The Man Who Couldn't Wait: The true story of Australia's first political assassination

Author:   Debbie Whitmont
Publisher:   Allen & Unwin
ISBN:  

9781761473111


Pages:   400
Publication Date:   28 April 2026
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

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The Man Who Couldn't Wait: The true story of Australia's first political assassination


Overview

'I think that every now and again our wonderful system cocks up, and this was one of those times.' Former ALP Senator Graham Richardson Cabramatta was embroiled in a heroin epidemic, gang wars and demands to deport Vietnamese gangsters when local MP John Newman was gunned down in the driveway of his home. Newman's murder was billed as Australia's first political assassination and the killer was identified within hours as the politically ambitious Vietnamese refugee and Deputy Mayor, Phuong Ngo. Ngo was found guilty of killing Newman to take his seat in parliament and sentenced to die in jail. But there have always been questions about his conviction. Why did it take seven years and three trials to find Phuong Ngo guilty? Why were the names of so many witnesses and so much evidence kept secret? How could Ngo be the murder mastermind when both of the men accused of shooting Newman were acquitted? Why is the killer still at large? And why do some of the most senior politicians of the day say they never believed Phuong Ngo was guilty? For the first time, Phuong Ngo tells his story, and The Man Who Couldn't Wait unpicks one of the country's longest and most secretive investigations. 'Superbly told - a story that gnaws at the conscience of the country.' David Marr

Full Product Details

Author:   Debbie Whitmont
Publisher:   Allen & Unwin
Imprint:   Allen & Unwin
Weight:   0.466kg
ISBN:  

9781761473111


ISBN 10:   1761473115
Pages:   400
Publication Date:   28 April 2026
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

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Author Information

Debbie Whitmont is a journalist and lawyer, a former Middle East Correspondent and reporter for the ABC's Four Corners program for more than two decades. She has won two Walkley Awards and three Human Rights Commission TV Awards.

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