Samantha Maiden
Party Animals
Penguin Australia 2020
How did Labor lose the unlosable election?
Secrets, lies, lawyers and covert recordings. If you thought the 2019 election was just about a death tax that didn’t exist, you’re in for a surprise. From the dark arts of the dirt units to the role of billionaire Clive Palmer, this is the untold story of an election debacle.
The Labor Party was the unbeatable favourite to win the 2019 election right up until the polls closed and voters delivered the surprise verdict. If the results staggered pundits, they also shocked Bill Shorten and his frontbench, who had spent the final weeks of the campaign carefully planning for their first days in office.
Party Animals uncovers the secret history of a Labor fiasco, the untold story behind Scott Morrison’s miracle.
“Samantha Maiden’s Party Animals is a brisk and highly readable account of the lead up to Labor’s legendary achievement of losing 2019’s unloseable election. It’s a great look behind the curtain at the dark arts of an election campaign.”
About the Author
Samantha Maiden is the political editor for the New Daily. She has covered federal politics from the Canberra press gallery for 21 years including the rise and fall of six prime ministers, seven elections and multiple leadership challenges. She is a regular panellist on The Project and The Drum.
