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.