Policies are commonly crafted to remedy something: plugging a shortcoming or loophole perhaps, or mitigating an existing or looming catastrophe.

Recently the policy problem has been Barnaby Joyce. Or #Barnababy as it’s known in the Twittersphere. The country’s second highest ranked politician spent a good chunk of 2017 telling Australians about what constitutes a good and proper marriage. All the while Mr Joyce was busy impregnating his work wife. Barnababy is bad PR, particularly so for a conservative party whose branding relies on heavy doses of Mayberry and wishful thinking. The PM had to do something.