Cabinet papers 1990-91: Richardson rejects Hawke ministry claims

Graham Richardson has rejected Bob Hawke’s latest statements about his 1990 ministerial appointments.

Graham Richardson has rejected “utterly and completely’’ former prime minister Bob Hawke’s latest statements about the Labor powerbroker’s ministerial appointment following the 1990 federal election.

Mr Hawke told The Australian he had been “almost certain” he would face a leadership challenge after he refused to give Mr Richardson the transport and communications portfolio.

According to Mr Hawke, it was a job that Mr Richardson “had had his heart set on’’.

During a briefing held to reflect on the release of the 1990-1991 Cabinet papers, Mr Hawke explained that he had decided against handing Mr Richardson the portfolio after a discussion with his good friend and transport industry supremo Sir Peter Abeles.

Mr Hawke said that Sir Peter had “told him something concerning Graham which in my judgment precluded him from properly being in that position.’’

Mr Hawke declined to explain exactly what Sir Peter had told him at the time because he still held “great affection’’ for Mr Richardson, who is now “not in great shape’’ due to poor health. Mr Hawke said that he would not want to say anything that would hurt Mr Richardson.

But Mr Richardson hit back today saying that Mr Hawke’s latest version of events was not true and that he would explain the “exact financial arrangements between me and Peter Abeles’’ in a new book which is due out this year.

“I’ll be making some statements about the financial arrangements between Bob Hawke and Peter Abeles at the time,’’ Mr Richardson told Sky News today.

He said that he had given an account about why he had turned against Mr Hawke in his first book Whatever It Takes, published 21 years ago.

In that book Mr Richardson said he had told of how instead of transport and communications Mr Hawke had offered him the job of defence minister but the then prime minister had a change of heart.

“He took it off me and gave it to someone else,’’ Mr Richardson said.

“He gave me Social Security and I was very angry about that.’’

Mr Richardson said that “everybody, including Hawke, agreed that what I said was true’’ after his book was published, but Mr Hawke’s view had since altered.

“I don’t know if it’s out of malice or amnesia this has changed and I find that very sad,’’ Mr Richardson said.