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Australia grieves over death of former prime minister Bob Hawke

They were political sparring partners for years. But in a touching tribute John Howard has revealed one of Bob Hawke’s greatest strengths.

Sam Clench, Charis Chang and Phoebe Loomes
9 min read
May 17, 2019 - 11:48AM
Australia grieves over death of former prime minister Bob Hawke

Australia is in mourning over the death of former prime minister Bob Hawke at the age of 89.

Mr Hawke’s wife Blanche d’Alpuget announced the tragic news in a statement last night, saying he died “peacefully at home”.

One of Mr Hawke’s main political foes John Howard had a touching tribute for the former PM.

“In my opinion, he is the greatest Prime Minister of Australia produced by the Labor Party,” Mr Howard said.

“I’ve often acknowledged that amongst Labor occupants of that office, Hawke was the best.

“He was responsible for a significant number of economic and other reforms during the time that he was Prime Minister.

“He was, of course, aided in the implementation of many of those reforms by the fact that the Coalition opposition supported them, rather than for political reasons frustrated and opposed them.”

John Howard speaks about Bob Hawke this morning.
John Howard speaks about Bob Hawke this morning.

“I speak for the broader Australian community for thanking him for his contribution to public life and the impact he made on Australian politics, and the extraordinary contribution he made to the success of the Labor Party that he led for such a very long time.

“A feature of his leadership of the Labor Party was that he exercised great authority. And in the politics, the most valuable commodity that a political leader can ever have is authority, and certainly on the Labor side of politics, he had authority in spades.”

Flags will fly at half mast today to mourn the death of the former prime minister, who led Labor to four consecutive election victories.

The Labor legend — our third-longest serving leader — “died peacefully” yesterday, immediately sparking an outpouring of tributes from Australians of all walks of life and from across the political spectrum.

While our politicians have been quick to release statements commemorating the 89-year-old and his contributions to the nation, it is perhaps the deluge of tributes from everyday Aussies that proves just how beloved the beer-loving, plain-speaking Labor leader truly was.

This is how the country is reacting.

Blanche d’Alpuget emerged from her home this morning. Picture: John Grainger
Blanche d’Alpuget emerged from her home this morning. Picture: John Grainger
Blanche d’Alpuget wore one of Bob’s bathrobes this morning. Picture: John Grainger
Blanche d’Alpuget wore one of Bob’s bathrobes this morning. Picture: John Grainger
Blanche d’Alpuget thanked people for their support.
Blanche d’Alpuget thanked people for their support.

HAWKE’S FAMILY

Blanche d’Alpuget emerged from the Northbridge home she shared with Mr Hawke this morning, and thanked Australia for its kind words.

Ms d’Alpuget was wearing a charcoal robe of Mr Hawke’s when she picked up the newspapers this morning, saying it made her “feel better”.

“The golden bowl is broken,” said Mr Hawke’s wife.

“Bob was dearly loved by his family, and so many friends and colleagues. We will miss him,” Ms d’Alpuget said.

“Bob Hawke and Paul Keating and their governments modernised the Australian economy, paving the way for an unprecedented period of recession-free economic growth and job creation.

“Bob’s consensus-style approach of bringing together the trade union movement and the business community boosted job opportunities while increasing the social wage through Medicare and extra financial support for low-income families.

The colossus from South Australia
Bob Hawke with radio commentators Ken Cunningham (l) and David Hookes at Radio 5AA in Adelaide for interview to promote his book the "Hawke Memoirs", 24 Aug 1994.
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“Together with his highly talented cabinets, he foresaw the Asian Century and positioned Australia to take full advantage of it through a program of sweeping economic reforms.

“Among his proudest achievements were large increases in the proportion of children finishing high school, his role in ending apartheid in South Africa, and his successful international campaign to protect Antarctica from mining.

“He abhorred racism and bigotry. His father, the Reverend Clem Hawke, told Bob that if you believed in the Fatherhood of God then you must also believe in the Brotherhood of Man. Bob would add today, the Sisterhood of Women.”

His eldest daughter Sue Pieters-Hawke said on ABC this morning said her father wanted to improve life for all Australians.

“That was his passion. His imagination, his values, his study of history, the camaraderie he shared with many convinced him that we could do it better. He spent his life in pursuit of that belief,” she said.

