Leaders’ Debates and Presidential Politics in Australia

During the second of the two 1996 nationally televised ‘great debates’ both rival leaders were momentarily flummoxed by questions unexpectedly directed at them by the moderator. Clearly neither the Prime Minister nor Opposition Leader had rehearsed answers to questions about abortion, crime and national gun law reform. The televising of debates between the leaders during the campaign period is a relatively recent innovation, with its roots directly in American presidential campaigns much more so than in past Australian practice. And the issues of abortion and gun law reform permeate US politics but had no special resonance in Australia. For those critics who despair at the untoward ‘Americanisation’ of Australian electoral politics there could have been no clearer demonstration of its transformation than this moment of the debate.

Abortion · Opposition (politics) · Political science · Politics · Presidential campaign · Presidential system · Prime minister · Australian History and Society · Commonwealth, Australian Politics and Federalism · Law

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