The Twilight of Exceptionalism is veteran journalist Paul Kelly’s latest contribution to the chronicles of Australian political history. In the tradition of Edward Gibbon, it’s a story of the decline and fall – not the rise and fall – of the Coalition government from 2013 to 2022. And in this tale, there are populist barbarians pressing at the gates.
The book explores the policy dilemmas of the era and the personal characteristics of the three prime ministers at their centre: the “warrior” Tony Abbott, the “technocratic” Malcolm Turnbull and the “pragmatic” Scott Morrison. It recognises some policy achievements, but tells a story largely of problems unsolved and potential unfulfilled.
