Unlike New England, which was very much Barnaby Joyce’s victory, the Liberal win in Bennelong may be credited to the Turnbull government, including their candidate. But without a significant change in direction, the Coalition seems destined to continue to trail Labor nationally.

The fact that on such a swing to Labor as occurred here, six per cent, the Coalition would lose, say, 20 seats in a general election is an interesting statistic but does not tell us much.