Julia 2010: The caretaker election

• Main Author: Simms, Marian (auth)
• Other Authors: Wanna, John (auth)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Canberra ANU Press 2012
• Subjects: Politics & government; politics and government; australia; political campaigns; 21st century; elections; Julia Gillard; Kevin Rudd; Liberal Party of Australia; Tony Abbott
• Online Access: OAPEN Library: download the publication; OAPEN Library: description of the publication

This book provides a comprehensive coverage of one of Australia's most historic elections, which produced a hung parliament and a carefully crafted minority government that remains a heartbeat away from collapse, as well as Australia's first elected woman Prime Minister and the Australian Greens' first lower house Member of Parliament. The volume considers the key contextual and possibly determining factors, such as: the role of leadership and ideology in the campaign; the importance of state and regional factors (was there evidence of the two or three speed economy at work?); and the role of policy areas and issues, including the environment, immigration, religion, gender and industrial relations. Contributors utilise a wide range of sources and approaches to provide comprehensive insights into the campaign. This volume notably includes the perspectives of the major political groupings, the ALP, the Coalition and the Greens; and the data from the Australian Election Survey. Finally we conclude with a detailed analysis of those 17 days that it took to construct a minority party government.