With no past to live down , Barton 's Protectionist ministry had all the advantages of incumbency with none of the problems , which meant that a Protectionist victory was almost a certainty .
Barton had been confident of obtaining a comfortable majority in parliament .
With no past to live down , Barton 's Protectionist ministry had all the advantages of incumbency with none of the problems , which meant that a Protectionist victory was almost a certainty , and Barton had been confident of obtaining a comfortable majority in parliament .