Australian voters have sent Peter Dutton a clear message; he would be silly to miss the cue

Because renewables were involved, this was a thought crime. Tony Abbott and a posse of fellow mumbo jumbo enthusiasts declared they would cross the floor and sink it. Faced with a brewing leadership proxy war, Turnbull and Frydenberg regrouped quickly with the ESB and proposed the Neg instead.

But of course it did continue.

The shenanigans escalated.

But no.

Peter Dutton is doubling down.

I suspect we are supposed to be grateful for this: this hint of sunny uplands, the suggestion wrecking will ebb the moment it ceases to be politically useful.

This is true enough. But with respect, cancelling Dutton is not only impossible, it misses a central point. Dutton is the alternative prime minister of Australia.

Ending the destructive decade is a far more ambitious undertaking than fixing a bunch of practical problems, however wicked those problems might be, because it requires the other party of government to aspire for something nobler than lying, scheming and brawling their way to the Lodge.

Australian voters have sent the Liberal party a very clear message, and by drifting away from the major parties, voters are also choosing new political representation that is more local, community based, and consensual.

Dutton is very silly if he misses the cue.