Don Aitkin

Don Aitkin, historian and political scientist, was the Foundation Chair of the Australian Research Council, a member of the Australian Science and Technology Council, and a member and later chair of the Multi-disciplinary Assessment Committee of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, as well as a consultant to other Canadian research organisations. He is a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra, and his books include What Was It All For? The Reshaping of Australia (2005).

Don Aitkin reviews ‘The Andren Report: An independent way in Australian politics’ by Peter Andren and ‘A Humble Backbencher: The memoirs of Kenneth Lionel Fry’ by Ken Fry

June–July 2003, no. 252 • 01 June 2003

These two well-written, unpretentious and engaging books address a central question for those interested in parliamentary democracy: who should represent us? Is the best representative someone just like ourselves, or someone who knows how ‘the system’ works and can manipulate it in our interest? Should it be someone from the party in power? Should it be someone wise and experienced, or young a ... (read more)

Don Aitkin reviews 'Leadership And The Liberal Revival: Bolte, Askin and the post-war ascendancy' by Norman Abjorensen

July–August 2008, no. 303 • 01 July 2008

Henry Bolte and Bob Askin were the ‘big men’ of state politics in the 1960s, when I was a young political scientist. Bolte I never met, and Askin I met only once, but I knew the latter’s deputy premier, Charlie Cutler, quite well. I grew up in northern New South Wales and throughout my life, it seemed, we had only ever had Labor governments. The premiers cycled by with an air of inevitable s ... (read more)

Don Aitkin reviews 'Groundswell: The rise of the Greens' by Amanda Lohrey

April 2003, no. 250 • 01 April 2003

First, a small tribute to Peter Craven and his colleagues for the establishment of Quarterly Essay (of which the above is the eighth issue). It is such a good idea that one wonders why it is such a recent innovation. A 20,000-word essay on an important contemporary issue, followed, in later issues, by responses to that essay, enable one to get one’s teeth into a matter of moment while it is stil ... (read more)

Don Aitkin reviews 'A Short Introduction to Climate Change' by Tony Eggleton

November 2012, no. 346 • 25 October 2012

Wikipedia lists fifty-three books that are currently available on the subject of climate change, and this new book will make fifty-four. Such books fall into one of two groups: they either support the orthodoxy or dissent from it. Tony Eggleton’s book is one that supports it. It is well written, clear in its argument, quite even-handed, and comprehensive. I enjoyed reading it, even though I have ... (read more)