Australia's 'larrikin' former prime minister Bob Hawke dies at 89

By Colin Packham

 

FILE PHOTO: Australia's former prime minister Bob Hawke gives a speech at the Labor Party's federal election campaign launch event in Brisbane August 16, 2010. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz/File Photo

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Bob Hawke, a transformative and charismatic left-wing lawmaker with a "larrikin' streak who served as Australian prime minister from 1983 to 1991, died on Thursday aged 89, his family said.

 

"Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian – many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era," his wife and former biographer Blanche d’Alpuget said in a statement.

 

While others may have struggled to dismiss a reputation for boisterous, if well-meaning, behaviour, silver-haired Hawke said it helped him win favour with working-class voters.

 

Prime Minster Scott Morrison hailed Hawke's ability to speak to all Australians.

 

"Bob Hawke was a great Australian who led and served our country with passion, courage, and an intellectual horsepower that made our country stronger," he said on social media.

 

Hawke's death comes ahead of a Saturday general election, with his opposition Labor party is narrowly ahead in the polls.

 

"The Australian people loved Bob Hawke because they knew Bob loved them, this was true to the very end," Labor party leader Bill Shorten said in a statement.

 

Hawke earned his reputation as a "larrikin", or loveable rogue, in part due to his world record for drinking a "yard", or 1.4 litres, of beer in 11 seconds while at Oxford University.

 

Robert James Lee Hawke, a former trade union leader, was first elected to parliament in 1980 and was named leader of the centre-left Labor Party less than a month before a snap general election in 1983.

 

Voters embraced Hawke and Labor won an unlikely landslide against a conservative government led by Malcolm Fraser, who had been in power for nearly a decade. Hawke became Australia's 23rd prime minister.

 

"I regard Bob Hawke as the best Labor prime minister this country has ever had," former conservative leader John Howard, who served as Fraser's treasurer, said this year.

 

Inheriting an economy languishing in recession and with double-digit unemployment and inflation, Hawke embraced economic deregulation that belied his connections with Australia's largest trade unions.

 

Hawke won support from the political left to float the Australian dollar, remove controls on foreign exchange and interest rates and lower tariffs on imports within months of his inauguration.

 

The reforms triggered a wave of economic growth, allowing Hawke to introduce universal healthcare, strengthen social security for poor families and enact stronger environmental legislation.

 

EFFORTS AGAINST APARTHEID

 

Within months of Hawke becoming prime minister, Australia won sailing's America's Cup in 1983, ending 132 years of U.S. dominance over the oldest trophy in world sport.

 

Hawke led the celebrations, famously sticking up of anyone who might over-do the revelry, declaring on television: "Any boss that sacks a worker for not turning up is a bum."

 

Australia also made its mark on the international stage under Hawke, who shifted diplomatic priorities away from Britain, fostering closer ties with the United States, China, Japan and Southeast Asia.

 

He also spearheaded international efforts to impose economic sanctions on South Africa over apartheid.

 

Hawke was riding high in opinion polls by the mid-1980s and won re-election in 1987 despite an economic downturn.

 

He won a fourth election in 1990 to become Australia's longest-serving Labor prime minister but his popularity began to wane amid a recession.

 

Paul Keating, Hawke's treasurer and the architect of Labor's economic policies, pressured him to step aside as his position weakened.

 

However, with no sign that Hawke would retire, Keating challenged him for the leadership in 1991. Hawke saw off the first challenge but eventually lost to Keating a few months later in a party-room coup.

 

He quit politics three months later.

 

Hawke divorced his wife of nearly 40 years, Hazel Masterson, after leaving politics and public life and married his biographer, Blanche d'Alpuget. He appeared as a media commentator and was in demand as a public speaker.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-05-16

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A bloody good bloke, nothing further needs to be said.

Edited May 16, 20197 yr by PJPom
Spelling

Very commendable what he and the other Commonwealth leaders, except for despicable Thatcher, did to end South Africa's apartheid regime. 

I best remember him for 17% interest rates,could do with them again now.

8 hours ago, pegman said:

Very commendable what he and the other Commonwealth leaders, except for despicable Thatcher, did to end South Africa's apartheid regime. 

Malcolm Fraser actually, in Australia's case.

The death of Bob Hawke reminds us that there was once a high-quality Labor government in Oz that understood Economics 101 and knew how to bring the people - not to mention the trade unions - along on major reform (including the most important decision any Oz government has made since WW2, namely the float of the dollar).

 

Makes the current pollies, of both sides, look pathetic by comparison. The effect - if any - on the election outcome tomorrow is unpredictable. Reminder of past glories might just push Little Billy over the line. But the comparison with now might have the opposite effect ...

I've only just heard about him from an Australian friend here in LOS. Seems you lost a real character. My condolences Australia. RiP! 

I believe he was the greatest  PM Australia has ever seen.  RIP Bob.

Man was a rhodes scholar.  Highly educated larrikin. He will be missed 

There are a few drama/ documentaries about the Hawke/ Keating era on Youtube. Although I'm not an Aussie I can fully recommend taking a look.

This was when the world had proper Pam's who stood up for their beliefs.

13 hours ago, pegman said:

Very commendable what he and the other Commonwealth leaders, except for despicable Thatcher, did to end South Africa's apartheid regime. 

Thatcher's stance re the IRA rendered her unable to do anything else.

14 hours ago, pegman said:

Very commendable what he and the other Commonwealth leaders, except for despicable Thatcher, did to end South Africa's apartheid regime. 

Hate to mention it but has anyone looked at South Africa recently? I wouldn’t call it a very successful outcome. 

Now call me racist, I prefer realist.

Illegally destroyed domestic aviation.

 

http://www.vision.net.au/~apaterson/aviation/pd89_document.htm#HAWKE

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Australian_pilots'_dispute

he was the greatest.

 

On ‎5‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 3:11 PM, car720 said:

This much I know.  He was not one to put up with this new age nonsense.  Go in Peace mate.

While I took no notice of Australian politics at the time Hawke was leader, he appears to have been "as rough as guts" for which he was very popular. Certainly I'd prefer all politicians to be such. Unfortunately, none are now, except perhaps one.

He is another reminder of a better age that has passed away.

Bob seemed a likeable sort.

A typical Aussie... forever the lad.

That said, he had a nasty streak in him - as so many of them do.

A story told by the NZ deputy PM at the time, when he and a cabinet minister were playing golf against Bob Hawke and the Aussie High Commissioner to NZ.

 

... at the end of 18 holes it was all square and getting late. There was an official dinner we all had to attend that evening. After 19 it was still all square. On the 20th hole, in the gathering gloom, before we drove off on a short par-3 hole, Bob turned and said to his high commissioner, "McKinnon put the bloody ball on the green or I will send you to Tripoli."  I piped up: "Prime minister, I don't think you have a mission in Tripoli." Bob's response was: "I'll bloody soon get one."