When the Coalition government was overthrown in 2022 after nine years in office, it was tempting to portray the loss as merely a personal repudiation of Scott Morrison. 

Then, when opposition leader Peter Dutton torpedoed the Voice referendum in 2023, his popularity rocketed as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's nose dived. 

That was when, according to former political staffer and now commentator Niki Savva, the Coalition thought it had the election in the bag.

But Niki had noticed the ground shifting – the emergence of the teal independents and the long-term threat they represented to the Liberals and the overlooked reality that, according to her, the 2022 federal election result was no ordinary defeat but delivered last rites to Menzies’ broad-church party.

In this Killing Season special episode of Gleetalks, Savva talks to broadcaster and author David Marr about what went on behind the scenes, accompanied by her trademark access to important players and eyewitnesses, of an election that transformed Australian politics in her new book Earthquake: The Election That Shook Australia, published by Scribe Publications.

Like what you heard? Buy your copy here.