Peter van Onselen and Wayne Errington

$34.99

Harper Collins

The Labor Party and its supporters were shocked by Scott Morrison’s surprise 2019 Federal election win. This book covers how the party regrouped to elevate Anthony Albanese to the Prime Ministership three years later.

One of the authors, Peter van Onselen, has a long history of involvement with the Liberal Party, yet his contempt for Mr Morrison shines through in this positive description of the Labor leader who unseated him.

Victory follows Mr Albanese’s rise to the job of Opposition Leader and the subsequent “small- target” campaign to avoid the mistakes of 2019, when Bill Shorten’s reform agenda allowed Mr Morrison to run a scare campaign.

On the way Mr Albanese dispatches some enemies (Kim Carr), learns to work alongside others (Mr Shorten and Tanya Plibersek) and keeps a potential opponent (Jim Chalmers) onside.

The book follows hiccups such as Mr Albanese’s time out with COVID-19, which allowed his shadow ministry to shine, and the relentlessly negative Murdoch press eager to preserve the status quo.

Packed with behind-the- scenes insights, Victory is a fine work of Australian political history and well worth a read.

Australian Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, partner Jodie Haydon and son Nathan celebrate after winning the 2022 Federal Election, at the Federal Labor Reception at Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL Club in Sydney, Saturday, May 21, 2022. More than 17 million Australians have voted to elect the next federal government. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)