Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise to pay my condolences on the passing of the Hon. Robert James Lee Hawke AC—the man that our nation knew affectionately as Bob or Hawkie. I had the honour also, as many of my colleagues did, of attending Bob Hawke's memorial service in Sydney. I thought it was an incredibly fitting celebration of his personal and public life. It was full of entertainment and good humour, but it also told the story of how great Bob was. Of course, we all know that Bob had a reputation for being a larrikin. We often hear the media decry how scripted politics has become, while at the same time politicians complain that they do not get fair treatment from the media and that, therefore, they have to tread carefully, and both blame each other, but I think it shows that the practice of politics has changed. I wonder whether we will ever get the leadership style of a down-to-earth, fair dinkum, knockabout character like Bob Hawke again.

It seems to me that Bob Hawke was a product of his time. It seems inconceivable that Australia today could have a Prime Minister who holds the world record for drinking a yard glass or who, as recounted in an anecdote from his former press secretary, Barrie Cassidy, accepted a lift from a couple of young strangers who called out from their car, 'Hawkie, you're a legend.' As Mr Cassidy explained to the hosts of ABC News Breakfast, Bob called back, 'If I'm such a legend, give me a lift back to the pub,' then, to the shock of the American VIPs he was hosting, jumped into the car with the two young men instead of taking the official buses that were lined up for delegates to the Australian American Leadership Dialogue. Because Bob was such a good sport, he also chatted with the two young men's mums on their mobile phones while they drove him back to the Hyatt.

Bob Hawke was seen as a quintessential Australian. I think that accounted, in part, for his popularity. I say 'in part' because, despite his larrikin nature, he did take the job very seriously and he achieved an enormous amount as the longest-serving Labor Prime Minister in Australia's history. It was Bob Hawke's government that established Medicare, which has given Australians a healthcare safety net. We saw in the 2016 federal election the degree to which Australians value their universal public health insurance scheme. The Hawke government introduced major reforms to education, in particular the introduction of the HECS system. While some students may have bemoaned the loss of free education, this contribution scheme gave a massive boost to the number of students who were able to access a university education. Because it was deferred until they had the means to pay there were no financial impediments.

It was the economic reforms of Bob Hawke, together with his Treasurer Paul Keating, which laid the foundation for Australia's world-leading almost three decades of economic growth. The Hawke-Keating government floated the Australian dollar, made dramatic cuts to tariffs and gave the Reserve Bank the power to set interest rates to keep inflation stable. This economic modernisation followed the 1983 Prices and Incomes Accord in which businesses, trade unions and the government reached agreement on minimising inflation while ensuring that the workers shared in the economic gains. As has been said by many others today, Bob had that ability to bring all people to the table and for everybody to feel like it was a win-win situation. Under the Hawke government Australia also had a great deal of confidence and influence on the national stage. One of Bob Hawke's greatest achievements in foreign policy was Australia's contribution to the international pressure that brought down the apartheid regime in South Africa—a huge advance for human rights.

One of the moments that struck me was when Bob's granddaughter, Sophie Taylor-Price, addressed his memorial service. An old clip played with her, about age 4, sitting at her grandfather's knee while he talked about the need for urgent action on climate change. She explained how her grandfather in his final months expressed profound sadness at the world's failure to take stronger action. With that said, Bob Hawke had a huge impact when it came to the environment, including preventing mining in the Antarctic and stopping the Gordon-below-Franklin Dam project, a move which, while controversial at the time, is accepted by most people today as having been necessary. As Senator Dodson mentioned earlier, another one of Bob's unfinished legacies was his advocacy for a treaty with Australia's Indigenous people. I'm hopeful that this parliament can make significant progress on a makarrata commission, constitutional recognition of Australia's first peoples and a voice to parliament.

You cannot serve for nine years as a Prime Minister and not leave an indelible mark on the soul of the nation. Bob Hawke's legacy will be with us for decades, possibly even centuries to come. Australia will miss his infectious smile, his jokes, his larrikinism and his singing, but what we will miss more is his wisdom. Australia will continue to owe Bob Hawke a great debt of gratitude for his service as a great Labor Prime Minister but also as a Prime Minister for all Australians. Robert James Lee Hawke AC, thank you for your service.