Federal politics often seems self-contained inside Canberra’s Parliamentary Triangle. But when the Queensland Liberal National Party lost an ‘unloseable’ state election in January 2015, the Abbott government was shocked and Queensland backbenchers were disillusioned. Afterwards every prime ministerial comment and government decision was scrutinised more critically as polls worsened. Political momentum was regained following the Liberal Party’s New South Wales electoral win but many issues remained unresolved.