If leadership is a test of this election, and like all elections it should be, surely we are seeing some fairly gargantuan issues emerge.

The fact Australia is seeing the arrival back of international students next month and we aren't is example one. Listen to our Prime Minister yesterday being told the news, she had no answer, she had no plan, she hadn't thought about it, she started offering excuses. Like Australia wasn’t getting many back, and Australia was concentrating them in certain areas.

Yes, and yes. That’s called a plan, that’s a trial, that’s working out what works, and what doesn’t. Doing nothing, which is her attitude and approach, isn't working. It isn't solving the problem, it isn't bringing some of the $5 billion we've lost back into the country.

It's an abdication of duty and responsibility that we aren't leading the way, thinking about leading the way, or looking at all possible avenues to generate income for this country.

What makes it worse is the universities have already addressed this with the government. They have a solution, they can run the programme themselves, they have the facilities, and they have solved their own issues. But no, the government must do everything, and yet it’s the government that are doing nothing.

Example two is elective surgery. Once again the Prime Minister was surprised. Is it really necessary to cancel all elective surgery in the country's largest city just for level three, and a cluster of 50 odd people?

The answer is no.

But the fact the Prime Minister was taken aback by the health reaction tells you two things. She hadn't thought through the consequences of going to level thee and two, and the public service are so fear bound that the go to position is to cancel everything. Like he 2000 beds in level four that were filled by 22 people as thousands gave up their operations and treatments.

While we are at it, the Australians are going after Google in terms of adverting to help local media. We talked about that, remember? What have we done? Nothing.

Leadership is the most critical of skills. Foresight, planning, insight, determination, respect, reassurance, and even the odd bit of surprise. Yet look at the border, look at universities, look at elective surgery, look at Google. And that's just the here and now.

Where is the leadership? Where is the sense that the adults are in charge here? Where are the adults?