From leadership speculation to the war in Iraq, from the Northern Territory intervention to the release of David Hicks, this is a diverse and compelling collection that includes writing by Australia's leading commentators and opinion makers. Guaranteed to inform, entertain, and provoke, only the best political analysis of events that have shaped the past year are included.

An intimate account of one of the most tumultuous periods in Australian politics as well as a tale of personal change, this memoir discusses what went wrong during the 2010 elections--which left the Labor party clinging to the wreckage and forced into minority government. Bringing a reporter's eye and an insider's knowledge to a story that has caused despair among Labor supporters and produced disillusionment among the electorate, this book counters the view that Julia Gillard was a reluctant deputy who was forced to move against a chaotic and dysfunctional Kevin Rudd--and offers a different...

Through a series of conversations and case studies, Maxine McKew documents the transformation now underway in classrooms around Australia and examines the strategies that are helping lift academic performance, particularly in some of the most challenged schools. "Class Act" invites reflection on one of the country's most pressing national dilemmas: how to replicate success across a fragmented educational system and reverse the decline in student performance. With its frank accounts of the joys and pitfalls of learning in the 21st century, "Class Act" will appeal to parents, teachers, and...