It might be cold and grey in the south-east of Australia, and the Bureau of Meteorology tells us there is more Antarctic weather on its way next week. But on Friday, our prime minister was in Brisbane enjoying, despite a bad cold, what he told ABC radio listeners was an “absolutely stunning day”.

It wasn’t just the weather separating the prime ministerial experience from the rather bleak time he and his government had the previous week during the last sitting before the parliamentary winter break.