THE STALKING OF JULIA GILLARD by Kerry-Anne Walsh published by Allen & Unwin just before Ms. Gillard’s fall from office is no less impactful now that we have a change of regime, indeed, its insights are perhaps even more relevant as we gird our loins for electile dysfunction in the coming months.

Walsh wails that “Political journalism is now a game of Gotcha – a hunt for that hint of weakness, the slight intonation or nuancing of words that might indicate something isn’t kosher. It’s a witch-hunt out of control, where the slightest stumble is magnified to ridiculous proportions, often into stories of national status, when they’re in fact based on fluff. Struggling for survival and relevance, we as a profession of political journalists and commentators have collectively debased our craft to the lowest common denominator- writing articles confected out of barrel scrapings and hectoring. In such stories, the public interest doesn’t figure”.

Walsh defends Gillard’s gumption, that despite the government’s wafer thin margin, the parliament was remarkably stable; “but it’s depicted as though we are living through the last days of Rome. Gillard  implemented reforms and parliament has passed a record amount of legislation – around 180 bills –  but the press talks endlessly of a government close to collapse”.

Walsh is best when she sticks to the facts and is no great shakes as a soothsayer – she was right about the blokes Swan, Garrett and Emerson- they went the way of Gillard, but she was wide of the mark when she predicted the sisterhood of Wong, Plibersek and Macklin would fall on their sword.

Right or wrong, Kevin Rudd is the incarnation of Richo’s “Whatever it takes.”

THE STALKING OF JULIA GILLARD is compulsory reading that puts the past three years into perspective and may have a bearing on how the electorate will respond to install a government that will preside over the next four.