Bob Hawke

Bob Hawke was an Australian politician and trade unionist who served as the 23rd prime minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991. He held office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), having previously served as the president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) from 1969 to 1980 and president of the Labor Party national executive from 1973 to 1978. Hawke was born in Border Town, South Australia. He attended the University of Western Australia and went on to study at University College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. In 1956, Hawke joined the ACTU as a research officer. Having risen to become responsible for national wage case arbitration, he was elected as president of the ACTU in 1969, where he achieved a high public profile. He entered politics at the 1980 elections and became Prime Minister within three years after defeating Malcolm Fraser's Liberal-National coalition government. He led Labor to four consecutive election victories in 1983, 1984, 1987 and 1990, making him the party's longest-serving and most electorally successful leader. As prime minister, Hawke implemented a range of economic and social reforms that modernised and transformed Australia's economy and society. He deregulated the financial sector, floated the Australian dollar, reduced tariffs and government spending, reformed the tax system, privatised state-owned enterprises, established Medicare and superannuation, increased funding for education and research, initiated environmental protection measures, promoted multiculturalism and Aboriginal rights, supported the arts and sports, and fostered closer relations with Asia and the Pacific. He also played a prominent role in international affairs, strengthening Australia's alliance with the United States, opposing apartheid in South Africa, supporting democracy movements in Eastern Europe and China, advocating for nuclear disarmament, and leading a successful intervention in Fiji after a military coup. Hawke's popularity and charisma made him one of the most popular and respected prime ministers in Australian history. He held the world record for beer drinking; he enjoyed betting on horse races; he was known for his colourful language; he often broke into tears in public; and he was dubbed by the media as "Hawkie". He was also admired for his consensus-building skills and his ability to work with different groups of people, such as business leaders, trade unions, farmers, environmentalists, and social activists. He maintained a close friendship and partnership with his deputy and eventual successor Paul Keating until 1991 when Keating challenged him for the leadership. Hawke resigned as prime minister after losing a second leadership challenge to Keating in December 1991. He retired from parliament in February 1992 and remained active in public life until his death in May 2019 at the age of 89.