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Australia's dirtiest habit is its addiction to coal. But is our dependence on it a road to prosperity or a dead end? Are we hooked for life? And who is profiting from our addiction? Former lobbyist and political insider Guy Pearse, media and politics commentator David McKnight and environment writer Bob Burton cut through the spin to expose the underbelly of an industry whose power continues to soar while its expansion feeds catastrophic climate change.They dissect the charm offensive (and muscle) the coal industry uses to get its way, and reveal the myth of'clean coal'- and the taxpayer-fun

When Rupert Murdoch called, Prime Ministers and Presidents picked up the phone. David McKnight exposes Murdoch's unflinching use of his media empire to further his political agenda over decades. This is the story behind the hacking scandal that rocked the world and shook the Murdoch empire.'A study of dangerous media abuse of power and of abject government weakness in regard to it. This is a disturbing book.'- From the foreword by Robert ManneRupert Murdoch's News Corporation is the most powerful media organisation in the world. Murdoch's commercial success is obvious, but less well understood is his successful pursuit of political goals, using News Corporation as his vehicle.David McKnight tracks Murdoch's influence, from his support for Reagan and Thatcher, to his attacks on Barack Obama and the Rudd and Gillard governments. He examines the secretive corporate culture of News Corporation: its private political seminars for editors, its sponsorship of think tanks and its recurring editorial campaigns around the world. Its success is reflected in the fact that the campaigns are familiar to us all: small government and market deregulation, skepticism on climate change, support for neo-conservative adventures such as Iraq and criticism of all things'liberal'.While the phone hacking crisis has tarnished his reputation, Rupert Murdoch's influence is far from finished.

Maps the death of politics based on the traditional opposition between Left and Right, and offers a provocative argument for the emergence of a new values-based politics in Australia.'Original, courageous, realistic and fresh.'Robert Manne, Professor, School of Politics, La Trobe UniversityDo Right and Left still mean anything in politics? Are environmental issues always'left wing'? Is it only'right wing'to worry about the family? In fact, these traditional connections have broken down, but what is taking their place?In Australian politics today a new free market Right holds the ascendancy in ideas, while Labor and the Left struggle with a crisis of belief. David McKnight makes a compelling argument that the new Right has a radical agenda, not a conservative one. He shows how this drives some of the most vexed issues of our time: overconsumption, work-family balance, immigration and the environment.McKnight points to the rise of a new politics based on moral values, and argues that the Left needs to rethink its fundamental ideas. He offers a positive political vision beyond Right and Left which he calls a'new humanism', based on classic principles of freedom, compassion for others and the common good. Provocative, original and incisive, Beyond Right and Left is certain to spark widespread debate.'Subtle, incisive, courageous; bound to be a watershed in Australian progressive politics'Clive Hamilton, author of Growth Fetish'David McKnight gives us the tools to work out where we stand and what unites rather than divides us as the struggle to defend our democracy begins in earnest.'Margo Kingston, author of Not Happy John

Australia's Spies and their Secrets tells the inside story of the rise and fall of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) - Australia's premier spy body. Based on thousands of documents never before revealed and interviews with former ASIO officers and many of those spied upon, this fascinating book exposes the secret elements of Australia's post-war politics and history. Australia's Spies and their Secrets tells the inside story of the rise and fall of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) - Australia's premier spy body. Based on thousands of documents never before revealed, along with interviews with over thirty former ASIO officers and many of those spied upon, this fascinating book exposes the secret dimensions of Australia's post-war politics and history. It is certain to provoke debate and controversy.In this ultimate Australian spy story, investigative journalist David McKnight: rewrites the known history of the Petrov Royal Commission; instances actual cases of Soviet espionage in Australia; tells how a gigantic system of security dossiers on ordinary Australians was built up; exposes government and ASIO plans to intern 10 000 people; outlines ASIO's links with the leadership of the NSW branch of the Australian Labor Party; reveals ASIO's extensive use of journalists; outlines ASIO's hidden role in the Vietnam War; and tells how ASIO officers feared that Lionel Murphy was a KGB spy.Australia's Spies and their Secrets is essential reading about Australia and its recent past.'This book is a fascinating study of ASIO, meticulously researched and destined, no doubt, to become an indispensable source for understanding Australia's spies.'- Jim McClelland, Former Minister in the Whitlam Government