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Author: John Warhurst

  • AUSTRALIA

    Turnbull's problematic leadership

    • John Warhurst
    • 18 December 2008
    2 Comments

    Last Christmas, rookie Prime Minister Rudd could not afford to take a holiday. This year, following dismal December opinion polls, it's Turnbull who may need to forgo a break as he gets the Coalition house in order.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    The small world of lobbyists and the Rudd Government

    • John Warhurst
    • 14 November 2008

    Qantas' new chief lobbyist is the Prime Minister's recent former chief of staff. The appointment mocks the spirit of the Government's new Lobbying Code of Conduct, demonstrating that corporate money can buy special access to government.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Bipartisan games

    • John Warhurst
    • 21 October 2008
    1 Comment

    Kevin Rudd has a patchy record of bipartisanship. Although Rudd and Turnbull together offer the best chance yet for the republican movement, they have traded blows over bipartisan approaches to this and to the the economic crisis.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Voters value Independents

    • John Warhurst
    • 15 September 2008
    6 Comments

    Independents were once seen as utterly unsuited to parliaments dominated by big parties. The apparent weakness of Independents in being outside the mainstream is their strength: they represent an alternative way of thinking about politics.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Life after politics is often hollow

    • John Warhurst
    • 20 August 2008
    2 Comments

    The lure of leadership seems to have Peter Costello reconsidering his decision to walk away from the Liberals. Whether motivated by serving the community or by personal advancement, once politics is in your blood it is hard to shake off.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    G-G's blind faith in Australia's constitution

    • John Warhurst
    • 06 June 2008
    12 Comments

    The Governor-General, Major-General Michael Jeffery, is mounting a defence of the place of the British monarchy in the Australian Constitution. On several occasions recently Jeffery has proclaimed a very conservative view of Australian constitutional arrangements.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Tips for a more discerning budget night

    • John Warhurst
    • 13 May 2008
    1 Comment

    This evening's Budget may be the most significant political event of the year. A budget is a particular challenge for a Labor government, given popular skepticism about the party's economic credentials. If Labor wins general acclaim it will have cemented its hold on government.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Summiteers treated to mix of showbiz and serious performance

    • John Warhurst
    • 21 April 2008
    4 Comments

    Many of those present at the weekend's 2020 Summit struggled with understanding the difference between ideas, policies, visions, aspirations and general directions. The more hard-headed were probably disappointed, just as the others were obviously delighted by the vision statements.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    2020 delegates an unpredictable but dynamic mix

    • John Warhurst
    • 07 April 2008
    2 Comments

    The productivity of the 2020 Summit will come from interplay within groups, not individual performance. It will be a big job to prevent it becoming the pushiest and the loudest rather than the best and the brightest.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    The changing face of Kevin 24/7

    • John Warhurst
    • 12 March 2008
    5 Comments

    Kevin 07 ended his campaign with a wooden and self-absorbed election-night speech. Supporters took a deep breath and hoped 2008 would be better. So far it has been.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    The case for a people's choice Governor-General

    • John Warhurst
    • 15 February 2008
    9 Comments

    Kevin Rudd should move quickly to open up the appointment process by involving the public and the parliament, just as he is doing in the Australia 2020 exercise. There is a lot of talent to choose from, and it will enhance our democracy.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Parliamentarians represent

    • John Warhurst
    • 14 November 2007
    3 Comments

    Former Prime Minister Paul Keating famously described the Senate as 'unrepresentative swill'. It's not easy for Labor to rebut John Howard's claim that Labor's former union official representation in Parliament is 'out of whack'.

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