John Howard is nothing if not cautious. Indeed, Gerard Henderson often reminds us of the problems he has had in the past with indecision.

Caution can be bad. It can also be safe. On the roads, for example, caution pays. And on global warming, it appears, the PM is behaving like a model driver. Geoffrey Barker writes in the Fin today:

Welcome signs are emerging that the federal government has realised that global warming is infinitely more threatening to Australia than Islamist terrorism.

To his credit John Howard has reportedly asked Australia’s intelligence analysis agency, the Office of National Assessments (ONA), to prepare a detailed report for cabinet on global warming and its security implications.

By contrast he has not sought a national intelligence estimate on terrorism, perhaps because he does not want to be told, as US intelligence agencies have told President George Bush, that the Iraq War has increased the overall terrorist threat…

It’s cute, getting ONA involved. A very nice angle. And what a wonderful driving lesson we’re getting from the PM on how to do a u-turn – pull over to the side of the road, draw to a complete stop and then head in the opposite direction.

If the passengers wonder what on earth you’re doing, you simply tell them there was a safety hazard on the road ahead. No one’s going to quibble with that.

As this guy points out, climate change material is akin to p*rn for journalists…!