Power Crisis: The Self-Destruction of a State Labor Party

Written by former minister and Labor historian Rodney Cavalier, Power Crisis is an explosive account of the self-destruction of the New South Wales Labor government, which has seen a turnover of four premiers in five years, and is heading for rejection and even humiliation by voters at the next state election. While the catalyst was the thwarted attempt to privatise electricity, Cavalier reveals that the real issue is the takeover of Labor by a professional political class without connection to the broader community or the party's traditions. Featuring interviews with ex-premiers Iemma and Rees, Power Crisis contrasts the current turmoil and self-indulgence with the stability within New South Wales Labor over generations before, and asks, 'What went wrong?'

Rodney Cavalier is a political historian. He was Minister for Education in the Wran and Unsworth governments and writes frequently for the press and in academic publications on politics, the ALP and sport. He remains an active and despairing member of the Labor Party.