Australia’s “Greatest” Prime Minister….

Who has been the greatest prime minister of Australia? An academic who undertook this ambitious exercise says the verdict is: Robert Menzies (20 December 1894 – 15 May 1978).

“Australia has had four great prime ministers and four failures. The other 18 have been successful (to a lesser or greater extent) without being great. That adds up to 26, the number of prime ministers we have had so far, including Kevin Rudd.

“These are the conclusions to which I have come after studying a great amount of the relevant literature and conversations with about 40 historians: academics, journalists, politicians and former politicians, as well as laypeople who simply read Australian political history and think about it.

“My logic with prime ministerial ranking comes from nation building, successful reforms, initiatives, election wins and longevity as prime minister. However, I add marks for being a successful prime minister in either of the two world wars and for leaving on his own terms. Electoral defeat, debacles and divisiveness cause me to subtract marks.”

What placements for John Howard and Kevin Rudd? Read here…