Dutton’s strongman persona matches our grim times – but has he fired up his opponents as well?

‘There is a grimness in Dutton that aligns with the grimness of the zeitgeist,’ writes Katharine Murphy. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

In an ugly parliamentary week, two surveys provided insight about the moment we are in. The first was our Guardian Essential poll. The second was the research I flagged as a watch-this-space with readers last Saturday – the annual Mapping Social Cohesion Report – a snapshot of our multicultural nation.

Events have pulled Anthony Albanese on to the world stage, but the latest Guardian Essential numbers tell us many Australians are in an insular mood. More than half of the poll respondents felt isolationism was better than engagement in world affairs at the moment. A majority felt Australia should stay as neutral as possible in the fight between the superpowers – the United States and China. A majority felt Australia should stay right out of the war in the Middle East.