Considering Joe Hockey’s farewell to parliamentary politics. How are we to explain the close alliance between him and Tony Abbott? Hockey after all was Turnbull lite in the eyes of the media with a charmingly multicultural background. Hockey supported the Republic against Abbott and continues to provide tepid support for this cause. My view is […]
The Greens and the Nationals: history repeating?
Can the Tasmanian Greens learn from the fate of the National Party? I raised this question with students in my Contemporary Australian Politics tutorials today, before the news of the Green entry to cabinet.
Thanking Peter Costello? American budget deficits and politics
The example of Barack Obama suggests that Kevin Rudd has much to thank Peter Costello for, the Howard government did not follow the example of the American right on fiscal policy and bequeath a huge deficit. The Democrats are struggling in the polls and may lose substantial grounds at the 2010 Congressional elections. They are […]
Ghosts of John Elliott and Katherine West
Malcolm Turnbull’s basic problem is that like John Howard Mark I he is out of step with his own party. Howard won the Liberal leadership in 1985 due to missteps by Andrew Peacock rather than any strong base of support. Turnbull, once Peter Costello was gone, was the only credible candidate once Brendan Nelson fell […]
Independent voters
Interesting paper on US independent voters from Pew (via Political Wire): The proportion of independents now equals its highest level in 70 years. Owing to defections from the Republican Party, independents are more conservative on several key issues than in the past. While they like and approve of Barack Obama, as a group independents are […]