The Road to Ruin

Author: Niki Savva
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781925322729
Category : Australia
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
'There will be no wrecking, no undermining, and no sniping.' -Tony Abbott, 15 September 2015 Abbott's performances in the party-room debates on education and climate change had ranged between woeful and pathetic. He sounded desperate, he was inconsistent, and -- his colleagues thought -- slightly ridiculous. They knew he would never stop going after cheap headlines during soft interviews where he sucked up the oxygen, with revision and division as his calling cards. All they could hope was that people would soon grow tired of listening to him. Normal people might have, but the media grew more and more hysterical, as if a challenge were imminent. In the original edition of The Road to Ruin, prominent political commentator, author, and columnist for The AustralianNiki Savva revealed the ruinous behaviour of former prime minister Tony Abbott and his chief of staff, Peta Credlin. Based on her unrivalled access to their colleagues, and devastating first-person accounts of what went on behind the scenes, Savva painted an unforgettable picture of a unique duo who wielded power ruthlessly but not well. That edition became a major bestseller, and went on to win an Australian book industry award for the best general non-fiction book of the year. Now Savva continues where she left off. This updated edition contains a new, 13,500-word final chapter, in which Savva reveals the inner state of the Turnbull government -- and the behind-the-scenes jockeying of friends and foes alike. From Christopher Pyne's career-stalling own goal, to Peter Dutton's post-Turnbull leadership ambitions, to Tony Abbott's ramped-up destabilisation campaign, it is, as usual, an unputdownable and impeccably sourced account.

The Game

Author: Sean Kelly
Publisher: Black Inc.
ISBN: 1743821980
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Book Description
What happens when the prime minister views politics only as a game? Australia wanted Scott Morrison. In a time of uncertainty, the country chose in 2019 to turn to a man with no obvious beliefs, no clear purpose and no famous talents. That we wanted Scott Morrison was the secret we did not know about ourselves. What precisely that secret is forms the subject of this book. In The Game, Sean Kelly gives us a portrait of a man, the shallow political culture that allowed him to succeed and the country that crowned him. Morrison understands – in a way that no other recent politician has – how politics has become a game. He also understands something essential about Australia – something many of us are unwilling to admit, even to ourselves. But there are things Scott Morrison does not understand. This is the story of those failures, too – and the way that, as his prime ministership continues, Morrison’s failure to think about politics as anything other than a game has become a dangerous liability, both to him and to us.

A Bigger Picture

Author: Malcolm Turnbull
Publisher: Hardie Grant Publishing
ISBN: 1743587988
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 886

Book Description
In A Bigger Picture, the bestselling political memoir of 2020, Malcolm Turnbull, Australia’s 29th prime minister, tells the remarkable story of his life. Now in paperback, this edition is updated with an all-new foreword by the author that sheds light on the huge political and cultural changes happening today. When Malcolm Turnbull took over the nation’s top job there was a sense of excitement in Australia. Sky-high opinion polls followed as the political outsider with a successful business, legal and media career took charge. The infighting that had dogged politics for the best part of a decade looked to be over. But a right-wing insurgency brutally cut down Turnbull’s time in office after three years, leaving many Australians asking, ‘Why?’ Exceptionally candid and compelling, A Bigger Picture is the definitive narrative of Malcolm Turnbull’s prime ministership. He describes how he legalised same-sex marriage, established Snowy Hydro 2.0, stood up to Donald Trump, and many more achievements – remarkable in their pace and significance, and delivered in the teeth of so much opposition. But it’s far more than just politics. Turnbull’s life has been filled with colourful characters and controversies, success and failure. From his early years in Sydney, growing up with a single father, to defending 'Spycatcher' Peter Wright against the UK government; the years representing Kerry Packer, leading the Republican Movement and making millions in business; and finally toppling Tony Abbott to become prime minister of Australia. For the first time he tells it all – in his own words. With revelatory insights on the workings of Canberra and the contentious events of Turnbull’s life, A Bigger Picture explores the strengths and vulnerabilities of one of Australia’s best-known and most dynamic business and political leaders. Lyrically written in highly readable and entertaining prose, this is a genuine page-turner that’s not just for political junkies.

So Greek

Author: Niki Savva
Publisher: Scribe Publications
ISBN: 1921753560
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 353

Book Description
From one of the most senior correspondents in the Canberra Press Gallery comes a rare account of life as a political insider. Born in a small village in Cyprus, Niki Savva spent her childhood in Melbourne’s working-class suburbs — frontiers where locals were suspicious of olive oil, and Greek kids spoke Gringlish to their parents. Only a few decades later, despite all the challenges of being a migrant woman in Australia, Savva had risen through the ranks of political journalism at The Australian, and had gone on to head the Canberra bureaus of both the Melbourne Herald Sun and The Age. Then in 1997, family tragedy struck, and she was forced to reassess her career. In spite of her own Labor convictions, she became Liberal treasurer Peter Costello’s press secretary, a role that she kept for six years before moving on to join John Howard’s staff. This is one of the few books about Australian political life written by an insider with decades of exposure to its major players. Hilarious, moving, and endlessly fascinating, Savva’s is a story that moves between countries, cultures, careers and, ultimately, political convictions.

