Peter van Onselen

From the co-writer of ""John Winston Howard"", the definitive biography of the Prime Minister, comes ""After the Election"", which takes us behind the scenes of both parties on the announcement of the election campaign.Peter van Onselen and Phillip Senior have been offered unprecedented access into the Liberal and Labor camps as John Howard and Kevin Rudd prepare to fight the battles of their careers. In one camp is the most experienced politician in the country who has, since the start of 2007, faced some of the toughest opinion polls in his life; in the other is a rookie politician who seems unable to put a foot wrong.Will the combination of a jaded electorate and an 'it's time' mentality translate into success for the ALP on polling day?Whoever wins the election, and in the tradition of Pamela Williams' ""The Victory"", ""After the Election"" will chronicle, analyse and make sense of the result, and its far-reaching implications for the people of Australia.

Without fear or favour, How Good is Scott Morrison? examines the trials and tribulations of our 30th prime minister. Investigating Morrison's unlikely rise to the liberal leadership and his miracle electoral win, van Onselen and Errington put his leadership under the spotlight. Covering Morrison's disastrous management of the catastrophic bushfire season that was highlighted by the extraordinary statement, 'I don't hold the hose, mate,' and the decision to holiday while the country burned, How Good is Scott Morrison? shows his resolve and the redemption the government's response to the pandemic brought him. Right now, Scott Morrison seems unassailable and sure to win the next election, but what exactly is his vision for Australia? A pragmatist rather than an ideologue, he is a deeply Pentecostal religious man but he doesn't wear his faith as a badge of honour. So what does he really believe in?When the history of this period is written, Morrison will certainly be seen as an election winner but will he be viewed as having had the courage and vision to change Australia for the better, or the worse?'This book rips away the PR curtain to look at the real sins and virtues of our 30th prime minister.'- LAURIE OAKES'Scott Morrison is very good at doing not much and yet winning the politics. Errington and van Onselen have produced a forensic examination of a - so far - flawed leadership.'- BARRIE CASSIDY

The nation breathed a sigh of relief when Malcolm Turnbull achieved his lifelong dream to become prime minister. Yet months into the job it was unclear what Turnbull wanted to achieve as prime minister. He was strangely underprepared for a job that he had fought so long to win. Turnbull leads a party whose culture he doesn't share. He is interested in policy but is not passionate about any policy in particular and is not so wedded to any idea that that he will fight for it. This confused Australians who expect leaders to lead. Will this long, early election campaign allow Turnbull to grow into the role he has so long coveted. And will a decisive win allow Turnbull to lead on his own terms?

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.

Major party Senators are highly partisan actors, their strong partisanship is partly a result of their backgrounds in central office work in their political parties, and also a product of their election by means of a de facto list system of proportional representation, with centralised selection of lists. If the Senate's electoral system makes major party Senators heavily dependent on party, it also largely frees them of accountability to the electoral district they represent. Due to their pre-parliamentary careers and the influence of electoral rules, Senators are available, in several senses, to perform key tasks, both prior to and during the formal election campaign, in assisting their parties to secure the maximum number of House of Representatives seats. This role, now institutionalised in the major parties and referred to as 'duty Senatorship', is an important aspect of electoral professionalism in Australian political parties. But how professional really are major party senators? Do they adequately serve their party in the pursuit of lower house seats, the accumulation of which determines which major party forms government? What distractions exist which may take away from this electoral professional role?

While the minor party and independent senators might attract media attention, the overwhelming majority of Australia's upper house members are affiliated with the major political parties. These senators are highly partisan: they are dependent on the party for re-election and play a potentially vital role in assisting their parties to secure the maximum number of House of Representative seats, acting as 'shock troops' in marginal seat campaigning. How does this impact the way these senators go about their business? How do they serve their party in the pursuit of lower house seats, the result of which determines who forms government?Professionals or Part-Timers? examines the electoral professionalism of major party senators, as well as how they deal with the sometimes competing interests of factionalism and personal ambition.

With November 2007's federal election loss, and with Labor running all state and territory governments, the Liberal Party has been forced to re-think its raison d'etre. The transition from John Howard to Brendan Nelson's leadership has been anything but smooth, with much destabilising work happening from within the Party.""Liberals and Power"" brings together respected commentators and politicians such as Gerard Henderson, Robert Manne, Tony Abbott, Wayne Errington and George Brandis who examine, among other issues, the contemporary debate over liberalism, the Howard legacy, and the battle for the heart and soul of Australia.Liberal leader Brendan Nelson and Shadow Treasurer Malcolm Turnbull contribute chapters on their vision for Australia, and their plan to bring the Liberals back from the wilderness. ""Liberals and Power"" is an invaluable analysis of the challenges, pitfalls and opportunities that lie ahead for the Liberal Party.

In ""John Winston Howard"", a frank and engrossing portrait of the Prime Minister, Wayne Errington and Peter van Onselen contend that John Howard is the first professional politician the country has seen, who has left a deep and lasting impact on modern politics, government and the country.For the first time ever, in unprecedented and extensive interviews conducted by the authors with Howard's family, friends, political supporters and detractors, we get a rare insight into the man and the government he runs. The result is a portrait of how Team Howard operates, and why it has been so successful.""John Winston Howard"" is a revealing study of the nature of modern politics, and of how dirty the game can get. Crucially, it offers an insightful understanding of the John Howard who lies - and is mostly missed - between the public vitriol and the ungainly praise that passes as analysis.