SOCIETY

Comment: Rudd's Collapse

Robert Manne

The Monthly | The Nation Reviewed | July 2010 | Add a Comment

Image Caption: Illustration by Jeff Fisher.

In the history of Australian politics there has never been a collapse as dramatic, unexpected and unnecessary as the one experienced by Kevin Rudd during the past two months. Those who have been supporters of the prime minister and his government must now try to answer as honestly as possible the overwhelming question: what has gone wrong?

To continue reading, subscribe now.

RELATED ITEMS

Asylum Seekers (56), Climate Change (275), ETS (14), Tony Abbott (58), SOCIETY (364), Nuclear (73), Emissions trading (20)

More SOCIETY

The Insult: An incurious encounter takes flight

Saturday Night: St Vincent’s Emergency Department

Quiet, Please: CityRail’s ‘Quiet Carriages’ Trial

Red Dog: A Pet’s Mutiny

History as Fiction. Marr, Grenville, Rash, Cercas, Erpenpeck

History as Fiction. Marr, Grenville, Rash, Cercas, Erpenpeck

Mental Health in Australia. With Patrick McGorry and Allan Fels

On Manhood. Deborah Robertson and Malcolm Knox

The Ethics of Intervention. David Rieff, with Gareth Evans

Slow TV

The Tyranny of Affluence. George Megalogenis and Geoffrey Blainey

The Tyranny of Affluence. George Megalogenis and Geoffrey Blainey

On Manhood. Deborah Robertson and Malcolm Knox

On Manhood. Deborah Robertson and Malcolm Knox

Staying in Character. Frank Moorhouse and Garry Disher

Staying in Character. Frank Moorhouse and Garry Disher

Janette Turner Hospital in Conversation

Janette Turner Hospital in Conversation

Why is the Labor Party in Crisis?

Why is the Labor Party in Crisis?

History as Fiction. Marr, Grenville, Rash, Cercas, Erpenpeck

History as Fiction. Marr, Grenville, Rash, Cercas, Erpenpeck

More ...

The Shortlist Daily

Latest Blogs

Monthly Wire

May 2012 Editor's Note

Monthly Wire

April 2012 Editor's Note

Robert Manne

The Long Goodbye: Explaining Gillard’s Collapse

Robert Manne

Payback: The Bullying Tactics of the Murdoch Press

Monthly Wire

March 2012 Editor's Note

Twitter
@THEMONTHLY @SLOWTV

Now free online – Robert Manne spends one morning with @TurnbullMalcolm, the leader plenty of voters still want: http://t.co/vrCExhRy

Thursday, 24 May 2012 - 7:25pm

“I want to know if my hair is just like yours” – the boy who patted Obama's head. Via @ShortlistDaily: http://t.co/uHe1c6cX

Thursday, 24 May 2012 - 4:11pm

Thrillseeker of the year. Wing-suited man jumps out of chopper, no chute, from 2400ft: (video) http://t.co/CcI8xlFu

Thursday, 24 May 2012 - 4:05pm

The sweetest thing you will read all day - the boy who patted Obama's head: http://t.co/mO81N4O2

Thursday, 24 May 2012 - 3:52pm

Site Highlights

The Tyranny of Affluence. George Megalogenis and Geoffrey Blainey

The Tyranny of Affluence. George Megalogenis and Geoffrey Blainey

What Gina Wants

One Morning with Malcolm

Duty of Care

Hot This Week

Recommended

POLITICS: Human Rights (200); Australian Politics (119); Feminism (98); Racism (94); Robert Manne (71); Islam (60); Obama (60); American Politics (58); Censorship (48); Multiculturalism (39); Consumerism (36); Pokies (30); Childcare (28); Stolen Generations (28); Freedom of Speech (26); Prime Ministers (22); Political Parties (19); History of Australia (19); Gay Marriage (18); Social Justice (18); Liberalism (18); Waleed Aly (17); Germaine Greer (17); Indigenous Rights (16); Kitsch (16)

SOCIETY: Australian History (112); Travel (99); Ethics (69); Neuroscience (66); Asylum Seekers (56); Gender (52); Lawyers (52); Anthropology (46); Capitalism (46); Sexuality (45); Aboriginal People (42); Facebook (37); Australian Society (32); Scholars (30); Homosexuality (30); Muslim (26); Neuropsychology (26); Health (24); Historians (24); Gambling (23); Clive Hamilton (23); Sociology (23); Decision-making (22); Alice Springs (21); Privacy (21); Parenting (19); State Library of Victoria (18); Climate change denialism (17); Conservatism (17); AFL (16)

CULTURE: Literature (152); Fiction (146); Photography (113); Hollywood (112); Memoir (108); Arts (94); Biography (88); Painting (84); Comedy (63); Musicians (58); Dance (54); Philosophy (50); Architecture (48); Short Stories (31); Art (25); Autobiography (24); Cooking (24); 20 Australian Masterpieces (22); Jazz (21); Film (20); Top 20 Arts Masterpieces (20); Aussie Masterpieces (20); Arts Masterpieces (20); Modern Masterpieces (20); Australian Film (19); Directors (16)

WORLD: China (213); Iraq (115); Afghanistan (70); India (69); Ireland (68); World economy (60); Britain (60); Middle East (55); Asia (54); Africa (54); Barack Obama (53); New York City (50); Egypt (46); New Zealand (44); Pakistan (44); World War II (42); Foreign Policy (42); Russia (42); France (40); Indonesia (37); New York Times (37); Iran (37); Eurozone (37); Italy (36); European Union (34); George W Bush (34); Japan (33); Terrorism (32); United Nations (28); Greece (28); East Timor (26); Taliban (25); Libya (25); Arab Spring (25); Israel (23); Egyptian revolution (23); Communism (22); Beijing (19); Syria (19); American Military (18); Russian politics (17); Thailand (17); News International (17); Saudi Arabia (16); Peak oil (16); Nuclear power (16); Libyan uprising (16)

ENVIRONMENT: Climate Change (275); Nuclear (146); Drought (78); Global Warming (58); Sustainability (46); Tasmania (44); ETS (28); Carbon dioxide (26); Amazon (24); Conservation (24); Emissions trading (20); Rainforest (20); Carbon tax (17); Carbon emissions (17); Water crisis (16); Ecology (16); Nuclear Energy (16); Floods (16)

ECONOMICS: Business (154); Australian Economy (78); The Global Financial Crisis (68); European debt (55); Finance (40); Wall Street (39); Globalisation (37); Global Financial Crisis (37); Global finance (36); Recession (27); Food Production (20); Unemployment (20); Population growth (17); Stock Market (16)

MEDIA: ABC (108); Journalism (94); Australian Media (57); Rupert Murdoch (55); Radio National (41); Quarterly Essay (40); News Corporation (36); Fairfax (35); Google (33); Wikileaks (28); News Limited (26); Social Media (25); Twitter (25); Guardian (23); Communications (23); Assange (23); Phone-hacking scandal (22); Julian Assange (19); The Australian newspaper (18); Crikey (17)

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Drugs (64); Psychology (46); Evolution (33); Biology (28); Disease (22); Genetics (21); Flu (17)