Nicholas Stuart

Last updated

Nicholas Stuart is an Australian journalist who is currently a columnist with The Canberra Times and editor-in-chief of ability.news . He is the author of three books about Australian politics.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Early life

Stuart is the child of Ron Stuart, a research officer with the Reserve Bank of Australia, and his wife Ruth.

Stuart's father was offered a position in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (then a dependent territory of Australia) when Nicolas was 4 years old and he was brought up in Port Moresby until the age of 10. After travelling the world for a year, the family moved back to Sydney, where he attended Sydney Grammar School. Stuart studied Arts/Law at Sydney University where he was a member of the Sydney University Regiment of the Australian Army Reserve. Stuart then studied for an MA in War Studies at King's College London in 1984. [1]

Career

When he returned to Australia the next year Stuart became a cadet radio news journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, gaining wide reporting experience. He later reported on politics and international events for the Radio Current Affairs programs "AM" and "PM", before moving to the ABC TV environmental program "A Question of Survival".

He covered the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen protests in China before becoming the ABC's Indochina Correspondent, based in Bangkok. Stuart was critically injured in a vehicle accident in Bangkok in late 1990 when he was left in a coma. [2] He later returned to work in Bangkok and covered the 1992 demonstrations that led to the fall of the military-backed government of the country. He received a High Commendation issued by the Walkley Award judges that year. However, the ABC believed he had not properly recovered from his accident and was recalled to Australia. After working for a period in the Corporation's International Operations division, he later left the ABC.

Stuart accompanied his wife, Catherine McGrath, to Singapore where she was based as an ABC correspondent in 1995. McGrath later became Chief Political Correspondent for ABC Radio; Political Editor for Television Australia; and Chief Political Correspondent for SBS Television.

When they returned to Canberra Stuart began writing as a columnist with The Canberra Times. Stuart's newspaper column specialises in coverage of strategic and defence issues [3] reflecting his time in the Army Reserves and MA studies.

Books

His unauthorised biography of Kevin Rudd ("Kevin Rudd - an unauthorised political biography") [4] has been described by Monash University's Senior Lecturer in Economics Nick Economou as "requisite reading for observers of Australian national politics". [5] The book has been assessed as a fair, balanced and generally positive treatment of Rudd. [6]

Within a month of the election of the new Labor government Stuart published another 96,000 word book ("What Goes Up") analysing the last term of the Howard government and identifying the significant factors that resulted in the change of government at the 2007 election. [7] This has received similar positive reviews in the Sydney Morning Herald , The Australian , and The Age newspapers. [8]

Less than one month after the fall of Kevin Rudd Stuart published his third book, "Rudd's Way". [9] This book describes reasons why the ALP decided to remove Rudd from the leadership, making him the only successful Labor prime minister never to face re-election.

Involvement with disability issues

Stuart has become increasingly involved with disability issues, initially as a Director and later President of the National Brain Injury Foundation of Australia. [10] As a result he became an ex-officio Director of Brain Injury Australia between 2011 and 2014. [11] In 2013 Stuart was elected as a Director of The House with No Steps, then Australia's second-largest provider of services for people with a disability. [12]

He is currently editor-in-chief of the website ability.news which is dedicated to providing relevant information about disability issues and the NDIS to the broader community.

Fellowships

In 2015 Stuart was a Press Fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge. [13]

In 2016 Stuart received a Churchill Fellowship to study long-term recovery after head injury. [14]

Related Research Articles

Paul John Kelly is an Australian political journalist, author and television and radio commentator from Sydney. He has worked in a variety of roles, principally for The Australian newspaper and is currently its editor-at-large. Kelly also appears as a commentator on Sky News Australia and has written seven books on political events in Australia since the 1970s including on the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. Recent works include The March of Patriots, which chronicles the creation of a modern Australia during the 1991–2007 era of prime ministers, Paul Keating and John Howard, and Triumph & Demise which focuses on the leadership tensions at the heart of the Rudd-Gillard Labor governments of 2007 to 2011. Kelly presented the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) TV documentary series 100 Years – The Australian Story (2001) and wrote a book of the same title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Crean</span> Australian politician (1949–2023)

Simon Findlay Crean was an Australian politician and trade unionist. He was the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and leader of the opposition from 2001 to 2003. He represented the seat of Hotham in the House of Representatives from 1990 to 2013 and was a cabinet minister in the Hawke, Keating, Rudd and Gillard governments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Rudd</span> Prime Minister of Australia (2007–2010; 2013)

Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian diplomat and former politician who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and June to September 2013. He held office as the leader of the Labor Party (ALP) and was the member of parliament (MP) for the Queensland division of Griffith from 1998 to 2013. Since 2023, Rudd has been the 23rd ambassador of Australia to the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Gillard</span> Prime Minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013

Julia Eileen Gillard is an Australian former politician who was the 27th prime minister of Australia and the leader of the Labor Party (ALP) from 2010 to 2013. Born in Barry, Wales and raised in Adelaide, she was the member of parliament (MP) for the Victorian division of Lalor from 1998 to 2013. She was also the 13th deputy prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010, under Kevin Rudd. She is the first and only woman to hold either office in Australian history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Macklin</span> Australian politician

Jennifer Louise Macklin is an Australian former politician. She was elected to federal parliament at the 1996 federal election and served as the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 2001 to 2006, under opposition leaders Simon Crean, Mark Latham and Kim Beazley. After the ALP won government at the 2007 election, she held ministerial office under Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, serving as Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (2007–2013) and Minister for Disability Reform (2011–2013). She retired from parliament at the 2019 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindsay Tanner</span> Australian politician

Lindsay James Tanner is a former Australian politician. A member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), he represented the seat of Melbourne in the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2010 and served as Minister for Finance in the Rudd and Gillard governments from 2007 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel Fitzgibbon</span> Australian politician

Joel Andrew Fitzgibbon is a retired Australian politician. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has served in the House of Representatives from 1996 to 2022, representing the New South Wales seat of Hunter. He served as Minister for Defence (2007–2009) in the first Rudd government and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (2013) in the second Rudd government. He was also Chief Government Whip in the House of Representatives (2010–2013) in the Gillard government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Swan</span> Australian politician, 14th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia

Wayne Maxwell Swan is an Australian politician serving as the 25th and current National President of the Labor Party since 2018, previously serving as the 14th deputy prime minister of Australia and the deputy leader of the Labor Party from 2010 to 2013, and the treasurer of Australia from 2007 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Shorten</span> Australian politician (born 1967)

William Richard Shorten is an Australian politician and former trade unionist serving as the current Minister for Government Services and Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme since 2022. Previously, Shorten was leader of the opposition and leader of the Labor Party (ALP) from 2013 to 2019. A member of parliament (MP) for the division of Maribyrnong since 2007, Shorten also held several ministerial portfolios in the Gillard and Rudd governments from 2010 to 2013.

Faceless men is a term from Australian politics. The term is generally used to refer to men and women who exert political influence and are not elected representatives to state, territory or federal legislative bodies, yet are elected representatives to bodies that determine political party policies. However, the political tactic of elected representatives canvassing party members for support on policies varies widely amongst Australian political parties.

The Australia 2020 Summit was a convention, referred to in Australian media as a summit, which was held over 18–19 April 2008 at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, aiming to "help shape a long-term strategy for the nation's future". Announced by the new prime minister Kevin Rudd, the summit drew limited bipartisan support from Brendan Nelson and the opposition Coalition parties and ran as 10 working groups of 100 participants. There were 1002 delegates in attendance to discuss ten "critical areas". Ideas and proposals were invited from all members of the community and an official website was set up to accept submissions.

Nicholas Economou is an Australian political scientist. He is a regular commentator in the media on Australian politics, being published in a wide range of Australian and international newspapers. He has also done commentary work for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudd government (2007–2010)</span> Australian government

The first Rudd government was the executive Government of Australia formed by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The Rudd government commenced on 3 December 2007, when Rudd was sworn in along with his ministry. This took place just nine days after the defeat of the Howard government, which was a Coalition of members of the Liberal and National parties, at the 2007 federal election. The Rudd government concluded on 24 June 2010 when Rudd, under pressure from an impending leadership caucus ballot, stepped down from the leadership of the ALP and was succeeded by his deputy, Julia Gillard. Rudd was re-elected leader of the Labor Party in 2013 and served a second term as prime minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Hocking</span> Australian political science writer and researcher

