Yesterday an adviser from one of the more senior portfolios was furtively whispering about how people in the Min Wing were rattled over Labor’s economic attack. Bet they’re less so now.

Kim Beazley’s Australian values visa comments might be going down a storm with the shock jocks and their callers, but they’ve done sod all for his policy credibility – just when he seemed to be landing some blows.

Beazley’s got a point. He’s got a very important point. Party critics like Victorian left non-entity Maria Vamvakinou probably don’t want to upset their Muslim stackers and stackees.

The trouble is is that Beazley has completely overstated his case. It’s clear that the policy – if it can even be called that – was a spur of the moment idea, with virtually no detail.

When opposition leaders float these sorts of notions they don’t look like leader in waiting. They just look desperate.