Even though the Coalition matched almost all of the health spending the spectre of the budget cuts of previous years under conservative leadership came back to haunt Dutton.

Instead it imported many of its Liberal backers from other areas and did not understand the young, diverse and diaspora communities it was trying to win over.

The promise of public service budget cuts and the end of “woke” agendas seemed popular a few months ago but once the potential extremities of such policies were unfolding in real time, the mood of the electorate darkened.

Did Anthony Albanese win this election? Or did Donald Trump?

But once the ebullient energy of winning starts to dissipate, the structural inequalities built into Australia’s economy and tax system remain, and the cost of living frustrations of those spending their lives paying off household debts or even renting with no prospect of owning their own home, will be waiting for Albanese when he returns to Canberra.