Bob Hawke dead at 89: Tony Abbott slammed over tribute
Former PM Tony Abbott’s statement has raised eyebrows, after he described the late Bob Hawke as having “a Liberal head”.
Tony Abbott’s tribute to former prime minister Bob Hawke has been slammed by a mourning public, who have accused the Liberal MP of being “disrespectful” towards the Labor luminary.
Mr Hawke’s death at 89 was announced on Thursday evening, with tributes pouring in from both sides of politics.
But Mr Abbott’s statement in which he described Mr Hawke as having “a Labor heart, but a Liberal head” has angered many Australians.
“Bob Hawke was a great prime minister. In my judgment, he was Labor’s greatest prime minister,” Mr Abbott said.
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“But his key achievements — financial deregulation, tariffs cuts, and the beginnings of privatisation — went against the Labor grain, as Labor’s more recent policy direction shows.
“You might almost say he had a Labor heart, but a Liberal head.
“Certainly, the Coalition supported nearly all of 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.”
Statement on the death of The Hon Bob Hawke AC, GCL: pic.twitter.com/M8fzbFlVTE
— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) May 16, 2019
Mr Abbott’s statement, which contrasted with those put out by other former prime ministers, was quickly criticised on Twitter.
Victorian MP Mary-Anne Thomas said of Mr Abbott: “Two more days until your career is over and you will be remembered as one of our worst prime ministers”.
A former Greens candidate for the Legislative Council in NSW, Kym Chapple, wrote: “Wow, you are a disgusting grub.”
Giovanni Torre posted: “This is as sick and petty as your response to Margaret Whitlam”.
“Let me tell you mate, in 100 years people will remember Bob Hawke. In ten years no-one will remember Tony Abbott the smallest man to ever be PM.”
And the critical comments posted by prominent Australians and members of the public kept coming.
You might almost say you have a pea where your heart should be @TonyAbbottMHR
— Wendy Harmer (@wendy_harmer) May 16, 2019
Read the room mate.
— David Campbell (@DavidCampbell73) May 16, 2019
What an awful statement. Shame on you.
— Nova Peris OAM OLY MAICD (@NovaPeris) May 16, 2019
This tribute to one of Australiaâs most loved PMs by Tony Abbott, reminds you why he is one of the most loathed. https://t.co/lwTnx0YQhV
— Tom Gleeson (@nonstoptom) May 16, 2019
Wow. The difference in statements between Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott regarding Bob Hawkeâs passing really says it all. @TonyAbbottMHR, how do you get a memorial statement wrong??
— Andrew (@AndrewPatrick_) May 16, 2019
This is profoundly disrespectful.
— Dr Sarah Squire (@SquireSarah) May 16, 2019
Far out. This is so, so wrong.
— s t e p h a n i e (@stephaniem126) May 16, 2019
Mr Abbott has previously been accused of politicising a high profile death. In a statement about Margaret Whitlam’s death in 2012, he criticised the Whitlam government.
“There was a lot wrong with the Whitlam government but nevertheless, it was a very significant episode in our history and Margaret Whitlam was a very significant element in the political success of Gough Whitlam,” Mr Abbott said.
He also came under fire in 2011 when he said “sometimes shit happens” while discussing the events surrounding the death of a digger in Afghanistan the previous year. Mr Abbott later defended his comments, saying they were “taken out of context” and that he would “never seek to make light of the death of an Australian soldier”.
Mr Abbott’s tribute to Mr Hawke has so far attracted more than 3000 overwhelmingly negative replies. He responded by sharing a related tweet about an hour later.
Catching up with Bob Hawke in 2015.
— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) May 16, 2019
He had the capacity to reach out to everyone across party lines. He was a great Australian. Margie and I extend our deepest sympathies to Blanche and his family. pic.twitter.com/dEjQ6IL6aa
I donât think Hawke thought he had a Liberal head. #AUSVote19 https://t.co/yadWmBTgbz
— PatriciaKarvelas (@PatsKarvelas) May 16, 2019
A rare combination of thoughtless, tactless, heartless, clueless and tasteless. https://t.co/70MuvrzbDK
— Richard Cooke (@rgcooke) May 16, 2019
In contrast, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Mr Hawke was “true to his beliefs in the Labor tradition and defined the politics of his generation and beyond”, while Malcolm Turnbull described him as a “great Australian Labor leader and reforming prime minister”.
Mr Hawke’s death was confirmed in a statement from his wife Blanche d’Alpuget, who said he died peacefully at home on Thursday.
“Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian — many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era,” the statement read. “He died peacefully at home at the age of 89 years.
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“I and Bob’s children, Sue, Stephen, Rosslyn and stepson, Louis, and his grandchildren, will hold a private funeral.
“A memorial service will be held in Sydney in coming weeks.
“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.”