Who is Peter Dutton, and what happened to the Liberal Party? In Bad Cop, Lech Blaine traces the making of a hardman – from Queensland detective to leader of the Opposition, from property investor to minister for Home Affairs. This is a story of ambition, race and power, and a politician with a plan.

Dutton became Liberal leader with a strategy to win outer-suburban and regional seats from Labor. Since then we have seen his demolition of the Voice and a rolling campaign of culture wars. What does Peter Dutton know about the Australian electorate? Has he updated Menzies’ Forgotten People pitch for the age of anxiety, or will he collapse the Liberals’ broad church? This revelatory portrait is sardonic, perceptive and altogether compelling.

“Dutton doesn’t need to become prime minister to redraw the battle lines of Australian politics. His fight with Albanese over parochial voters was always going to drag the political conversation rightwards: on race, immigration, gender and the pace of a transition away from fossil fuels … Dutton’s raison d’être? Make Australia Afraid Again. Then he will offer himself as the lesser of two evils. A serious strongman for the age of anxiety.”—Lech Blaine, Bad Cop.

Lech Blaine will be in conversation with Mark Kenny on his new quarterly essay Bad Cop. Peter Dutton's Strongman Politics. Who is Peter Dutton, and what happened to the Liberal Party? In Bad Cop, Lech Blaine traces the making of a hardman – from Queensland detective to leader of the Opposition, from property investor to minister for Home Affairs. This is a story of ambition, race and power, and a politician with a plan.

Dutton became Liberal leader with a strategy to win outer-suburban and regional seats from Labor. Since then we have seen his demolition of the Voice and a rolling campaign of culture wars. What does Peter Dutton know about the Australian electorate? Has he updated Menzies’ Forgotten People pitch for the age of anxiety, or will he collapse the Liberals’ broad church? This revelatory portrait is sardonic, perceptive and altogether compelling.

“Dutton doesn't need to become prime minister to redraw the battle lines of Australian politics. His fight with Albanese over parochial voters was always going to drag the political conversation rightwards: on race, immigration, gender and the pace of a transition away from fossil fuels … Dutton’s raison d’être? Make Australia Afraid Again. Then he will offer himself as the lesser of two evils. A serious strongman for the age of anxiety.”—Lech Blaine,

Lech Blaine, an award-winning writer and journalist from Queensland, is the author of the critically-acclaimed Car Crash: A Memoir and the Quarterly Essay Top Blokes.Car Crash was shortlisted for the National Biography Award and two categories at the Queensland Literary Awards He was the 2023 Charles Perkins Centre writer in residence. His writing has appeared in Good Weekend, Griffith Review, The Guardian and The Monthly

Mark Kenny is Professor at the Australian Studies Institute at ANU, where he hosts the popular podcast series 'Democracy Sausage' .Mark is the Canberra Times political analyst and a regular on the ABC's Insiders program, Sky News Agenda, and radio programs across the country.

The vote of thanks will be given by John Warhurst, Emeritus Professor of Political Science at ANU

Finding the courage to tell my story

Jan Cochrane-Harry, Robyn Davidson, Lech Blaine and Grace Tame with Sally Warhaft

Our annual Political Lunch at The Baths

Paddy Manning, Amy Remeikis and Laura Tingle with Barrie Cassidy

The influence and legacy of media proprietor Rupert Murdoch

Ranald Macdonald, Paddy Manning, Walter Marsh and Sally Young with Corrie Perkin

Three writers discuss their approach to biography

Troy Bramston, Kate Fullager and David Marr with Sarah L’Estrange

Have we lost the war?

Peter Christoff, Joelle Gergis and John Hewson with Natasha Mitchell

What is free speech and what are we afraid of?
Dennis Glover and Lucinda Holdforth with Hannie Rayson

Three writers discuss their approach to biography

Julia Baird, Catherine Lumby and Paddy Manning with Jamila Rizvi

Peter Christoff, Joelle Gergis and Kylie Soanes with Amanda Smith

What does good political leadership look like

Lech Blaine, Troy Bramston and Niki Savva with Brendan Donohoe

How novelists weave fact into their fiction

Melissa Ashley, Dennis Glover and Kate Grenville with Irma Gold

David Marr, Thomas Mayo and Margo Neale with Natasha Mitchell

Sarah Krasnostein, David Marr and Laura Tingle with Ramona Koval

Join our chat about the news of the day

Erik Jensen and Amy Remeikis with Tom Wright

Toward the 2025 election

Lech Blaine, Erik Jensen, Amy Remeikis and Niki Savva with Brendan Donohoe

Three authors discuss their work, their writing journey and their creative process

Dennis Glover, Gail Jones and Myfanwy Jones with Laura Macdonald

Do people still listen? Should they listen?

Eric Beecher, Erik Jensen and Laura Tingle with Jon Faine

For many years, Newcastle was the centre of an extensive paedophile network run by members of the Anglican church – and protected by parishioners and community members who looked the other way. 

In this gripping book, author Anne Manne reveals how this network was able to avoid detection for so long, and how its ringleaders were finally exposed and brought to justice. At the centre of the story is a survivor, Steve Smith, who endured years of childhood abuse but refused to be silenced. 

Join us on Sunday, 28 April for the offical book launch of Crimes of the Cross, led by chair speaker Tanya Wilks OAM in conversation with author, Anne Manne and survivor, Steve Smith. 

A searing expose of institutional child abuse, and the remarkable story of the survivors who would not be silenced

For many years, Newcastle was the centre of an extensive paedophile network run by members of the Anglican church – and protected by parishioners and community members who looked the other way.

In this gripping book, Anne Manne reveals how this network was able to avoid detection for so long, and how its ringleaders were finally exposed and brought to justice. At the centre of the story is a survivor, Steve Smith, who endured years of childhood abuse but refused to be silenced.

Drawing on extensive research and interviews with survivors, clergy, police and others, Manne explores how the network operated and how it became entrenched in the upper echelons of Newcastle society. She offers deep insights into the minds and strategies of abusers, and pays tribute to the victims and their tireless struggle for justice. Child sexual abuse has previously been thought of as an individual crime; Manne pioneers an examination of it as part of a network.

This is an unforgettable study of courage and faith in the face of unthinkable evil.

Part of the Writers @ Stanton collection.

Join Anne Manne, author of Crimes of the Cross, and discover a searing expose of institutional child abuse, and the remarkable story of the survivors who would not be silenced.