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A portrait of one of Australia's longest-serving prime ministers, this biography goes behind the public image to find neither the strong-willed man of principle his supporters like to imagine nor the cunning opportunist painted by his foes. The discussion covers Howard's suburban middle-class upbringing and his success at implementing his polices, concluding that although the image of the ordinary bloke has helped his enduring popularity, heandmdash;like George Bushandmdash;possesses a number of uncommon strengths that have made him one of the most formidable leaders in Australian political history.
Without fear or favour, How Good is Scott Morrison? examines the trials and tribulations of our 30th prime minister. Investigating Morrison's unlikely rise to the liberal leadership and his miracle electoral win, van Onselen and Errington put his leadership under the spotlight. Covering Morrison's disastrous management of the catastrophic bushfire season that was highlighted by the extraordinary statement, 'I don't hold the hose, mate,' and the decision to holiday while the country burned, How Good is Scott Morrison? shows his resolve and the redemption the government's response to the pandemic brought him. Right now, Scott Morrison seems unassailable and sure to win the next election, but what exactly is his vision for Australia? A pragmatist rather than an ideologue, he is a deeply Pentecostal religious man but he doesn't wear his faith as a badge of honour. So what does he really believe in? When the history of this period is written, Morrison will certainly be seen as an election winner but will he be viewed as having had the courage and vision to change Australia for the better, or the worse?
From the co-writer of John Winston Howard, the definitive biography of the Prime Minister, comes Howard's End, which takes us behind the scenes of both parties on the announcement of the election campaign and traces the stunning collapse of the Coalition in its last year in government. Peter van Onselen and Philip Senior piece together the events in the year leading up to the 2007 federal election, following the protracted downfall of Australia's second longest-serving Prime Minister and the unraveling of the government as it lurched from crisis to crisis. In the tradition of Pamela Williams' The Victory, Howard's End analyses and makes sense of the result and its far-reaching implications for the people of Australia.
Tony Abbott came to office lauded as the most effective leader of the opposition since Whitlam, but the signs of an imperfect transition to the prime ministership would soon emerge. Why did Abbott fail to grow into the job to which he had aspired for decades? Backbenchers complained about the leader's office, the lack of access, front benchers leaked about cabinet processes to the media. His long apprenticeship in religion, journalism and political life prepared him for neither the mundane business of people management nor the commanding heights of national leadership. Public goodwill evaporated after a tough first budget the government failed to explain. Inside the Liberal party individual ambitions and a succession of poor polls produced increasing concern that the next election was lost. As a result, the horse named self-interest won yet again.
Paul Keating and John Howard altered the nation’s body-clock. Between them, they dominated 30 years of power, as both treasurers and prime ministers. Typically, they have been seen only as antagonists with competing visions of Australia and its place in the world. In The Longest Decade, however, George Megalogenis argues that they also deserve to be seen as the twin architects of the political, economic, and social revolution that took Australia through a period of trauma and recovery, and then on to an era of unprecedented affluence. Strangely, both men also had the opportunity to retire on top — Keating in 1994 and Howard in 2006 — yet both stayed too long. Based on exclusive intervi...
With November 2007's federal election loss, and with Labor running all state and territory governments, the Liberal Party has been forced to re-think its raison d'être. The transition from John Howard to Brendan Nelson's leadership has been anything but smooth, with much destabilising work happening from within the Party. This book brings together respected commentators and politicians such as Gerard Henderson, Robert Manne, Tony Abbott, Wayne Errington and George Brandis who examine, among other issues, the contemporary debate over liberalism, the Howard legacy, and the battle for the heart and soul of Australia. Liberal leader Brendan Nelson and Shadow Treasurer Malcolm Turnbull contribute chapters on their vision for Australia, and their plan to bring the Liberals back from the wilderness. This book is an invaluable analysis of the challenges, pitfalls and opportunities that lie ahead for the Liberal Party. -- Publisher details.
Why does Australia go through cycles of public policy boldness and timidity? The COVID-19 crisis has shown that the Australian political system has much more tolerance for policy innovation than appeared to be the case on the evidence of the previous twenty years. As another election approaches, though, the signs are that both major parties are keen for a return to policy caution. In Who Dares Loses: Pariah Policies, Wayne Errington and Peter van Onselen explain the political constraints on policymakers and the ways in which they are changing. The obvious comparison to the policy urgency of COVID-19 is climate change, where successive governments have failed to rise to the challenge. Framing...
Red or Green? Traditionally, Australian progressives have supported the Australian Labor Party; increasingly, The Greens appeal. What are the key differences between the parties? Is greater collaboration desirable? Is it likely? Some progressives remain strongly committed to Labor or The Greens. Others have abandoned one or other of the parties from bitter experience. Others still are genuinely undecided, or seek to promote greater understanding and cooperation. What is the best way forward? This volume brings together a range of party leaders, veterans, and academic experts to tackle these important questions. Deliberately pluralistic, it encompasses strongly divergent views. Dedicated to progressive change, it aims both to capture and to advance a vital public debate. The Age has published this edited extract from a chapter written by Adam Bandt for the book How to Vote Progressive in Australia.
Cover image: Gough Whitlam addresses a crowd outside Parliament House on the day after his government was dismissed, on 12 November 1975. Source: News Limited © Ross Duncan.The election of the Whitlam government in 1972 marked a turning point in 20th century Australia. Shaking off the vestiges of two decades of conservative rule, Gough Whitlam brought new ideas, new policies and new people to the task of governing.Bursting with energy and expectation, the Labor government led a reform revolution in many areas, from education and health to the environment and foreign policy. But alongside the great achievements were great failures and, ultimately, great tragedy when the government was dismis...
Peter Van Onselen has never shied away from expressing his opinion. As one of Australia's most high-profile political commentators, his preparedness to apply a well-trained mind to political, economic and social issues always provokes interest-and the response is not always favourable.In his first anthology of columns from The Australian, readers will traverse the state of play in Australian politics since the 2019 bushfires and the start of the Coronavirus pandemic right up to the 2022 Australian Federal Election.Peter's headlines often evoke rabid social media commentary about the article and the prolific analyst of nationalaffairs himself. In PVO join Peter as he goes beyond the headlines and examines the stories that have defined us, their relevance today, the fallout of his pieces at the time, and the times he's had his opinion changed.