Former prime minister Bob Hawke may have the answer to current Prime Minister Julia Gillard's political woes: drink more beer.

This afternoon, Ms Gillard lamented that, over the summer, Mr Hawke got more media attention for beer swilling than she did for sports funding.

Julia Gillard ... may make her next announcement with a beer in her hand. Credit:Quentin Jones

"You've got to love the way in which we Australians engage with our politicians and engage with our news," she said.

"Hawkie got more press coverage for downing that beer in what looked to me to be pretty record time than I got in announcing $95 million in cricket infrastructure at Adelaide, Sydney and Hobart."