Sadly, Former Australian Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Bob Hawke died today at the age of 89.
Notably, he remains the longest serving Prime Minister of Australia’s centre-left Labour Party. He led the nation’s politics from 1983 to 1991. All credits of the Australian economic modernization go to him. Interestingly, he was pretty unorthodox. At Oxford, he set a record for beer drinking.
His second wife Blanche d’Alpuget said, “Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian – many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era.”
In 1947, Bob Hawke joined the Labour Party. At that time, he was just 18-years-old. Later, he won Rhodes scholarship to the Oxford University in 1953.
Afterwards, he joined the trade union movement and became Australian Council of Trade Union’s president in 1969.
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In 1983, he became Labour leader. Also, he was the one who created Australia’s universal healthcare system – Medicare.
In addition, He was best known for his social policies and concerns for Australia’s benefit and vulnerable.
Paul Keating said, “What remains and what will endure from that partnership are the monumental foundations of modern Australia.”
Additionally, Former Labour PM of Australia, Kevin Rudd tweeted his heartfelt condolences. He mentioned Bob Hawke in his tweet as “a giant of Australian politics”.
Further, Family of Bob Hawke said, “Among his proudest achievements were large increases in the proportion of children finishing high school, his role in ending apartheid in South Africa, and his successful international campaign to protect Antarctica from mining.”
Australian actor, Russell Crowe also described him as a “great man who never lost his humility”:
Australia can never forget what its former has done for it. May his soul rest in peace.
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