Penny Wong

Author: Margaret Simons
Publisher: Black Inc.
ISBN: 174382114X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 439

Book Description
An updated and extended edition of the bestselling biography of one of the most talented, poised and respected Australian politicians ‘What Simons has excavated from the background of this extraordinary Australian should be cause for great pride and celebration.’ —Mandy Sayer, The Weekend Australian Senator Penny Wong is an extraordinary Australian politician. Resolute, self-possessed and a penetrating thinker on subjects from climate change to foreign affairs, she is admired by members of parliament and the public from across the political divide. In this first-ever biography of Wong, acclaimed journalist Margaret Simons traces her story: from her early life in Malaysia, to her student activism in Adelaide, her time in the turbulent Rudd and Gillard governments, her key role as a voice of reason in the campaign to legalise same-sex marriage – and a new chapter on her elevation to the post of foreign minister in the Albanese government. What emerges is a picture of a leader for modern Australia, a cool-headed and cautious yet charismatic figure of piercing intelligence, with a family history linking back to Australia's colonial settlers and to the Asia-Pacific. Drawing on exclusive interviews with Penny Wong and her Labor colleagues, parliamentary opponents, and close friends and family, this is a scintillating insight into an Australian politician without precedence. Shortlisted, 2021 National Biography Award Longlisted, 2020 Walkley Book Awards Longlisted, 2020 Australian Book Industry Awards, Biography Book of The Year A Readings Best Australian Nonfiction Book of 2019 ‘It can be difficult to write entertainingly about the day-to-day slog of politics, but Simons, author of two fine novels and a lauded biography of Malcolm Fraser, is a skilled storyteller who weaves a compelling narrative notable for its clarity and pace.’ —The Monthly ‘We should all be grateful that Simons has given us this clear, well-researched, and comprehensive biography.’ —Australian Book Review

Penny Wong

Author: Margaret Simons
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780369329349
Category : Asians
Languages : en
Pages : 635

Book Description
A revelatory portrait of one of the most talented, poised and respected Australian politicians, written by one of Australia's foremost biographers. Senator Penny Wong is an extraordinary Australian politician. Resolute, self-possessed and a penetrating thinker on subjects from climate change to foreign affairs, she is admired by members of parliament and the public from across the political divide. In this first-ever biography of Penny Wong, acclaimed journalist Margaret Simons traces her story: from her early life in Malaysia, to her student activism in Adelaide, to her time in the turbulent Rudd and Gillard governments, to her key role as a voice of reason in the polarising campaign to legalise same-sex marriage. What emerges is a picture of a leader for modern Australia, a cool-headed and cautious yet charismatic figure of piercing intelligence, with a family history linking back to Australia's colonial settlers and to the Asia-Pacific. Drawing on exclusive interviews with Penny Wong and her Labor colleagues, parliamentary opponents, and close friends and family, this is a scintillating insight into an Australian politician without precedence.

My Story

Author: Julia Gillard
Publisher: Random House Australia
ISBN: 0857983997
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 546

Book Description
On Wednesday 23 June 2010, with the government in turmoil, Julia Gillard asked Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for a leadership ballot. The next day, Julia Gillard became Australia's 27th prime minister, and our first female leader. Australia was alive to the historic possibilities. Here was a new approach for a new time. It was to last three extraordinary years. This is Julia Gillard's chronicle of that turbulent time, a strikingly candid self-portrait of a political leader seeking to realise her ideals. It is her story of what it was like - in the face of government in-fighting and often hostile media - to manage a hung parliament, build a diverse and robust economy, create an equitable and world-class education system, ensure a dignified future for Australians with disabilities, all while attending to our international obligations and building strategic alliances for our future. This is a politician driven by a sense of purpose - from campus days with the Australian Union of Students, to a career in the law, to her often gritty, occasionally glittering rise up the ranks of the Australian Labor Party. Refreshingly honest, peppered with a wry humour and personal insights, Julia Gillard does not shy away from her mistakes, admitting freely to errors, misjudgements, and policy failures as well as detailing her political successes. In the immediate aftermath of the leadership, here is her account, of what was hidden behind the resilience and dignified courage Gillard showed as prime minister, her view of the vicious hate campaigns directed against her, and a reflection on what it means - and what it takes - to be a woman leader in contemporary politics. With new material and fresh insights, Julia Gillard reveals what life was really like as Australia's first female prime minister. 'An honest and compelling account of what life is like at the highest political levels- Gillard is an engaging and incisive guide.' Sydney Morning Herald 'Julia Gillard's memoir provides real, detailed, forensic, and clinical insight into the government from her central, completely unique, vantage point.' Katharine Murphy, The Guardian 'Provides a cogent defence of the reasons for the challenge to Rudd, the difficulties her government faced, both internal and external, and an insight into Gillard herself.' The Conversation

Malcolm Fraser

Author: Malcolm Fraser
Publisher: Melbourne Univ. Publishing
ISBN: 0522868886
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 442

