Fourth Estate
Fourth Estate
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Where It All Went Wrong: Amy Remeikis on John Howard
1 hour 18 minutes Posted Mar 13, 2026 at 11:23 am.
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Show notes
For eleven years, John Howard dominated Australian politics, winning four elections and reshaping the country’s political and economic direction.
To many supporters, he remains the careful economic manager with a plain-spoken style and an instinctive connection to suburban voters. But in her new book Where It All Went Wrong: The Case Against John Howard, journalist and political commentator Amy Remeikis sets out to challenge the mythology surrounding the Howard years, a narrative she argues is still perpetuated in sections of the media and political class today.
In this episode of Fourth Estate, Remeikis joins Tina Quinn to revisit the Australia that elected Howard in 1996 after thirteen years of Labor governments under Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, and to unpack why she believes many of the political and social dynamics shaping Australia today can be traced back to decisions made during his prime ministership.
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