Australian Values.... no real opposition

I know I keep harping on about this, but I think it's a serious problem in the Australian political climate. It's not enough for the Liberal Government to appeal to the baser instincts of the electorate, the opposition has now decided to weigh in on the debate, but not with what you'd expect from an opposition, they are essentially saying that The Governments Australian Values push is not just a good idea, but that it doesn't go far enough, and that everyone who comes to Australia should sign a document promising to uphold Australian Values.

 

hmmmm.... I'm sure the terrorists are now trembling in fear and madly panicing trying to cancel their booked flights to Australia saying to each other "curses, they've foiled us, we can't possibly go to Australia now because we have to sign a statement promising to uphold Australian Values".

 

My question to Kim Beazley is simply, What's the point? Anyone who sets foot in another country has already implicitly yielded to the laws of that country and is bound by those laws and is forced to accept any consequences of breaking those laws. To insist on upholding a set of values is a very small step from accusing someone of thought crime.

 

To rhetorically answer my question, the only point I can see in Kim Beazley and the Labor party jumping on the Australian Values band wagon is to attempt to capture the xenophobia market of voters that the Liberals seem to have fairly well wrapped up instead of actually pointing out that the Liberal party is playing the race card again. You're treading on dangerous ground Kim when you attempt to take on Howard on his own turf.