Battleground

Why the Liberal Party Shirtfronted Tony Abbott

Wayne Errington, Peter van Onselen
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Battleground

Published

18 November 2015

ISBN

9780522869712

Pages

232

Imprint

Melbourne University Press

Battleground

Why the Liberal Party Shirtfronted Tony Abbott

Wayne Errington, Peter van Onselen
Battleground chronicles the paradox of the Abbott prime ministership: the virtues of loyalty when pragmatism was required; strong social values at odds with community attitudes; and honesty when tactics and strategy were essential. All would bring him undone.
Tony Abbott came to the prime ministership lauded as the most effective leader of the opposition since Whitlam. Why then did he fail to succeed in the job to which he had aspired for decades??Frontbenchers leaked about cabinet processes to the media while backbenchers complained about the lack of access to their leader.?

Abbott's long apprenticeship in religion, journalism and political life prepared him for neither the mundane business of managing people nor the commanding heights of national leadership. Public?goodwill evaporated after a tough first budget. Inside the Liberal Party individual ambitions and a succession of poor polls fuelled increasing concern that the next election was unwinnable.

Battleground chronicles the paradox of the Abbott prime ministership: steadfast loyalty when pragmatism was required; social values at odds with community attitudes; stubbornness when tactics and strategy were essential. All would bring him undone.
Tony Abbott came to the prime ministership lauded as the most effective leader of the opposition since Whitlam. Why then did he fail to succeed in the job to which he had aspired for decades??Frontbenchers leaked about cabinet processes to the media while backbenchers complained about the lack of access to their leader.?

Abbott's long apprenticeship in religion, journalism and political life prepared him for neither the mundane business of managing people nor the commanding heights of national leadership. Public?goodwill evaporated after a tough first budget. Inside the Liberal Party individual ambitions and a succession of poor polls fuelled increasing concern that the next election was unwinnable.

Battleground chronicles the paradox of the Abbott prime ministership: steadfast loyalty when pragmatism was required; social values at odds with community attitudes; stubbornness when tactics and strategy were essential. All would bring him undone.

Wayne Errington

Wayne Errington

Wayne Errington is Lecturer in Political Science at the Australian National University. He has written extensively about Australian politics in newspaper opinion pages across the country: The Australian, The Australian Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Canberra Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times.

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Peter van Onselen

Peter van Onselen

Dr Peter van Onselen is a Contributing Editor at The Australian and presenter at Sky News. He has frequently appeared in the media as a political commentator, panellist, contributing editor, host and print journalist. A co-author of the bestseller John Winston Howard: The Definitive Biography and Battleground, he was recently appointed Winthrop Professor and Foundation Chair of Journalism at the University of Western Australia.

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Paperback
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