Quarterly Essay 40 George Megalogenis On The 2010 Election

In the aftermath of the 2010 election, George Megalogenis considers what has happened to politics in Australia. Have we entered a new phase with minority government and the rise of the Greens and independents?

The Hawke, Keating and Howard years were ones of bold reform; recently we have seen an era of power without purpose. But why? Is it down to powerful lobbies, or the media, or a failure of leadership, or all of the above? And whatever the case, how will hard decisions be taken for the future?

In a brilliant analysis, Megalogenis dissects the cycle of polls, focus groups and presidential politics and explores what it has done to the prospect of serious, difficult reform and the style of our leaders. He argues that politics-as-usual has become a self-defeating game and mounts a persuasive case for a different model of leadership.

This is also an essay that looks at the fate of progressive politics after the three years of opportunities lost. In distilling the meaning of election 2010, it offers a thought-provoking guide to the challenges to come. Now that the political landscape has changed, where to next?

Correspondence

This issue also contains correspondence relating to the previous issue QE39 Power Shift by Hugh White. Correspondence relating to QE40 Trivial Pursuit will appear in the next issue.

George Megalogenis is a senior writer with The Australian and the author of Faultlines and The Longest Decade.