to a majority. There armed forces shoot without question anyone that opposes them when they raid their gardens or believes in independence. The character of the Indonesian Army is well known by their East Timor invasion.

onthebeach,

The uplifting thing is that at least Indonesia appears to be displaying maturity and sophistication in their reaction to Ms Bishop's hysterics.

More than can be said for some around here.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-29/indonesia-wont-be-drawn-on-rudds-conflict-comment/4789162

So far all I see in the Coalition's armory is their rehashed boat people Dog-Whistle and a pretty impressive catalogue of pamphlets.

Anything else?

'So far all I see in the Coalition's armory is their rehashed boat people Dog-Whistle and a pretty impressive catalogue of pamphlets. '

yes Poirot even that is a bit better than the 'compassionate ' Greens/Labour who for political purposes caused over 1000 drownings.

runner,

Explain to me the exact process by which the Coalition will be able to "turn the boats around" without the co-operation of Indonesia?

(Notwithstanding that Julie Bishop intimates she's got a "secret" agreement with the Indonesians to do just that - and one which the Indonesians deny)

It's pie in the sky and incredibly simplistic to imagine that these boats will be able to be physically turned around by Australian authorities - especially while we are signatories to the convention.

Just because a pollie says "Yup, we'll turn 'em around." doesn't mean it's practically possible. That, in my opinion, is pollie rhetoric, fodder for the likes of you and others who would rather a play partisan pretendies than examine the rhetoric for nebulous promises.