When it came to ideas - philosophical or political - the "no pooftahs" attitude meant a dislike of bullshitters, of those who shrouded the banality or absurdity of their ideas in obscure and pretentious language: the likes of French philosopher Jacques Derrida and, had they encountered him, Tony Blair.

In the 1970s and '80s, the rugged "settler culture" of Australia lived on, even if the settler way of life did not. Just as there was no place for pooftahs on a cattle station, there was no place for them in a philosophy department, a government, a business, a cricket team or anywhere else. The rules of the philosophy department at the University of Woolloomooloo could have been the rules of Australia.

I moved to Sydney a little over a year ago and I have been surprised to discover how thoroughly the rules have changed. I lack the space to drag you through the full blousiness of modern Australia, so let us just consider the boss man. In November 2007, Kevin Rudd was elected prime minister in a landslide victory for the Labour Party. Mr Rudd is immensely popular. He is also prissy, sanctimonious and fond of empty gestures.

Shortly after being elected prime minister, he did what John Howard had famously refused to do and apologised to "the stolen generations" of Aboriginal Australians. This faux apology (you can be sorry about something you did not do but you cannot really apologise for it) was accompanied by teary street celebrations of national redemption.