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So Greek: Confessions of a Conservative Leftie by Niki Savva
After more than two decades as one of Australia’s most senior political journalists (and a left-leaning one at that), in 1998 Niki Savva ‘crossed over to the dark side’ and became Peter Costello’s press secretary. After six years, she moved to John Howard’s cabinet policy unit. So Greek is her often funny, always opinionated take on those years, and the power play and shenanigans of Australia’s political media. Savva includes her own migrant family story, which doesn’t marry well with the political material, but goes some distance towards explaining her motivations and attitudes-liberal on social policy, conservative on economic policy. The book is strongest when exploring Savva’s relationships with politicians like Paul Keating (which soured after she broke the ‘recalcitrant’ Mahathir story), Howard (in the ’80s she ridiculed his ‘wayward caterpillar’ eyebrows, in 2007 she hugged him after his election loss), and especially Costello. Savva was the person who softened his image–buying him jeans, nagging him to ditch the smirk and, in 1998, telling him to give One Nation last preference in Higgins. That’s all history, but the game continues. This is a great book for students of politics and the media, and for lovers of scuttlebutt everywhere.
This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (Summer 2009/10, Vol 89, No. 5) is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2009, Thorpe-Bowker.
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January 29th, 2010 at 1:34 am
Have read the article in “the Australian” 29/01/2010.
Your “Lightbulb Moment” re Pauline Hanson preferences has had far reaching effects.
The liberal government in Western Australia was defeated by Geoff Gallop.At the time the liberals wanted to preference “One Nation” but were barred by John Howard ( probably due to a change in strategy by him because of your “Lightbulb Moment” ). Had the Liberals received “One Nation” preferences they would have won the election.
The following saga in W.A. was a government that was ineffective due to the “Elephant in the room” ( Brian Bourke ). Eventually Gallop saw the writing on the wall and developed the “Black Dog” syndrome and buggered off. What he left was an incompetent ex-media Alan Carpenter to take the reins.
All this through a boom period for W.A., much of which was squandered.
Sometimes its wise to take a sleeping pill.