Rudd's anger displayed a key fact: the Government's overarching narrative is beginning to fray. Not badly enough, yet, to place Labor in any jeopardy of being turfed out of office, but for the first time pollsters are beginning to detect a far more significant shift in the electorate. Questions are beginning to be raised about judgment, whether the Government is ''levelling'' with the electorate, and, importantly, if the Government is getting things right. One pollster insists a qualitative shift is occurring.

A prime example of the confusion enveloping the Government was the information issued or rather, the complete absence of particulars about what happened when there was an explosion on the boat. The Government went into lock-down. Instead of trusting people, the facts surrounding the horrific events were withheld.

It's no wonder ordinary people were confused. The reality was that the Government's discipline had fallen apart as it desperately searched for a way of interpreting events. The senior Lieutenant Commander of the patrol boats apparently kept the fleet base fully informed about what was happening. Some of the detail may have been hazy, but the broad sweep was clear. It appears there may have been a delay in providing information, but that wasn't the real reason information was withheld.

Explosions and drownings aren't meant to happen under Labor. The narrative didn't fit in with the ''spin'', so the Government decided to sit tight. Rudd's passion in his comments was unmistakable, as was his concern for the people who'd lost their lives. But compounding his anger is a discordant, underlying drumbeat that can now be heard in the distance. And it's not a sound that will make Rudd happy.

The first sign of the changing political environment came last week. The Government's new national broadband plan didn't go according to the script. The decision to spend $43billion was expected to generate applause and emphasise Rudd's credentials as someone who could be trusted to prepare the country for the future. Instead, it met with almost universal condemnation. Some commentators focused on the backward nature of the technology, and the need to tie everything down to fixed landline. Others questioned the dubious, unspecified nature of the so-called productivity gains.

The key, recurrent theme in the criticism has been the cost. Some firmly applied direct pressure has ensured Telstra hasn't raised any immediate objections to the scheme. However, it won't be long before shareholders realise that the Government is pouring money into a program that will inevitably duplicate their Australia-wide cable network. This will inevitably dilute the value of their own equity. The image has been a throwback to the chaos bequeathed by Paul Keating with the original privatisation of the communications network.

The decision has also given Turnbull a handy war chest that he can disburse on other projects, without accusations of profligacy. No one gets too worried about the Government spending the surplus when it means there's a $900 cheque in the mail. That's the sort of stimulus that everybody approves of. But it's another thing entirely when the kids are being saddled with debt just so the family can avoid the weekly trip to the video shop. The Government will have a hard job to sell the detail of the project, and it is almost certain that it won't go ahead as described. The reaction hasn't been the universal approbation that was expected.

The ''take'' that one pollster is detecting is similar to the one-line judgment on boat people. It's a concern that, once people focus on cost and expense of the program, maybe the Government's got it wrong. The first time, doubt is beginning to creep into general confidence about the direction of events. The different groups that came together to support Rudd usher in the first signs of a willingness to look elsewhere.

This trend is only at its incipient beginnings. It's now up to Turnbull to show he has some answers. The difference now is that he has $43billion to play with as he attempts to come up with something positive that will differentiate the Coalition from Labor. Border protection is an obvious area. Perhaps Liberal policy will see the resurrection, again, of the idea of a coastguard. After all, the idea worked for Labor.

The other area where we are likely to hear much more from the Opposition is climate change. The idea of using billions of dollars to channel rainwater inland is likely to appeal to a much bigger constituency than those enthused about broadband. And, more importantly, many of these people are swinging voters.

Nicholas Stuart is a Canberra writer.