News Former PM Bob Hawke passes away aged 89.

Hacky McAxe

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The great Australian hero PM. Sad it see him go.
 

Kaz

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RIP Bob.

His work to bring Medicare is arguably the greatest thing a politician has ever done to immeasurably improve the lives of ordinary people.

The nation owes you a debt it can never repay.
 

Mr Invisible

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Nice tribute from ScoMo in the pouring rain tonight to both Hawke and the ALP.
 

Bob dog

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Was great to have an ocker at the top.
Still reckon politics killed him.
 

Wahesh

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R.I.P. Bobby you bloody ripper!


 

CroydonDog

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By this morning, one of my neighbours had a huge poster hanging off his front deck, with a picture of Hawke scolling a beer, with the slogan "Make Australia Great Again". Should've taken a photo.
 

CroydonDog

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Hawke showed how to do it right - to be supportive of social policy (including the rights of workers), but also overseeing deregulation of markets and understanding economics. He showed how one could be a "centre" politician, but be able to make a decision (something Turnbull never seemed to be able to grasp). He was a piss-cutter but a Rhodes Scholar.

He wore his heart on his sleeve more than any PM in my lifetime (and possibly our history), and wasn't without fault. He shagged around on his wife, drunkenly declared bosses were bums if they sacked a worker for not turning up after an Australian won a boat race, and broke down in front of a nation when his daughters heroin addiction was revealed. But he was something so many leaders seem to lack these days: human. He just seemed to care more. None of the current crop could hold a candle to him, regardless of what side they sit on. Something to reflect on, on the eve of an election.
 

Indiandog

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Interesting how he died 'peacefully' .. He used to be a Christian but rejected the faith after seeing the extreme poverty in India..

extreme poverty in India? the land of most billionaires on the planet?

I can only imagine what he would have done looking at the poverty levels in Ethiopia and other African countries.
 

Alan79

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Very sad about this. I was very young while he was PM. But I know just how much he did for the country. Best PM to have graced politics in my lifetime.
 

ouwet

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Very sad about this. I was very young while he was PM. But I know just how much he did for the country. Best PM to have graced politics in my lifetime.
When Keating took over I was 7 so obviously pretty young.

What did Hawke do? Again I don't know much but from my understanding he was a Union leader first, socialist, was the PM when Australia "had the recession we had to have", was the PM when rates were 18% and was PM during one of the most corrupt times in Australia history.
 
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