The myth at the heart of the sentimentalist view of the alliance is it draws its strength and durability from the fundamental values and historical connections that we share rather than from a mere alignment of interests.
The 2011 election was a shock for the government. In response, while broadly maintaining its immigration policy, the government pursued a policy of across-the-board attention to the concerns that the election had highlighted.
In Australia the political reaction was remarkably muted, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten declining to make a statement.
Local circumstances, individual talent and a dash of pure chance might have brought about the political results we have seen across the world, not populism.