Hockey

Author: Madonna King
Publisher: Univ. of Queensland Press
ISBN: 0702252611
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 364

Book Description
While thousands of viewers watched Joe Hockey's approachable persona each week on Australia's Sunrise on Channel 7, there is a lot more to the Australian treasurer than meets the eye. This authorized biography of Hockey delves into how he embarked on his political career as a student and how he worked tirelessly to rise through the ranks of the Liberal Party, learning some pivotal lessons along the way and earning himself one of the nation's toughest jobs. Having held a raft of senior ministerial positions in the John Howard administration, he presides over some of the most controversial financial decisions of the decade. Already a household name in Australia, it is hard not to know about Hockey the politician, who has declared a "new age of opportunity" and whose budget has got the nation talking. But what about the man behind the politician? Drawing on hundreds of interviews, as well as full access to Joe Hockey, his family and friends, this biography explores the influences that have shaped his life, and provides an exclusive and unparalleled insight into the man who will play a pivotal role in Australia's future.

The Road to Ruin

Author: Niki Savva
Publisher: Scribe Publications
ISBN: 1925307549
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 346

Book Description
WINNER OF THE 2017 AUSTRALIAN BOOK INDUSTRY AWARDS, GENERAL NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR WINNER OF THE 2016 MELBOURNE PRESS CLUB LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD ‘There will be no wrecking, no undermining, and no sniping.’ –Tony Abbott, 15 September 2015 Abbott’s performances in the party-room debates on education and climate change had ranged between woeful and pathetic. He sounded desperate, he was inconsistent, and — his colleagues thought — slightly ridiculous. They knew he would never stop going after cheap headlines during soft interviews where he sucked up the oxygen, with revision and division as his calling cards. All they could hope was that people would soon grow tired of listening to him. Normal people might have, but the media grew more and more hysterical, as if a challenge were imminent. In the original edition of The Road to Ruin, prominent political commentator, author, and columnist for The Australian Niki Savva revealed the ruinous behaviour of former prime minister Tony Abbott and his chief of staff, Peta Credlin. Based on her unrivalled access to their colleagues, and devastating first-person accounts of what went on behind the scenes, Savva painted an unforgettable picture of a unique duo who wielded power ruthlessly but not well. That edition became a major bestseller, and went on to win an Australian book industry award for the best general non-fiction book of the year. Now Savva continues where she left off. This updated edition contains a new, 13,500-word final chapter, in which Savva reveals the inner state of the Turnbull government — and the behind-the-scenes jockeying of friends and foes alike. From Christopher Pyne’s career-stalling own goal, to Peter Dutton’s post-Turnbull leadership ambitions, to Tony Abbott’s ramped-up destabilisation campaign, it is, as usual, an unputdownable and impeccably sourced account. PRAISE FOR NIKI SAVVA ‘This is what you have to remember about Savva’s controversial book, The Road to Ruin: she was onto this story early and she ran with it in her weekly column … her account of the coup is both suspenseful and full of fascinating, granular detail.’ The Sydney Morning Herald ‘[W]ell researched and well written, with a sharp eye — albeit with an occasional, serrated edge. Savva has written a book in which it is easy to be immersed. The narrative unfolds in a convincing flow, sourced directly from the words of many of the players: the bruised and battered; the disillusioned and disaffected; and ultimately in the triumphant voices of the Coalition plotters … [A] compelling book that has established an indelible and influential benchmark for explaining the turbulent rise and tumultuous fall of the Abbott government.’ The Weekend Australian

Party Animals

Author: Samantha Maiden
Publisher: Random House Australia
ISBN: 1760893153
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 325

Book Description
The Labor Party was the unbeatable favourite to win the 2019 election right up until the polls closed and voters delivered the shock verdict. If the results surprised pundits, they also shocked Bill Shorten and his frontbench who had spent the final weeks of the campaign carefully planning for their first days in office. The cast of villains to blame was long: billionaire Clive Palmer's grotesque $60 million spend-a-thon, the death tax scare campaign, Bill Shorten's unpopularity, the Murdoch tabloids and Labor's tax-and-spend policy agenda that included a crackdown on franking credits that was too hard to explain but too easy for the Liberals to demonise. How did the Labor Party lose the unloseable election? Party Animals uncovers the secret history of a Labor fiasco, the untold story behind Scott Morrison's miracle.

