This is a federal budget of no surprises – designed to be sober, to build trust in the hope of better things to come

Treasurer Jim Chalmers and finance minister Katy Gallagher at a budget day press conference at Parliament House, Canberra. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

The Albanese government has an unofficial mantra. No sudden movements. Don’t surprise the voters.

You can think of this as a special bequest from the artist formerly known as the prime minister of Great Britain, Liz Truss. In scary times (and the budget papers confirm scary are the times we live in) being crazy brave, or in the Truss case just plain crazy, can get you killed.