Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
John Hawkins, Senior lecturer, Canberra School of Government, University of Canberra

Shocks, alchemy and John Howard’s ‘long shadow’ have shaped 21st century Australian politics

It says something not too flattering about Australian politics that respected academic Paul Strangio’s new book The Alchemy of Leadership only discusses 21st century prime ministers, but still needs to cover seven of them. Or eight, if you count Kevin Rudd twice.

A possible reason for this volatility, according to the latest book by award-winning political journalist George Megalogenis, is three poorly handled “shocks”.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.