Judith Brett

Beatrice Faust, said Helen Garner, ‘is not scared of anybody.’ Faust was the transformative feminist activist, writer and intellectual who founded the Women’s Electoral Lobby in Melbourne in 1972. She campaigned for abortion law reform, and thought, talked and wrote about sex and feminism, from the sexual revolution of the 1960s through to the neoliberal 1990s, always with her own...

The Enigmatic Mr Deakin by Judith Brett explores the life of Alfred Deakin—scholar, spiritualist, prime minister—who played a crucial role in the formation of modern Australia. In this first biography of Deakin in over fifty years, acclaimed political historian Judith Brett skillfully intertwines his public, private, and family lives. Brett uncovers the character behind the image of a dignified, bearded...

Alone among English-speaking democracies, Australia compels its citizens to vote. It forces politicians to consider the impact of their policies on all groups of Australians, especially the disadvantaged and marginalised, and so contributes to a more equal and just society. It's compulsory to vote in Australia. We are one of a handful of countries in the world that enforce this...

Judith Brett explores the consequences of Australia's coal addiction, from stalled climate-change policy to tensions between farmers and miners. Australia is a wealthy nation with the economic profile of a developing country – heavy on raw materials, and low on innovation and skilled manufacturing. Once we rode on the sheep's back for our overseas trade; today we rely on cartloads...

Since the 1980s, Judith Brett has been helping to shape Australians’ conversations about politics, bringing a historian’s eye to contemporary issues and probing the psychology of our prime ministers. Her writings about Liberal Party leaders have been widely influential, especially her famous 1984 essay Robert Menzies’ Forgotten People and her prize-winning book of the same name, as well as her...

In Exit Right, Judith Brett explains why the tide turned on John Howard. This is an essay about leadership, in particular Howard's style of strong leadership which led him to dominate his party with such ultimately catastrophic results. In this definitive account, Brett discusses how age became Howard's Achilles heel, how he lost the youth vote, how he lost Bennelong,...

The lively, fascinating history of compulsory voting in Australia is now in a second edition, featuring new content about the Teal independents and an index. 'This is the story of a young democracy that is unique. A thrilling and valuable book.' — Annabel Crabb It's compulsory to vote in Australia. We are one of a handful of countries in the...