We've had two boat disasters, two days of impassioned debate and votes in two Houses. Yet we've still ended up right back where we started: with our politicians talking about how much they care about asylum seekers, while pointing the finger at everyone else.
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True, the standoff has shown some signs of sitting down.
We've got breakaway backbenchers and tearful MPs. And Julia Gillard has announced an independent panel, led by former air chief marshal Angus Houston. Which means this is now someone else's problem too.
Yesterday, as the Senate edged towards its inevitable decision to knock back the Oakeshott bill (one 20 minute speech at a time), the House had its last question time for six weeks.
But one didn't need an independent expert to predict what they'd be talking about. With Carbon Tax Day on Sunday, both sides were eager to squeeze in as much ''before'' debate as they could.
Wayne Swan told the House that Tony Abbott's predictions about the tax were the ''equivalent of the Y2K virus''.
There's no need to hole up in the bathroom with bottled water, Swan said. After July 1, the coal industry is going to expand and the sun will come up in Whyalla!
Abbott left the tech speak alone to focus on the Prime Minister's ''big lie''. Just after 3pm, he tried to censure Gillard for ''there will be no carbon tax''.
In a surprise move, Gillard stayed in the chamber to listen to the Opposition's words of damnation, thus presenting Abbott with something of a dilemma. Should he argue against the toxic tax, or heckle the Prime Minister?
''What a red letter day!'' he exclaimed as if he had caught Gillard red-handed. ''The Prime Minister is sitting in the chamber!'' Christopher Pyne seconded the motion; taking issue with Gillard's habit of comparing the carbon tax to the GST (that is, everything will be cool).
''John Howard was a friend of mine and you're no John Howard!'' he shouted, as huffy as you like.
Gillard was in no mood for contrition, however. In fact, she wanted Abbott to say sorry. Was he ''man enough'' to apologise for his ''relentlessly negative'' anti-carbon tax campaign?
The censure motion was defeated 74 votes to 67, but that wasn't the end of question time. Craig Emerson hadn't had a turn yet. Rocking up to the despatch box, Emerson announced he'd be in Whyalla for Carbon Tax Day and he was going prepared. Pulling out a measuring tape and extending it for the House to see, he said he'd have his ''Sky High Measuring Device'' on hand.
This will show that ''Chicken Little is wrong'' he decreed, to chuckles all round. One wonders if the Measuring Device would reach the same conclusion about the boats.