A Question of Leadership: Paul Keating : Political Fighter

by Michael Gordon

Genres: Politics

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1992

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Journalist.

Reviews

[Zac McDougall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in the lead-up to the 1993 federal election, this book is an excellent insight to the political psychology of Paul Keating. As the note from Laurie Oakes states on the cover, “If you want to understand what makes him tick, read it”.

Keating said in the infamous Placido Domingo speech that Australia has never had a great leader. Perhaps Keating himself in the closest we have got, despite his shortcomings. He was the only Prime Minister to seek true independence for Australia: to seek security ‘in Asia, not from Asia’, to actually stand up for our country and move away from the sterile British ideologies that pervaded our political system, to move Australia towards a multicultural republic with a new flag that actually represents our country. Most significantly, the Redfern Speech is still the only occasion where a political leader has substantially addressed and acknowledged the impacts of our invasion of this continent on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Bob Hawke was always more popular than Keating with the general public, but for policy wonks and those who follow Australian politics closely, Keating is always more revered. This book, paired with Don Watson’s Recollections of a Bleeding Heart, goes a long way to illustrating why this is so.

[Greg Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

a terrific insight into a great Australian, published during Paul Keating's prime ministership; contains some detailed biographical information - only that calculated to inform the reader of the man; an excellent case to retain Mr Keating as Prime Minister (alas, we got Howard for a decade).

[Kathy Fogarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admire Keatng even more after reading this. Terrific to get some insight into his formative influences and come to understand his psychology a little more. Michael Gordon gives
a very engaging account of this brief period of history. It was a sweet victory in 1993 but with the benefit of hindsight I reckon 2007 was sweeter still. If only Keating had been leader for 2007. . .