Peter Dutton delivers red meat to the conservative base while moderates wait for the second coming of Josh Frydenberg

‘Peter Dutton’s position on the climate crisis and the energy transition has actually regressed from Morrison’s stance.’ Photograph: Martin Ollman/Getty Images

One of the privileges of journalism is bearing witness. It can be hard to get to the House of Representatives in time to watch treasurers deliver their budget night speeches because of logistics I won’t bore you with. But it’s usually possible to watch the budget reply in the chamber, so I wandered around on Thursday night to watch Peter Dutton deliver his first big set-piece as Liberal leader.

As I took my seat in the press gallery directly above Dutton, I drew a mental triangle in the chamber below. One point of my triangle was Scott Morrison. These days, Morrison sits over Dutton’s right shoulder, at the back of the chamber. I was conscious Morrison would have to sit and watch his former leadership rival characterise his legacy. That can’t have been comfortable. Dutton was generous to Morrison in the end, although he acknowledged mistakes had been made.