Labor used the last week of the Victorian election campaign to plaster a simple message about the Liberals all over billboards, social media and television.

“This Saturday, vote for hospitals and schools,” the advertisement said. “This Saturday, stop the Liberal cuts.”

The words were matched with unflattering photographs of four Liberals – only one of whom was actually running in the state election. The state Liberal leader, Matthew Guy, was next to images of Scott Morrison, Peter Dutton and Tony Abbott.

Labor put money into this campaign because it knew it would work. The Liberal leadership spill in Canberra, just three months before the Victorian election, helped turn a victory into a landslide.

Premier Daniel Andrews won on state issues like hospitals, schools, roads and rail, but he did so against opponents who were at war with themselves. The Liberals who voted to replace Malcolm Turnbull damaged their party in ways that could not be contained to Canberra.