In the tradition of The Howard Years and Labor in Power, three new ABC News projects will explore the main driving forces, the most colourful personalities and the key achievements and controversies from across the Australian political landscape.

Sue Spencer, the Executive Producer of Four Corners and part of the award-winning team behind both Labor in Power and The Howard Years, will lead a team including 7.30 Political Editor Chris Uhlmann as writer/ interviewer on a documentary series exploring Labor’s most recent tumultuous period in power from 2007 to 2013. 

Landline Executive Producer Ben Hawke and political reporter Heather Ewart have been commissioned to produce a series examining the National Party. And finally political interviewer Kerry O’Brien will follow up his successful Clive James profile with a multi-part, interview-based series on Paul Keating. This project, co-produced by Ben Hawke and Justin Stevens, will deliver unprecedented insights from one of Australia’s most colourful political leaders during Australia’s transition from an old to a new economy.

‘Australians traditionally turn to the ABC for in-depth coverage and analysis of politics’ said ABC Managing Director Mark Scott. ‘Our coverage of the 2013 Federal Election campaign across all platforms led the way in providing more depth, more analysis and more information to more Australians than ever before.’

‘On top of that, the ABC has a tradition going back twenty years of providing engaging and popular documentaries that explore our political history. I am delighted that this tradition continues with these exciting new programs.’

The new Labor and Nationals documentaries will both be developed and produced for broadcast in 2014, while the Keating interviews will air later this year. All three will be seen on ABC1.