At this gravest of times the Coalition has served up an election budget designed simply to keep itself in power

‘Given that this budget is very obviously political, and in Coalition terms, measurably transactional, Josh Frydenberg and Scott Morrison will insist they are about more than surviving an election contest.’ Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

The opening flourishes of Josh Frydenberg’s budget night speech certainly convey the gravity of our times. “Tonight, as we gather, war rages in Europe,” the treasurer told parliament. “The global pandemic is not over. Devastating floods have battered our communities.”

“We live in uncertain times.”