There's some consolation. The Libs will be able to claim underdog status.

 Not so perplexing when you consider Julie Bishop was trying to claim indonesia endorsed coalition policy..

Indonesia's foreign affairs minister Marty Natelegawa says his government will not accept asylum seeker boats being towed back from Australia.

In comments yesterday, Mr Natelegawa said he would be willing to discuss the Opposition's policy to turn boats around if the Coalition wo..., sentiments which had encouraged the Opposition.

But interviewed on Channel Ten last night, Doctor Natalegawa clearly said he did not support the plan to tow back boats.

"Such a policy would constitute a unilateral type of measure that we do not support, and that's why in my earlier remarks today what I said basically is that let's hear what the policy is all about," he said.

"We are not ecstatic about it for sure, but in terms of in the spirit of wanting to hear the various policy options countries are proposing, parties are proposing, it's good to have this dialogue."  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-16/marty-natelegawa-says-indonesia-will-not-accept-boats-which-ha...

It's been a pretty amazing turnaround in only a couple of weeks. Makes me think of that old saying,

24 hours is a long time in politics 

i must admit to being a bit surprised by it all , i thought the reaction would be savage.. but then i remembered Murdoch approves of Rudd, but not Gillard. which explains a lot

this from the article in the OP

'allowed tens of thousands of Islamic unknowns into our community'

if they are in our Community are they all  unknown and do human rights  apply to them as they do to all of us ?