Looking For the Light on the Hill: Modern Labor's Challenges

Today, the Australian Labor Party is in crisis. Reduced to minority government after just one term, and at rock bottom in the opinion polls, the party seems to be at a defining moment in its history. The perception of the federal government is that it can’t deliver, can’t be trusted, can’t communicate what it stands for, and that it is beholden to independents and the Greens. How did it come to this so soon after Labor’s thumping election win in 2007?

Looking for the Light on the Hill argues that Labor is bedevilled by twin problems: the loss of its intrinsic culture of strong, bold, and innovative leadership; and an identity crisis that has emerged because Labor has failed to refresh its values, philosophy, and purpose for the modern era. Written by a party insider and former Rudd government adviser, the book draws on Labor’s history with fresh perspectives, and includes the secret components of the party’s recent internal review. It also includes new interviews with former party leaders, current and former ministers, and union leaders and party figures ― and reveals astonishing opinion-poll results, commissioned exclusively for this book, that demonstrate the depth of the crisis.

Challenged by the Greens on the left and the Coalition on the right, Australia’s oldest political party is in real trouble. Looking for the Light on the Hill shows how Labor can get its mojo back with new policy ideas, a new political strategy, organisational reform, and a refreshing of the party’s values. This book couldn’t be more relevant, more timely ― or more necessary.

Troy Bramston is a senior writer and columnist with The Australian newspaper. He was previously a columnist with The Sunday Telegraph.

He is the bestselling author or editor of eleven books, including Bob Hawke: demons and destiny (2022), Robert Menzies: the art of politics (2019), and Paul Keating: the big-picture leader (2016). Troy co-authored The Truth of the Palace Letters (2020) and The Dismissal (2015) with Paul Kelly. He is currently writing a biography of Gough Whitlam.

Troy’s biography of Bob Hawke was shortlisted for the Australian Political Book of the Year Award. He was the co-winner of the Australian Book Industry Award for The Dismissal. His biography of Paul Keating was a finalist for the Walkley Award, shortlisted for the National Biography Award, and longlisted for the Australian Book Industry Award. He was awarded the Centenary Medal for services towards the centenary of federation commemorations in 2001.

He lives in Sydney with his wife, Nicky, and two children, Madison and Angus.