You may not have guessed it from Josh Frydenberg’s speech, dolefully read at the pace of a 45-rpm record played at 33, but his (final?) Budget will help the Morrison government become competitive against a Labor party that wants to whinge its way into office.

The policy tests for the Treasurer on Tuesday night included fiscal restraint, a coherent plan for reducing Covid’s eye-watering national debt and indeed a coherent centre-right plan for a post-pandemic future.