The trouble with populism is that it invites more of the same. Sober leadership becomes unfashionable, even dangerous. Principles are sent on vacation. Courage is deported.
A good example played out on Tuesday morning with bewildering speed.
One minute, the government was moving swiftly towards the final "ratification" stage of a criminal extradition treaty signed with Beijing under John Howard a decade ago, and the next, it had been mothballed.
Cory Bernardi was cock-a-hoop, having leaned into the issue rather vigorously in the preceding hours to note inter alia the suspiciously high 99-plus per cent conviction rate of Chinese courts.
Suddenly, Bernardi was the champion of human rights - including presumably, the human rights of people actually guilty of serious crimes committed in their home country, before fleeing to the safety of Australia.
Presumably also, Bernardi had concluded that Beijing-bashing met his "common sense" benchmark and in no way fanned Australian anxieties over Chinese investment, and the overall xenophobic tenor of One Nation's revival.
But they're all at it. Bill Shorten told Malcolm Turnbull after 8:30am that Labor would also be opposing ratification, and by 9am, it had been scotched.
Frontbenchers from the Foreign Minister Julie Bishop down were left swinging in the breeze.
Bernardi felt vindicated. Rarely had such a swift victory attached to someone so singularly, well singular - someone who just weeks ago, abandoned the party under whose banner he had been elected, to serve out his six-figure, six-year sinecure as a grandstanding independent.
According to one foreign policy expert, this was the worst-handled foreign policy matter during the Coalition's time. Big call?
In the aftermath, a government MP lamented the treaty's demise because it would have ensured Chinese criminals were sent back to China. Job done. Streets safe. Again, a populist argument when a more sound one was available.
The government believes Australia's national interest would be served by deepening security cooperation with China over international terrorism, transnational crime, drug trafficking, and sundry other issues. Bishop called it a treaty of national significance.
And remember, the deal cut both ways. Australia would also have secured powers to request the return of dual nationals who had committed crimes here.
Neither was this treaty unique. Identical safeguards and ministerial discretions exist in treaties already in place with 39 countries - many of which have different, and, we would say, inferior judicial systems. These include the UAE, The Philippines, Venezuela, and Indonesia.
These exemptions give Australia the power to refuse extradition where there is a suspicion of torture, political motivation, or indeed the possibility of a capital punishment.
Australia's relationship with China is complex and multi-layered. By definition, populists are superficial and unconcerned with such complexities.
