Paul Kelly’s exceptional history charts the decline and fall of the Coalition – but leaves questions unanswered
The Twilight of Exceptionalism is a story of problems unsolved and potential unfulfilled.
Paul Kelly's latest book, The Twilight of Exceptionalism, provides a comprehensive account of the decline and fall of the Coalition government in Australia from 2013 to 2022. In this narrative, Kelly explores the policy dilemmas and personal characteristics of the three prime ministers who led the Coalition during this period: Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, and Scott Morrison.
The book acknowledges some policy achievements, but largely focuses on the problems that remained unsolved and potential opportunities that were left unfulfilled.
Kelly, an experienced political writer, found the Coalition's decade in power to be the most challenging subject matter he has tackled. Despite this, the book is remarkably detailed, spanning over 700 pages and covering major milestones such as the destructive budget of 2014, leadership changes in 2015 and 2018, the weak election result of 2016, the same-sex marriage postal survey of 2017, and the AUKUS agreement in 2021.
The book also delves into divisive debates on national security, free speech, climate change, and energy policy.
The author's approach allows him to directly quote the prime ministers and their senior staffers and public servants, revealing their true natures. Abbott appears relentlessly ideological, Turnbull comes across as soaringly self-righteous, and Morrison is seen as incapable of sharing credit or accepting blame. The book discusses numerous scandals and crises, including Abbott's decision to award a knighthood to Prince Philip on January 26, 2015, and Morrison's widely criticized leadership during the Black Summer bushfires and the slow vaccine rollout.
The Twilight of Exceptionalism provides valuable insights into the political dysfunction of the Coalition during this period. It highlights the impact of new secular moralities enforced by Australian progressives and the clinging to an older, Christian and Enlightenment model of civic life by conservatives. The book is devoted to these topics, with extensive quotes from Australian economists and US thinkers, although it may rely too heavily on generalised theories rather than empirical evidence and minimizes the role of inequality and uneven economic outcomes in the era.
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