Tales from the Political Trenches by Maxine McKew
Maxine McKew concluded her 2012 memoir Tales from the Political Trenches by recognizing the national hunger for a different kind of leadership, one that will leapfrog the current banalities and give Australians something better. What we have instead is one of the longest campaigns in living memory, a political class that continues to play divide and rule and one that has an almost lordly contempt for views that don't fit the neat script dictated by communications teams at five in the morning.
In a revised edition to be released before the September election this year, McKew rejects the conventional view that there's something inevitable about the politics of the lowest common denominator or that a sour entitlement-driven electorate gets the politicians it deserves. McKew examines a different dynamic the range and depth of considered conversations that are taking place across Australia in workplaces, in schools and universities, and on the sidelines of football games. People are arguing the toss about the state of our schools and the quality and training of teaching, about how we fund child and aged care, about how we design our cities and about the ways that technology is both a transformer and a destroyer. These conversations represent a powerful political tool which can't be denied.
The way through our current malaise, McKew argues, is through good old fashioned citizen activism. To turn the conversations about our future into a 'we the people' campaign and demand that those who aspire to lead, actually listen to the rest of us and respond to the new advocacy.
About the Author
Maxine McKew is a Vice Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Melbourne. She also works as an advisor on education to the not-for-profit group Social Ventures Australia, is Chair of Playgroup Australia and a member of the board of Per Capita. At the 2007 federal election Maxine McKew wrote herself into Australian political history as only the second candidate ever to beat a prime minister in his own seat. She was immediately elevated to the executive and served as Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood, and later as Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Regional Development.
Before making the switch to politics, Maxine had a thirty-year career as a broadcast and print journalist. As host of Lateline and part-time anchor of 7.30 Report she earned a reputation as one of the country's most authoritative interviewers. Her television reporting has been recognised by her peers with both Logie and Walkley awards for broadcast excellence, while her work for the Bulletin saw her secure the Magazine Publisher's Award for Columnist of the Year. A sought-after speaker and facilitator, Maxine is represented by Claxton Communications and is involved in a range of voluntary activities.
Format: Paperback | 256 pages
Dimensions (cm): 19.7 x 13.2 x 2.3 | 372g
Publication Date: 01 Oct 2013
Publisher: Melbourne University Publishing Ltd
Imprint: Melbourne University Press
Publication City/Country: Melbourne, Australia
Language: English
Edition Statement: Revised Edition
ISBN10: 0522864260
ISBN13: 9780522864267
Condition: Good
A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including minor scuff marks, but no holes or tears. The majority of pages are undamaged with very minimal creasing but no tearing. No pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text, no writing in margins. No missing pages. An old and aged, but still a very clean, solid and readable copy.