The weekend photograph of new Treasurer and deputy Liberal leader Josh Frydenberg having a coffee with Peter Costello portrayed the first step in forging credentials that may just resonate with disillusioned voters who can still recall the economic stability and growth of the Howard government years.

It was a period in Australian history not bereft of challenges for government yet there was a level of financial prosperity and certainty that allowed Costello as treasurer to wipe out government debt and put money aside for the future while also delivering tax cuts for individuals and business.