You’re not even the fairy godmother who can wave a magic wand and fix everything.

When I said you were my last modicum of hope yesterday, what I meant was that you’re a change for the better.

You’re a breath of fresh air in the stifling world of scary ALP policy-making.

I am looking forward to the consultative style of leadership you’ve mentioned, and to you listening and talking about things before going out and doing something, or announcing a policy. I am looking forward to you being sensible and rational; to you hearing out everyone; and not letting fears and the lowest-common-denominator populism get in the way of the principles of fairness, compassion and the “fair go” you mentioned on 24 June.

I was glad to read that you’re welcoming open and honest debate over the asylum-seeker issue.

You are totally right in saying that people who want more compassionate boarder-protection solutions aren’t “soft”. It’s a shame that the media didn’t focus on that sound bite all day.

And I agree totally that we can’t let political correctness lead to name-calling in lieu of a reasoned, rational, sensible debate that’s appropriate for Australia as well as in accordance with our international obligations.

The thing is, you know, that it seems like “political correctness” ends up being a scapegoat used by people who really just want to be mean. You know, like the lawyer joke about using “My Learned Friend” to the idiot who’s opposing counsel.

The other interpretation, of course is that “political correctness” could be poll-based. But who are the people that are even being asked in these polls? And who are doing the asking?

I wonder if they know the facts. Surely they can’t because they wouldn’t be anxious if they didn’t have anything to be anxious about. Of which, on the facts, there is nothing!

So let’s talk about this issue; let’s debate it. And I really hope than when you listen to what people are saying, and hear them saying things that are incorrect, inaccurate and unfair, you have the courage to correct them, and set them straight.

Mia Friedman had a great post up today with some key facts about the asylum-seeker issue which I’m sure you’ll find very useful when talking about this issue in the a reasoned, rational, sensible debate we need to be having. I’ll post the link up later in case you haven’t seen it.

Til then, Julia, ta ta!

Warm regards Sunili