Quarterly Essay 40 Trivial Pursuit: Leadership And The End Of The Reform Era

Synopsis

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?