Malcolm Turnbull savours Bennelong moment, but there's little room for hubris | Katharine Murphy

Both parties took some comfort from the byelection, but neither has any cause for triumphalism unless they can reconnect with voters in the new year

The Liberals had been reasonably confident they would hold Bennelong despite the bruising on-ground onslaught over the past month or so, but the relief from the prime minister on Saturday night was palpable.

In fact there was something in the vibe of the night which took me back to election night in 2016, when Turnbull was overcome by emotion (on that occasion, shock and blind fury, where on Saturday night, it was pure joy) - while Bill Shorten, the loser of the federal contest, deftly positioned himself as the victor.