Windsor’s Way (Tony Windsor, MUP)

‘I strongly believe the world is run by those who turn up,’ writes Tony Windsor in this memoir, which covers his 22 years as an MP at state and federal levels. Windsor came to national prominence when he threw his support behind the formation of a minority Labor government, led by Julia Gillard. Windsor’s Way is instructive and insightful on many counts. He demonstrates for the ordinary citizen how the nuts and bolts of political decision-making works, outside of the confected argy-bargy of the two-party system. Large parts of the book are devoted to the Gillard government. Windsor discusses the achievements of this government without seeming defensive, a trap of many political memoirs. There are striking portraits of key players such as Gillard, Tony Abbott, Bob Katter, Barnaby Joyce and Rob Oakeshott. For those wanting to understand our current political malaise, Windsor offers a calm, no-nonsense perspective. He calls for more of us to become involved in our own governance, ‘not just leave it to the political brands—the parties’. Windsor’s Way can be read as both a political memoir devoid of party ideology and a common-sense guide to getting the best democratic outcomes.

Chris Saliba is co-owner of North Melbourne Books and a freelance reviewer