This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the 2016 Australian federal election. Won by the Liberal National Coalition by the slimmest of margins, the result created a climate of political uncertainty that threatened the governments lower house majority. While the campaign might have lacked the theatre of previous elections, it provides significant insights into the contemporary political and policy challenges facing Australian democracy and society...

The Liberal Party took a risk replacing Tony Abbott with Malcolm Turnbull. They had seen how voters could turn when the ALP tore down a first-term prime minister. But MPs were desperate, having witnessed the collapse in polling during Abbott's prime ministership. By the time Turnbull called the election it was still unclear what he wanted to achieve. He seemed strangely underprepared for a job that he had fought so long to win. Turnbull leads a party...