Why Australians hate politicians: exploring the new public discontent

Deposited with permission of Pluto Press AustraliaAustralians are more angry and dissatisfied with politicians than ever before. This might not be so alarming (after all, Australia has a long history of antipathy towards politicians) but for the worrying evidence which suggests that Australians have not only lost confidence in politicians, but also in the political system generally. A new level of cynicism can be readily observed in angry calls to talkback radio and caustic letters to the editor as well as empirically, in surveys, opinion polls and at the ballot box (where voting behaviour is increasingly volatile). While public opinion is never unanimous, the breadth and depth of this new discontent is quite remarkable - it cuts right across the socioeconomic spectrum