Book Description
In this part memoir and part authorised biography, Malcolm Fraser talks about his time in public life. 'The great task of statesmanship is to apply past lessons to new situations, to draw correct analogies to understand and act upon present forces, to recognise the need for change.'—Malcolm Fraser Malcolm Fraser is one of the most interesting and possibly most misunderstood of Australia's Prime Ministers. In this part memoir and part authorised biography, Fraser at the age of 79 years talks about his time in public life. From the Vietnam War to the Dismissal and his years as Prime Minister, through to his concern in recent times for breaches in the Rule of Law and harsh treatment of refugees, Fraser emerges as an enduring liberal, constantly reinterpreting core values to meet the needs of changing times. Written in collaboration with journalist Margaret Simons, Malcolm Fraser's political memoirs trace the story of a shy boy who was raised to be seen and not heard, yet grew to become one of the most persistent, insistent and controversial political voices of our times. The book offers insight into Malcolm Fraser's substantial achievements. He was the first Australian politician to describe Australia's future as multicultural, and his federal government was the first to pass Aboriginal Land Rights and Freedom of Information legislation, also establishing the Human Rights Commission. After his parliamentary career, Fraser continued to be an important player in public life, playing a key role in persuading the USA Congress to impose sanctions on South Africa as part of the battle against apartheid. He was also the founding chair of CARE Australia, one of our largest aid agencies.

Rebel with a Cause

Author: Jacqui Lambie
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780369305718
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 494

Book Description
You can't keep a bloody Lambie down' Jacqui Lambie in a radio interview, 14th November 2017 Jacqui Lambie has always stood out from the mainstream of Australian politicians - even in the announcement of her retirement from the Senate after being caught up in the 'Citizenship Crisis'. In stark contrast to other politicians ducking and weaving before finally being given their marching orders by the High Court, Jacqui copped it sweet and voluntarily walked as soon as the UK Home Office informed her she was a dual national. Her no-nonsense response that politicians who have breached Section 44 of the Constitution should just 'suck it up', deal with their mistakes and run for Parliament again is typical of a simple common-sense approach to issues that endears her to her legion of fans and followers. During her time in Parliament Jacqui was the most authentic Australian voice in the Senate. Love her or hate her, you can't deny she's totally heartfelt and unscripted. In an age when populism in politics often just means a backlash against the existing order, Jacqui actually stood for issues: a better deal for our military veterans, and a better system of care for those afflicted by the scourge of ice addiction. These are real issues for her, things she's lived through, and not just hot-button issues raised by focus groups. So for anyone who knows Jacqui, her resignation from the Senate is just an interruption in her unique career representing Australians who've previously had little access to the corridors of power: the veterans, the single mums, the welfare recipients, the families of ice addicts. In one form or another she'll be back. Her autobiography is not a political book. In fact, politics barely gets a mention until the final chapters. It's the story of her life as an ordinary working class girl from Tasmania, and her journey through the army, her enforced medical retirement after 10 years when she suffered a horrendous back injury, her fight to get adequate treatment and compensation from the DVA, her struggles to raise two kids as a single mother on welfare, her son's ice addiction, the slow rebuilding that saw her determined to prevent other people experiencing the bureaucratic-inflicted torment that she was forced to survive, her roller coaster ride as a politician, and finally her resignation from the Senate and her plans for the future. The subject matter is real and sometimes raw, but Jacqui handles it with humour, honesty and dignity. It's safe to say that there's never, ever been a politician's memoir like this in Australia.

No Logo

Author: Naomi Klein
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780312203436
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 520

Book Description
"What corporations fear most are consumers who ask questions. Naomi Klein offers us the arguments with which to take on the superbrands." Billy Bragg from the bookjacket.

Penny Wong (Dyslexic Edition)

Author: Margaret Simons
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Asians
Languages : en
Pages : 635

It's Complicated

Author: Danah Boyd
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300166311
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 296

Book Description
Surveys the online social habits of American teens and analyzes the role technology and social media plays in their lives, examining common misconceptions about such topics as identity, privacy, danger, and bullying.

Sold Down the River

Author: Scott Hamilton
Publisher: Text Publishing
ISBN: 1922459453
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 324

Book Description
Two insiders expose the shocking and shameful betrayal of Australia’s regional heartland so international bankers and traders could make a quick buck.

The One That Got Away

Author: Ken Haley
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781925760859
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
'A moving and funny chronicle of questing and courage in the age of coronavirus.' Margaret Simons, author of Cry Me A River and Penny Wong: Passion and Principle In 2020, Australian author Ken Haley mapped out an enticing menu of travel destinations, comprising the Caribbean island states for main course, with Central America for dessert. Main course soon turned into obstacle course. Cuba was a breeze, but then the world went into Covid lockdown mode and he had to decide whether to push on. As a pioneer wheelchair traveller, Haley knew exactly what to do. He took the brakes off. After an unplanned detour to Trumpian Florida, he returned to the tropics intent on dividing his time between sun worship, historical exploration and observation of life's realities for the community of West Indian nations. In a year that wasn't long on fun, Haley had his share but he also met his quota of hardship and risks - from developing hurricanes to a no-longer-dormant volcano, from robbery to an acute health crisis that had him wondering whether he might have been wiser to buy a one-way ticket in advance. 2020 was the year most of us stayed at home. Ken Haley turned an accident of timing into a rollicking, but dangerous adventure. The result is a triumph: a humorous and penetrating insight into a world grappling with an unforeseen calamity and a rare and empathetic travel book. 'Travel books are often entertaining but Ken Haley's book is both entertaining and edifying: not many other writers manage that nowadays. He follows in the footsteps of those great adventurers before him ... Stevenson, Newby, Chatwin and Bryson.' Phil Brown, author of The Kowloon Kid and Travels with My Angst.