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Peter Brent

Peter Brent writes regularly on politics and polls for Inside Story. He tweets on electoral matters at @mumbletwits.

National affairs Peter Brent 6 October 2014 A Labor think tank has given a timely warning about the seductive appeal of triumphs past, says Peter Brent
National affairs Peter Brent 19 September 2014 There’s a case for encouraging popular but defeated MPs to throw their hats back into the ring, argues Peter Brent National affairs Peter Brent 7 September 2014 Despite the commentary, there’s no evidence that a significant number of voters want a prime minister on war footing, writes Peter Brent National affairs Peter Brent 21 August 2014 When “Howard’s battlers” defected from Labor in 1996, political commentators shifted their focus to Sydney’s western suburbs, writes Peter Brent.… National affairs Peter Brent 7 August 2014 What happens when you add a hypothetical to a hypothetical? Peter Brent casts a sceptical eye over the polling industry
National affairs Peter Brent 17 July 2014 There’s a pattern to the success of attempts to change the Australian constitution, writes Peter Brent, with lessons for advocates of Indigenous recognition
National affairs Peter Brent 3 July 2014 Both the major parties have made a habit of misinterpreting the polls on climate change. The latest results shouldn’t provide any comfort to the Coalition National affairs Peter Brent 28 November 2013 Are Queensland’s planned voter identification requirements a fair thing? National affairs Peter Brent 4 September 2013 Labor’s response to the Coalition’s argument that it was profligate during the financial crisis has been disastrously inept, argues Peter Brent National affairs Peter Brent 24 November 2011 Labor strategists helped to create the wrong kind of prime minister, argues Peter Brent
National affairs Peter Brent 17 June 2010 A change of leader is the last thing the government needs
National affairs Peter Brent 27 May 2010 The heart sees a government in big trouble; the head knows that first-term governments usually survive. Either way, it’s time for the government to throw away its rulebook,… National affairs Peter Brent 7 May 2010 The prime minister needs to stop conflating policy and politics, writes Peter Brent National affairs Peter Brent 15 April 2010 Have party strategists got it right about the electoral appeal of targeting asylum seekers? National affairs Peter Brent 6 April 2010 Acting lessons? Tony Abbott was right to say no, says Peter Brent
National affairs Peter Brent 1 April 2010 Simon Birmingham has breakfast at Tiffany’s, and it’s another day in parliament’s social media landscape, writes Peter Brent
National affairs Peter Brent 10 March 2010 The Coalition’s focus on debt could easily backfire, argues Peter Brent National affairs Peter Brent 21 January 2010 Four elections, two changes of government. Peter Brent sticks his neck out in this guide to the 2010 electoral landscape National affairs Peter Brent 2 December 2009 Voters know too much about Tony Abbott, but in the long run that’s not a problem for his party, writes Peter Brent National affairs Peter Brent 15 October 2009 Oppositions can campaign on grievance, and governments can campaign on fear – it doesn’t work the other way round, writes Peter Brent
National affairs Peter Brent 17 September 2009 Which version of the Hawke–Keating–Howard years does Kevin Rudd really believe, asks Peter Brent
National affairs Peter Brent 20 August 2009 New polling confirms that being in charge has a powerful influence on voter perceptions, writes Peter Brent National affairs Peter Brent 23 July 2009 Liberal Rule avoids the shortcomings of The Howard Years, but has flaws of its own, writes Peter Brent National affairs Peter Brent 8 July 2009 New recommendations for electoral reform are a step in the right direction, but the pace continues to be perplexingly slow, writes Peter Brent National affairs Peter Brent 17 June 2009 As Peter Costello’s fortunes show, politics can be a matter of being in the right place at the right time, writes Peter Brent
National affairs Peter Brent 29 April 2009 Michael Ronaldson’s criticism of the electoral system is undermined by some very strange reasoning, writes Peter Brent
National affairs Peter Brent 22 April 2009 The Coalition isn’t making headway with its asylum seeker campaign, writes Peter Brent National affairs Peter Brent 25 March 2009 John Howard as opposition leader rather than as prime minister has something to say to a fractious opposition, argues Peter Brent Retrospective Peter Brent 16 February 2009 Malcolm Turnbull is playing the long game, but he mightn’t be leader when it counts National affairs Peter Brent 20 December 2008 Kevin Rudd ends 2008 in good shape, writes Peter Brent. Does recent history help us predict what happens next?