Not so long ago, the prevailing orthodoxy in Canberra was that holding elections in autumn or winter was daft.

This was for no other reason than incumbents should seize every advantage, and it is generally the case that people feel better about life in spring – the summer is nigh, there are holidays to look forward to, and there’s a whiff of jasmine in the air. Thus, the theory goes, voters are more charitably disposed when they enter the polling booth.