While the general population of Australia may be laid back, their miltary and special forces are first rate.
(Australian) SPECIAL FORCES TASK GROUP DEPLOY TO AFGHANISTAN
http://www.blackanthem.com/TheAllies/2005082405.html
But what about their home turf? What they do in Afganistan is not the issue, its how good their police are at home.
All indications from reading the Ozzie press is that Political Correctness is still alive and well there, unlike Britian where its pretty much beaten into submission for the moment, and the US where its starting to reserge after being pretty quiet for a while.