In years gone by, former prime ministers were often trusted confidants to their successors. Not so these days, when the trend has been for former leaders to make a swift exist from the parliament.
Paul Keating’s recent savage criticism of the Albanese government over the AUKUS deal is a reminder that former leaders have not always publicly disparaged their own parties.
Australia’s prime ministers in recent years have not stayed in office for long. If the Australian public can be patient, Albanese’s style may offer greater longevity.
In a survey sure to provoke debate, 66 political scientists and historians ranked Australia’s second world war prime minister John Curtin as the finest leader we’ve had.
Facing protests by students and academics over its Liberal Party links and generous funding by the Morrison government, the centre’s most important test will be whether it respects academic freedom.
With John Howard in 2004-7 the last prime minister to serve a full term, it may seem Australia has sunk into a long rein of political instability. But that is not necessarily the case.
Australian prime ministers have long been interested in the names they go by, and how others should address them. But will the “ordinary Joe” approach pay off for ScoMo and Bill?
The Australian prime ministership has never been easy, but the most successful tenures have been those in which the person has matched the circumstances.