State memorial for ‘charismatic’ Andrew Peacock

Scott Morrison has confirmed that a state funeral will be held for former Liberal Party leader Andrew Peacock, who died on Friday, aged 82.

Andrew Peacock. Picture: Brian Birzer

Scott Morrison has confirmed that a state funeral will be held for former Liberal Party leader Andrew Peacock, who died on Friday, aged 82, describing him as a “great Australian” and a “charismatic individual”.

The Prime Minister said he had offered the Peacock family a state memorial service to be held in Australia, while a private funeral will be held for Mr Peacock this week in the US, where he had been living since the mid-1990s.

Mr Peacock was Australia’s ambassador to the US in 1997-99 and federal opposition leader twice, leading the Liberal Party to the 1984 and 1990 federal elections, losing both.

Mr Morrison said Mr Peacock had “made a great contribution to this country. He also made a great contribution to our region. He was instrumental in the independence of Papua New Guinea — That is something … he is held in great esteem for across the region.

“He was an extremely compassionate man. He was an extremely charismatic individual. He could charm the birds out of the trees. He was such a charismatic and engaging fellow.

“You never left a conversation with Andrew Peacock not leaving cheered … That was the sort of guy he was.”

Anthony Albanese also paid tribute to Mr Peacock, saying he met the former Liberal leader a number of times when he was still in parliament and after his political career was over.

“He was a fine Australian. He was a very principled man,” the Opposition Leader said.

“He stood up for small ‘l’ liberal values, values that, of course, he campaigned for his whole life.

“He was leader of the opposition who received, to his credit, more than 50 per cent of the vote to party in 1990 against the great Labor legend Bob Hawke, but he wasn’t successful.”

“But he accepted that result with the spirit in which our democracy should be conducted.

“He went on to serve, of course, as Australia’s ambass­ador to the US.”