Jennifer Jane Hocking is an Australian historian, political scientist and biographer. She is the inaugural Distinguished Whitlam Fellow with the Whitlam Institute at Western Sydney University, Emeritus Professor at Monash University, and former Director of the National Centre for Australian Studies at Monash University. Her work is in two key areas, counter-terrorism and Australian political biography. In both areas she explores Australian democratic practice, the relationship between the arms of government, and aspects of Australian political history. Her research into the life of former Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam uncovered significant new material on the role of High Court justice Sir Anthony Mason in the dismissal of the Whitlam government. This has been described as "a discovery of historical importance". Since 2001 Hocking has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Lionel Murphy Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillard government</span> Australian government led by Julia Gillard (2010–2013)

The Gillard government was the Government of Australia led by the 27th prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, of the Australian Labor Party. The Gillard government succeeded the first Rudd government by way of the Labor Party leadership spill, and began on 24 June 2010, with Gillard sworn in as prime minister by the governor-general of Australia, Quentin Bryce. The Gillard government ended when Kevin Rudd won back the leadership of the Australian Labor Party on 26 June 2013 and commenced the second Rudd government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Australian federal election</span> Election for the 44th Parliament of Australia

The 2013 Australian federal election to elect the members of the 44th Parliament of Australia took place on Saturday 7 September 2013. The centre-right Liberal/National Coalition opposition led by Opposition leader Tony Abbott of the Liberal Party of Australia and Coalition partner the National Party of Australia, led by Warren Truss, defeated the incumbent centre-left Labor Party government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in a landslide. It was also the third time in history that a party won 90 or more seats at an Australian election. Labor had been in government for six years since being elected in the 2007 election. This election marked the end of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd Labor government and the start of the 9 year long Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Liberal-National Coalition government. Abbott was sworn in by the Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, as Australia's new prime minister on 18 September 2013, along with the Abbott Ministry. The 44th Parliament of Australia opened on 12 November 2013, with the members of the House of Representatives and territory senators sworn in. The state senators were sworn in by the next Governor-General Peter Cosgrove on 7 July 2014, with their six-year terms commencing on 1 July.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudd government (2013)</span> Australian government (2013)

The second Rudd government was the federal executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of the Australian Labor Party. It commenced on 27 June 2013 and ceased on 18 September 2013. Rudd had previously served a term as Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010 and been replaced by his deputy Julia Gillard, following an internal party spill. Rudd regained the Labor Party leadership by successfully re-challenging Gillard in a June 2013 party spill. On 5 August, Rudd called an election for 7 September 2013, which resulted in the defeat of his government by the Liberal/National Coalition led by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

Lenore Taylor is an Australian journalist. She has been the editor of Guardian Australia since May 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ross McMullin</span> Australian historian (born 1952)

Ross McMullin is an Australian historian who has written a number of books on political and social history, as well as several biographies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Reece</span> Australian politician and policy activist

Nicholas Reece is an Australian politician and policy activist, currently serving as the 105th Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne. He is a senior executive at the University of Melbourne and a principal fellow at the Melbourne School of Government. He is the chair of the board of directors at the Movember Foundation, and a commentator at Sky News Australia.

References

  1. ""Plasticity: My Story"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  2. "Health Report - Nick Stuart". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2007.
  3. Nicholas Stuart (17 July 2007). "An ill-equipped military raises doubts about future". The Canberra Times.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. Nicholas Stuart (2007). Kevin Rudd: an unauthorised political biography. Melbourne: Scribe. ISBN   978-1-921215-58-2.
  5. Nick Economou (2007). "Kevin Rudd: An Unauthorised Political Biography by Nicholas Stuart" (PDF). Reviews in Australian Studies. 2 (8).
  6. Stuart, Nicholas (2 July 2007). Kevin Rudd | Book | Scribe Publications. Scribe. ISBN   9781921215582.
  7. Nicholas Stuart (2008). What Goes Up Behind the 2007 Election. Melbourne: Scribe. ISBN   978-1-921215-86-5.
  8. "ABC Shop - ABC Commercial". ABC Shop.
  9. Nicholas Stuart (2010). Rudd's Way: November 2007 - June 2010. Melbourne: Scribe. ISBN   978-1-921640-57-5.
  10. "About". 15 March 2013.
  11. "Annual Report 2013" (PDF). www.braininjuryaustralia.org.au.
  12. "Aruma's Board | Aruma". 9 April 2018.
  13. "The Wolfson Review" (PDF). www.wolfson.cam.ac.uk. p. 15.
  14. "Stuart, Nic 's Fellowship Profile | WINSTON CHURCHILL MEMORIAL TRUST". Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.