It took two men and two women to rival the power of one, but for the first time since the inaugural Power list in 2000, the Prime Minister is not perceived as the nation’s most powerful person.

Yes, Scott Morrison runs the country, sets foreign policy, controls the armed forces and oversees the federal budget. But throughout the COVID-19 pandemic – the response to which Morrison has sought to lead and co-ordinate – it is the states that have run interference against Canberra and micromanaged every aspect of our lives.