Christopher Pyne: Andrew Peacock was best PM we never had

Andrew Peacock was engaging, charming and fun, but he was also a serious policy person, a fierce advocate and a tough competitor.

Former Australian cabinet minister, leader of the Liberal Party, leader of the Opposition, member of the House of Representatives and Australian ambassador to Washington DC Andrew Peacock died peacefully at his home in Austin, Texas, last Friday evening our time.

I feel lucky to call him a friend. Peacock was engaging, charming and fun, but he was also a serious policy person, a fierce advocate and a tough competitor.

Peacock followed former prime minister Sir Robert Menzies into his seat of Kooyong in 1966. Right from the start he was earmarked for greatness. He was given the sobriquet of the “Colt from Kooyong”.

He was young, dashing and someone to watch – just like a great racehorse and very unlike his predecessor. But he was much more than that and so he was to prove.

He was minister for the army in the Gorton government and then minister for territories in the McMahon government, in which role he introduced self-government for Papua New Guinea.

As foreign minister in the Fraser government, from 1975 to 1980, he was widely recognised as casting a shadow greater than the nation’s. He oversaw the smooth transition of Papua New Guinea from its status as a protectorate of Australia since World War I to full independence.

He was foreign minister during the disreputable regime of Pol Pot in Cambodia and asked to change portfolios over a disagreement with Malcolm Fraser involving the recognition of that regime.

He became minister for industrial relations and challenged Fraser for the leadership and prime ministership in 1981. He lost, but this dispute didn’t stop Fraser from supporting Peacock to be the leader of the Liberal Party in 1983 when Fraser lost the election to Bob Hawke.

Not unlike Hawke, Peacock was charismatic and larger than life.

Then Federal Opposition Leader Andrew Peacock with two of his daughters Ann Nasser (L) and Caroline Peacock during federal election campaigning in Adelaide, February 1990.

He was the best prime minister we never had. He was unfortunate to want to be prime minister at the same time as John Howard. They engaged in an, at times, acrimonious intra-party conflict from 1983 to Peacock’s retirement in 1994.

Finally, in 1995, Howard became leader of the Liberal Party again, and then prime minister in 1996. The rest, as they say, is history. Howard was big enough to make Peacock ambassador to Washington DC, where he served with distinction.

Peacock was leader of the Liberal Party twice. The first time, he defeated Howard for the leadership in 1983, led the Liberals to the 1984 election and achieved both a swing against Hawke and won seats from the Labor government. Labor received quite a shock.

In 1985, Peacock resigned as leader after the Liberal Party Room held a ballot and re-elected Howard as deputy leader, despite Peacock demanding an assurance from Howard that he wouldn’t challenge him, which Howard refused to give.

Howard led the Liberal Party and eventually Peacock challenged and defeated him in 1989.

Peacock faced off against Hawke for a second time in 1990. Once again he achieved a swing and took seats from Labor, but despite winning a majority of the two-party preferred vote, it was not enough to change the government. Peacock retired and John Hewson became the new leader of the Liberal Party.

If you think the past 12 years have seen an unprecedented revolving door of leaders of the two mainstream political parties, think again. The 1980s for the Liberals and the 1990s for Labor were almost as bad. Throughout all the ups and downs of political life, Peacock maintained a cheerful countenance. He was well liked by his parliamentary colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

He knew how to land a blow on a political opponent and he was no shrinking violet, but he didn’t do so in a personal or vindictive way.

Andrew Peacock speaks to Reynella East High School students in 1990.

I used to marvel at his ability to hold a room giving a speech, answering questions, telling an anecdote and making the person he was speaking to feel like the most important person in the world. Being in Peacock’s orbit was to be in the presence of a star. Peacock was great fun. I remember once he intercepted a note I had sent to Peter Reith in question time asking him to come to my office when the House rose for a drink with a couple of new MPs. Peacock instantly could see I was “currying favour” with a more senior colleague and teased me about it for the rest of the day.

That night, Reith and a few like-minded friends were having a drink in my office when there came a sharp rap on the door. I answered it and there was Peacock. He asked if he could join us and, of course, I welcomed him warmly. Theatrically he asked if he could bring a couple of friends. I readily agreed.

With that invitation he opened my door widely, chocked it open with a door stopper and called down the corridor with his hands cupped to his mouth: “It’s OK, he says we can come”. From around the corner emerged at least 20 Liberal colleagues whom he had brought from the dining room to crash my tiny soiree. It was a hugely fun night, with me having to ask other colleagues to join in as I borrowed their glasses and drinks to make it all work.

It had a serious side of course. I had defeated many of these colleagues’ friend, Ian Wilson, in a bitter preselection to get myself into parliament. Peacock was helping to break down the barrier between me and those who thought I was a young whipper snapper in too much of a hurry.

Peacock died in Texas because his third wife, Penne Korth, hailed from the United States. He was married three times, to Susan Rossiter, Margaret St George and to Penne. He is survived by three daughters – Ann, Jane and Caroline – and their children.

Vale Andrew. I will miss you.