Australia's obligation as a developed nation

It would return Labor to government in landslide proportions were an election to be held.

In the better prime minister stakes, Rudd trumps Turnbull 67 per cent to 18 per cent.

Sure, one-third of Australians would turn the boats back. Of the remaining two-thirds, it's not clear how many of them might be agnostic on the question, or apathetic.

Public opinion acknowledges that Australia is a nation of immigrants; 48 per cent of Australians have either been born overseas, or have a parent born abroad.

A poll in National Times has 47 per cent pressing to turn the boats back; 52 per cent say Australia is obliged to help people seeking protection from persecution.

All said and done, the question of refugees and asylum-seekers boils down to one of values. "Clearly we are not leading by example," Hathaway laments, pitching policy responses against the UN Human Development Report findings.

As with climate change - which an increasing number of Australians accept has to take into account global poverty - increasingly with refugees and asylum-seekers, many are coming to the view that Australia needs to rise above the singular question of border security and take into account "push" and "pull" factors, and the obligations of Australia as a developed nation.