Tony Abbott tore through Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd (again) but now, according to the polls, Bill Shorten is the most effective Opposition Leader in history.
Abbott’s Coalition is the least popular new government on record and they haven’t even passed a horror budget yet.
Incumbency used to be seen as a great political asset but, these days, it seems leading the opposition is easier than leading the country.
Related documents
Between the Lines Newsletter
The biggest stories and the best analysis from the team at the Australia Institute, delivered to your inbox every fortnight.
You might also like
There is no such thing as a safe seat | Fact sheet
A notable trend in Australian politics has been the decline of the share of the vote won by both major parties at federal elections. One effect of this is that there are no longer any safe seats in Australian politics: minor parties and independents win more “safe” seats than they do “marginal” ones. The declining
Eight things you need to know about the Government’s plan to change Australian elections
And eight ideas to improve it
There is no such thing as a safe seat
A notable trend in Australian politics has been the decline of the share of the vote won by both major parties at federal elections. There are no longer any safe seats in Australian politics: minor parties and independents win more “safe” seats than they do “marginal” ones.