There is no complacent middle to aim at. We will either catch the next wave of prosperity, or finally succumb to the Great Recession. What has gone wrong with our politics? And what does our government need to do so that Australia is not globalisation's next victim? Balancing Act is a passionate look at the politics of change and renewal, and a bold call for active government. George Megalogenis argues that both sides of politics are clinging to an old model because it tells them a reassuring story of Australian success. But that model has been exhausted by capitalism's extended crisis and the end of the mining boom. It is time to redraw the line between market and state. This revised edition of Megalogenis's bestselling Quarterly Essay brings the story up to date through a substantial new essay, and also includes his other acclaimed Quarterly Essay, Trivial Pursuit- Leadership and the End of the Reform Era.

Author Biography

George Megalogenis has thirty years' experience in the media, including over a decade in the federal parliamentary press gallery. His book The Australian Moment won the 2013 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Non-fiction and the 2012 Walkley Award for Non-fiction, and formed the basis for the ABC documentary series Making Australia Great. His most recent book is Australia's Second Chance and he is also author of Faultlines, The Longest Decade and the best-selling Quarterly Essay 40, Trivial Pursuit- Leadership and the End of the Reform Era.