The Accidental Prime Minister

Author: Annika Smethurst
Publisher: Hachette Australia
ISBN: 073364693X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Book Description
Nine months after the spill that catapulted him to the prime ministership, Scott Morrison won the 2019 election, shocking politicians and political pundits (and, quite possibly, himself). Yet, unlike his predecessors, little was really known about the former marketing man whose hard-nosed political instincts and 'daggy dad persona' saw him become the 30th Prime Minister of Australia. Voters knew what he allowed them to see - a policy embrace of slogans like 'Stop the Boats'; his deft rebuttal of media enquiries; his love for Jen and his two daughters; that he liked to cook a curry on Saturday nights; and that his faith and the Cronulla Sharks were a big part of his life. But a man is more than sound bites and social media posts. So who the bloody hell is Scott Morrison? In this revealing biography, political journalist Annika Smethurst uncovers the man behind the headlines and slogans to show us what makes Scott Morrison tick. Taking us from his childhood, as the son of a local policeman, to a meeting that would lead to marriage to his teenage sweetheart, The Accidental PM will tell the personal and the political. There are questions about Morrison's early business career and his preselection that, when answered, will paint a clearer picture of the man leading our country and give greater insight into how he won the 'miracle' election. Whether Morrison's ego and temperament will see him falter in hard times or whether he will use the lessons of his life to end the revolving door of PMs to become one of Australia's best prime ministers is still to be discovered. But knowing the man will allow us all to know the path he will lead us on.

From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage

Author: Judith Brett
Publisher: Text Publishing
ISBN: 1925626814
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 209

Book Description
It’s compulsory to vote in Australia. We are one of a handful of countries in the world that enforce this rule at election time, and the only English-speaking country that makes its citizens vote. Not only that, we embrace it. We celebrate compulsory voting with barbeques and cake stalls at polling stations, and election parties that spill over into Sunday morning. But how did this come to be: when and why was voting in Australia made compulsory? How has this affected our politics? And how else is the way we vote different from other democracies? Lively and inspiring, From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage is a landmark account of the character of Australian democracy by the celebrated historian Judith Brett, the prize-winning biographer of Alfred Deakin. Judith Brett is the author of Robert Menzies’ Forgotten People and emeritus professor of politics at La Trobe University. The Enigmatic Mr Deakin won the 2018 National Biography Award, and was shortlisted in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, NSW Premier’s History Awards and Queensland Literary Awards. ‘A tremendous piece of work.’ ABC Radio National: Minefield ‘Brett’s writing is capable of extraordinary clarity, insight and compassion.’ Monthly ‘A great treasure that sizzles like the sausage in the title. I’ll be surprised if, by the time you’ve finished it, you don’t, like me, feel a little bit prouder of the Australian democratic system.’ Andrew Leigh MP, Shadow Assistant Treasurer ‘Australia led the world in broadening the franchise and introducing the secret ballot, but few nations followed us down the path of compulsory voting. This absorbing book explains a century-old institution, how it came to be, and how it survives.’ Antony Green ‘Magnificent...Brett has constructed an excellent, fast-moving narrative establishing how Australia became one of the world’s pre-eminent democracies...[She] skilfully weaves her way through what would be in the hands of a lesser writer a dull, dry topic...Brett is right to point out that we need “more than the Anzac story” to understand our success. From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia Got Compulsory Voting will be an important part of that conversation.’ Weekend Australian ‘Excellent...Brett’s book shows how democracy sausages are the symbolic culmination of the proud history of the Australian contribution to electoral and voting practice around the world.’ Canberra Times ‘The Australian way of voting seems – to us – entirely ordinary but, as Judith Brett reveals, it’s a singular miracle of innovation of which we can all be fiercely proud. This riveting and deeply researched little book is full of jaw-dropping moments. Like the time that South Australian women accidentally won the right to stand as candidates – an international first. Or the horrifying debates that preceded the Australian parliament’s shameful decision to disenfranchise Aborigines in 1902. This is the story of a young democracy that is unique. A thrilling and valuable book.’ Annabel Crabb

The Stalking of Julia Gillard

Author: Kerry-Anne Walsh
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 1742379222
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Book Description
This is the story of one of the most extraordinary episodes in recent Australian political history, of how a powerful media pack, a vicious commentariat, and some of those within her own party contrived to bring down Australia's first female prime minister When Julia Gillard took the reins of the Australian Labor Party on June 24, 2010, she did so with the goodwill of the majority of her party and a fawning Canberra press gallery. The man she had supplanted, Kevin Rudd, led an isolated band of angry Labor voices at this surprising turn of events. The collective political and media verdict was that his time, short though it had been, was up. But when Gillard announced in February 2011 that her government would introduce a carbon pricing scheme, Rudd and his small team of malcontents were already in lock-step with key Canberra and interstate journalists in a drive to push her out of the prime ministerial chair. Never has a prime minister been so assiduously stalked. Cast as a political liar and policy charlatan, Julia Gillard was also mercilessly and relentlessly lampooned for her hair, clothes, accent, her arse, and even the way she walks and talks. Rudd, on the other hand, could barely do any wrong. His antics were afforded benign, unquestioning prime-time media coverage. This is the story about one of the most extraordinary episodes in recent Australian political history. It focuses on Team Rudd and the media's treatment of its slow-death campaign of destabilization, with its disastrous effect on Gillard and the government's functioning. It is about a politician who was never given a fair go; not in the media, not by Rudd, not by some in caucus.