Our politicians are struggling to explain just what has brought us to the point where counter-terrorism control orders must be applied to children as young as 14. They are convulsed by the recent slaying in Parramatta of police accountant Curtis Cheng by a teenage gunman. How to explain what is going on in our society without being accused of mongering fear or race hatred?

But bending over backwards to avoid offending or upsetting people is getting the pollies nowhere.