Treasurer Jim Chalmers has headed to Washington to beg for a tariff reprieve. He has nothing to offer that might swing the case. Sorry, but we just can’t buy any more nuclear submarines.

The prime minister made the point that we import more from the US than we sell to it; unless we are prepared to say we will impose retaliatory tariffs (no, forget I mentioned that) then in the world-game plan of President Trump, it was probably a point that went nowhere. So, what to say when there is nothing to say, except “We are your second-best friend, we are small beer, the opposition shamed me into getting on a flight.”