“He was at heart, actually a very gentle soul. He genuinely loved meeting people, talking to people, listening to people.”

Blanche d'Alpuget and former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke. Picture: Getty Images
Blanche d'Alpuget and former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke. Picture: Getty Images

THE MEDIA

Ms d’Alpuget’s statement came while 7.30 was airing its prerecorded election interviews with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

Host Leigh Sales briefly interrupted those interviews to inform viewers of Mr Hawke’s death, and appeared to be fighting back tears as she listed his achievements.

“It’s my very sad duty to break the news this evening that the former Australian PM, Bob Hawke, has died aged 89. His wife issued a statement a short time ago,” Sales said.

Leigh Sales announcing Bob Hawke's death.
Leigh Sales announcing Bob Hawke's death.

“Mr Hawke was Australia’s 23rd prime minister. It’s very difficult to overstate what a giant he is of the Labor Party and of the Labor movement.

“Along with his treasurer, Paul Keating, they introduced an enormous series of economic reforms which paved the way for the modern Australia in which we all live today.

“Mr Hawke, with the assistance of his Labor team, began Medicare in 1984. He ushered in a series of improvements in productivity in the Australian workplace, thanks to a series of accords between businesses and unions. He floated the Australian dollar. He dismantled tariffs. They’re just a few of Bob Hawke’s achievements.

“Shortly we will play you an obituary of Bob Hawke, but as Bob Hawke knows more than anybody, politics has to go on. And we are in the middle of an election campaign, so firstly we will bring you our interview with Bill Shorten as planned, in the interests of fairness and balance.”

When Mr Shorten’s interview had aired, the program switched to an obituary for Mr Hawke.

Then Sales’ colleague Barrie Cassidy, who worked for Mr Hawke, spoke of his regret at not visiting Mr Hawke before he died.

He said a week or two ago former MP Craig Emerson, who was very close to Mr Hawke and was often seen as his surrogate son, urged him to visit the former PM “sooner rather than later”.

“And I didn’t,” Cassidy said, looking visibly upset.

“I didn’t because of the campaign. I was going to do it after the campaign and I didn’t.”

Cassidy earlier described Mr Hawke as an “intellectual knockabout” and the sort of person who was just as at ease with world leaders as the punters at the racetrack.

“People had the sense they could approach him at any time and have a chat with him,” Cassidy said.

“I tell you what most impressed me about him: He wouldn’t cop racism. He just wouldn’t cop it at any level. At the very whiff of it, he’d be right on to it.”

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Barrie Cassidy paying tribute to Bob Hawke.
Barrie Cassidy paying tribute to Bob Hawke.

THE POLITICIANS

Labor Leader Bill Shorten said tonight the nation and Labor were in mourning.

“We have lost a favourite son,” Mr Shorten said.

“Bob Hawke loved Australia and Australia loved Bob Hawke.”

Mr Shorten said his legacy would endure forever and that Mr Hawke changed Australia for the better.

“He brought people together, he brought Australia together, he modernised our economy, he transformed our society, he protected our environment.

“I last had the privilege of seeing Bob last week. On his back veranda, sitting out there with his beloved Blanche, supported by Craig. He had the sun on his face, a crossword in front of him, a cup of tea.

“He didn’t speak about himself to me. He did, as he always does, asked about the ALP and the election.

“We all loved Bob Hawke. We’ll miss him a great deal. May he rest in peace.”

Bill Shorten making his statement on Bob Hawke's death.
Bill Shorten making his statement on Bob Hawke's death.
Bob Hawke and Bill Shorten.
Bob Hawke and Bill Shorten.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison paid tribute to Mr Hawke as “one of Australia’s great prime ministers and certainly Labor’s greatest prime minister”.

Speaking in Brisbane this evening, Mr Morrison described Mr Hawke as a great intellect, who had enormous passion and courage.

“It was his ability to connect with everyday Australians — with a word, with that larrikin wit, with that connection and an understanding of everyday Australian life — that we will most remember Bob Hawke,” he said.

“I want to extend to Bob’s wife Blanche, on behalf of Jenny and I, our deep personal sympathies and to all of Bob’s family, and also to acknowledge the late Hazel Hawke as well.”

Mr Morrison also mentioned Mr Hawke’s role in changing the first line in Australia’s national anthem from “Australia’s sons let us rejoice” to “Australians all let us rejoice”.

