Ciencia Política

Book Reviews
partisan display and consequences of Rebels with a Cause: delves further back over the past
having invited Mr Latham to launch Independents in Australian century, whetting the appetite for
the book. Politics further reading. Few students of
If my trouble with the text can by Brian Costar and today would have heard of the likes
be reduced to one main difficulty Jennifer Curtin of Coles and Wilson in the 1940s,
then it is that I am left unsatisfied Sydney, UNSW Press, 2004, while various fascinating mavericks
with the authors’ support for their 96pp, $16.95 from Queensland parade through in
argument that citizenship is more ISBN 0 868 406 593, a sentence or two each.
than civics. The chapters on government
I so wanted to believe them
but the undistinguished tone, the
lack of colour, and the sparse use
N ot many Australians wanted,
or thought they’d get, a
House of Representatives in which
and governance raise more questions
than they answer. Costar and Curtin
provide useful accounts of how
of sources other than the political independents would play a key role independents came to hold the
all run counter to the claims made following the 2004 federal election. balance of power in various state
in the opening chapter of the book As it turned out, they didn’t. But parliaments, but there is little attempt
that citizenship is more than this. as Costar and Curtin point out in to fathom whether the effects of
Unwittingly the authors are clearly their introduction, independent this were positive or negative. The
more comfortable with the orthodox, politicians had been important in circumstances surrounding the
‘official’ line on citizenship than the the governance of five states and one Tasmanian Parliamentary Accord,
brave new world that they would territory over the previous ten years, and the memoranda of understanding
like to see. and had a significant presence in the in New South Wales and Victoria are
Australian Citizenship is an Senate during much of that time. given due treatment. However, it
uninspiring text written in leaden While media was frustrating that the
prose. I pity the undergraduates for attention on certain documents themselves
whom this will no doubt become a independents during were not reprinted in
set text. the campaign was not the book for reference.
Reviewed by enough to get them Their omission, and
D.J. Goodsir-Cullen over the line, the three that of an index,
existing independents was seemingly in the
demonstrated the interests of keeping
power of incumbency the book short and
by being re-elected simple.
t o t h e Ho u s e o f There is some
Representatives. The original research in
potential for them to the form of qualitative
hold the balance of interviews with
power at some stage in a small selection of
the future, as their state and territory voters in regional electorates, a
colleagues have done, remains. focus warranted on the basis of the
Therefore, a comprehensive study location of independent members
of independent politicians—their (both currently and historically). We
motivation, those of their electors, discover views such as ‘the Senate is
and their impact on governance— just a remote and intangible thing’
would be a welcome addition to the while the local independent member
literature. In its limited space, this Peter Andren is seen as hard working
volume touches on each of these and committed. It seems unlikely,
issues, thereby going a small way however, that city and suburban
towards providing such a study. voters, including those who vote
On the positive side, Costar and for major parties, would think
Curtin have provided a book that is an much differently. Previous surveys
easy read and replete with interesting have established an ignorance of
snippets of political history, mostly the parliamentary system, and the
from the past two decades. The general popularity of local members
chapter on ‘independents past’ notwithstanding a cynicism towards
POLICY • Vol. 20 No. 4 • Summer 2004-05 61

Book Reviews
politicians in general. Perhaps particular form of economic policy. In Defense of Globalization

mass surveys rather than extensive Secondly, few supporters of market by Jagdish Bhagwati
interviews of a limited number of economics of whom I am aware Oxford University Press
people would have better fleshed out would laud its efficiency rather than 2004, 304pp, $62.95
why people voted for independents. its effectiveness. Perhaps Costar and ISBN 0195 170253
The question is raised as to Curtin should stick to their discipline
whether voters support independent
candidates in protest against policies
seen as being anti-regional, or
of choice—politics.
This book is a start. A more
complete study of independents
J agdish Bhagwati set out to write a
book for the intelligent everyman
that explores the nature and origins
whether it is to keep pressure on in Australian politics, containing of anti-globalisation. He spends time
the major parties to throw money documentary material, a ‘understanding the anti-globalization
at the bush. The authors manage comprehensive index, and deeper movement and defining its concerns’.
to confuse themselves (and the analysis, awaits. He explodes a few anti-globalisation
unwary reader) in the process. For myths and highlights the anti-
instance, in the introduction we read Reviewed by Peter Taft globalist penchant for presenting
about how the major parties ‘have fear as fact.
largely abandoned traditional rural Wittily and eloquently, and
policies and now require regional using both empirical and anecdotal
communities to take responsibility evidence, Bhagwati shows how
for their own sustainability.’ A few globalisation helps the poor, reduces
pages later, we hear of the hundreds child labour, advances opportunities
of millions of dollars spent to appease for women, improves third-world
regional and rural Australia in the labour standards and wages, and
lead-up to the 2001 election. aids environmental protection. So
Three years down the track, we far so good. But nothing very good
are no closer to the answer. It has lasts forever.
been argued that the government Bhagwati has a fascination
continues to squander its fiscal with putting a ‘human face’ on
dividend in regional areas, while globalisation.
failing to make tough reforms in He argues ‘Globalization has a
agriculture that may benefit the human face, but we can make that
country but leave certain areas (read face yet more agreeable’. This may or
‘marginal electorates’) worse off. may not be the case, but how does
One suspects that it is an argument one measure such a thing? Does a
that Costar and Curtin hold little textile worker in Thailand really care
sympathy for. whether globalisation is wearing a
Indeed, Costar and Curtin happy face, or whether they are paid
manage to portray themselves as three times what they could earn
rebels with a dubious cause via an working in a rice paddy?
unsubstantiated attack on (their own Bhagwati undoes his good
perception of) economic rationalism. work by warning of ‘the perils
Having criticised—quite validly—the of gung-ho capitalism’ as if it
arrogance of a senior public servant was not gung-ho capitalism that
who argued that Australia could brought about the aforementioned
not afford to elect independents, benefits of globalisation. From
the authors somehow draw a line there it’s all downhill. Bhagwati
from this view to ‘an extremely warns against the ‘freeing of capital
“rationalist” paradigm derived from flows in haste without putting in
market economics, which regards place monitoring and regulatory
efficiency rather than effectiveness mechanisms and banking reforms’
as the ultimate good’. and seems particularly haunted
Firstly, whether there is by the Asian economic crisis of
unfettered executive power over the the late 1990s. He uses this as an
parliament has little to do with any example of the dangers of ‘imprudent
62 Vol. 20 No. 4 • Summer 2004-05 • POLICY

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Book Reviews

POLICY • Vol. 20 No. 4 • Summer 2004-05 61

politicians in general. Perhaps particular form of economic policy. In Defense of Globalization

62 Vol. 20 No. 4 • Summer 2004-05 • POLICY

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