Jeff Kennett was only 34 years of age - the youngest MP in the party - when he was made leader of the Victorian Liberals in 1982. An unabashed populist, he proved to be the most controversial and colorful of all contemporary Australian politicians.
For many people, Kennett's turbulent career reflects the contradictions of the man himself and leaves some intriguing questions unanswered. Why did an avowed entrepreneur enter politics? Who was the man beneath the facade? What truths lurk behind the scandals, the public posturing and the political schemes? Why, at the height of his powers, did Kennett lose an election everyone expected him to win? And what is his political legacy?
Long-time observer and journalist Tony Parkinson provides an intimate look at one of the most tumultuous careers in politics. Drawing on in-depth interviews with Kennett's friends, colleagues, critics and opponents, as well as with the man himself, he takes us behind the scenes in a compelling account of the phenomenon that was Jeff.