“I think we can all say as Australians ... that we rejoice in the life of Bob Hawke,” Mr Morrison said.

“We thank him for his service to our nation and we pray now that he rest in peace.”

Scott Morrison speaking about Mr Hawke.
Scott Morrison speaking about Mr Hawke.

Paul Keating, whose partnership and rivalry with Mr Hawke dominated Australian politics for more than a decade, spoke of the work they did together.

“With Bob Hawke’s passing today, the great partnership I enjoyed with him passes too. A partnership we forged with the Australian people. But what remains and what will endure from that partnership are the monumental foundations of modern Australia,” Mr Keating said in a statement.

“In what was our last collaboration, Bob and I were delighted to support Bill Shorten last week in recounting the rationale we employed in opening Australia to the world.

“Bob possess a moral framework for his important public life, both representing the workers of Australia and more broadly, the country at large. He understood that imagination was central to policymaking and never lacked the courage to do what had to be done to turn that imagination into reality.

“No one will miss Bob more than his wife, Blanche, who very sweetly attended to his every need, particularly in these later years. His children Susan, Stephen and Rosslyn loved their father and were deeply committed to the precepts of his public life.

“Bob’s death will be an enormous loss to them and their children, of whom he was eternally proud.

“The country is much the poorer for Bob’s passing.”

Paul Keating and Bob Hawke in 1983.
Paul Keating and Bob Hawke in 1983.
The pair in 2016. Picture: Getty
The pair in 2016. Picture: Getty

Other former prime ministers echoed those sentiments.

“Bob Hawke is a giant of Australian politics. He and Paul Keating internationalised the Australian economy. He established APEC and radically deepened Australia’s engagement with Asia. He established Medicare. Together with Therese and the entire nation, I mourn his passing,” Kevin Rudd said.

“Without question, Bob was the greatest peacetime leader Australia has ever had. And up to his very last days, he remained both an inspiration and a friend,” said Julia Gillard.

“In many ways the true measure of Bob’s incredible ability is that he made the difficult look easy.

“I will never forget his passion and generosity in launching my campaign in Brisbane in 2010. No one who has ever campaigned with Bob will ever forget the experience.

“When I last saw Bob, he was facing his own mortality with a great sense of calm. He was ready and taking great comfort looking back on a life so well lived. But that doesn’t take away from the sadness of this moment. I wish so very much that Bob had been able to see one more election day.

“As a teenager Bob inspired me, as a prime minister he guided me. I will miss him.”

“Farewell Bob Hawke, a great Australian, Labor leader and reforming prime minister. Australia is a better place because of him,” said Malcolm Turnbull.

“Lucy and I send our love and condolences to Blanche and all of his family.”

Tony Abbott described Mr Hawke as “a great prime minister”, though some people accused him of politicising the former Labor leader’s death.

“In my judgment, he was Labor’s greatest prime minister. But his key achievements — financial deregulation, tariff cuts, and the beginnings of privatisation — went against the Labor grain, as Labor’s more recent policy directions shows,” said Mr Abbott.

“You might almost say he had a Labor heart, but a Liberal head. Certainly, the Coalition supported nearly all his big reforms, helping to make his tenure a time of economic revitalisation.

“All Australians should mourn someone who changed our country for the better because he was always prepared to argue his case, even if it meant first persuading key people on his own side.”

A number of MPs and senators quickly posted their own heartfelt tributes to Mr Hawke as well.

Age Discrimination Commissioner and former senator Susan Ryan said a lot of advancements for women were backed by Mr Hawke.

“As leader of the ACTU for many years he had been the big voice supporting equal pay for women so the idea of women having equality wasn’t a novel idea,” she said.

“It was to some of my colleagues, I have to say, but not to Bob.”

When Ms Ryan was minister assisting the PM for the status of women, she said Mr Hawke “got it straight away” when she came to him with changes to make it illegal to refuse women jobs, loans or promotions because they were women, pregnant or married.

“He backed me,” she said.

“And so a lot of the advances for women — there were a lot in that time — he backed.

“I didn’t have to do much argument to him. He always backed it. He saw the justice of it and he wasn’t worried by it.”

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/national/australia-grieves-over-death-over-former-prime-minister-bob-hawke/news-story/2670ba33d8394b02b6edf9744fb827de