Voters habitually opt for parties of the Right when times are tough, only to ditch them for the Left once there’s money to spare. But now populists seek to break the cycle.
A solid but unspectacular centre-right Prime Minister, with a good economic record, is trying to fight off a charismatic, high-spending challenge from the left.
Tony Abbott, like Stephen Harper and John Key, is a convinced monarchist – and support for the institution in the countries they govern is stronger than many believe.