Former and current leaders, both in Australia and abroad, as well as celebrities join in praise of longest-serving Labor prime minister

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Bob Hawke’s successors as Australian prime minister and the Labor opposition leader hoping to follow in his footsteps, Bill Shorten, have led tributes to the former leader, who died on Thursday evening, aged 89.

The death of the longest-serving Australian Labor prime minister just two days before a general election drew forth praise for his legacy, with even political opponents praising Hawke’s contribution to the country’s development.

Bob Hawke obituary Read more

Paul Keating, Hawke’s treasurer and successor as prime minister, said the country “is much the poorer for Bob Hawke’s passing”.

“Bob possessed a moral framework for his important public life, both representing the workers of Australia and more broadly, the country at large,” he said. “He understood that imagination was central to policy-making and never lacked the courage to do what had to be done to turn that imagination into reality.”

Scott Morrison said Hawke had a great intellect, enormous passion and courage. The prime minister extended “deep sympathies” on behalf of the conservative movement to the labour movement and the Labor party.

“I think we can all say as Australians, all, that we rejoice in the life of Bob Hawke,” he said.

Play Video 2:31 Bob Hawke: key moments in the life and career of Labor's longest serving PM – video

While Morrison thanked for his contribution to the nation, the former prime minister Tony Abbott made a more direct claim to Hawke’s legacy, saying his signature achievements of financial deregulation, tariff cuts and privatisation “went against the Labor grain”.

“You might almost say he had a Labor heart, but a Liberal head,” Abbott said in comments widely mocked on social media. “Certainly the Coalition supported nearly all his big reforms, helping to make his tenure a time of economic revitalisation.”

Shorten, who just days ago promised to win the election “for Bob”, said: “The Australian people loved Bob Hawke because they knew Bob loved them, this was true to the very end.



“With his passing, the labour movement salutes our greatest son, the Labor party gives thanks for the life of our longest-serving prime minister, and Australians everywhere remember and honour a man who gave so much to the country and people he cared for so deeply.”

Shorten recalled images of Australia’s 23rd prime minister as a larrikin: “Maybe in the stands, eyes fixed on the track, creased and folded form guide in hand, ticking off another winner. Or in that iconic jacket, mouth open with laughter, dodging the beer and champagne, giving his prime ministerial blessing to a national sickie.”

Meanwhile internationally, Bill Clinton paid tribute to a man he said he admired as a progressive.

Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) Even though I never had the chance to serve with him, I always liked and admired Bob Hawke for his progressive record and great sense of humor. My thoughts are with his family and the people of Australia.

And New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern tweeted her respects.

Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern) On my way home to NZ and heard the news that former Aussie PM, Bob Hawke, has passed away. I never had a chance to meet Bob, but it was easy to feel like you knew him. He was such a charismatic figure and one clearly driven by his love of people. Rest In Peace, Bob.

Back home celebrities added their fond memories.

Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) Bob Hawke has died.

A great man who made this country confident.

A great man who never lost his humility.

Guinness book of records 1954 , 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds.

Rhodes Scholar.

Trade Union Leader.

Prime Minister.

Statesman.

Thanks for everything

Mr Hawke.

Jimmy Barnes praised “a great Australian”.

Jimmy Barnes (@JimmyBarnes) R.I.P Bob Hawke. A great Labor Prime Minister. A great Australian.

“A working class hero is something to be” pic.twitter.com/cBGMKQxTPx

Sally McManus and Michelle O’Neil, the leaders of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, which Hawke headed before leading Labor to victory in 1983, acknowledged Hawke’s death “with immense sorrow and gratitude”.

“As a leader of our nation and of our movement, Bob was a hero to working people – an architect of the accords, the father of Medicare, and a founder of universal superannuation,” they said.

“The Australian union movement has enormous pride that a great and respected representative of working people and ACTU president went on to become a loved and legendary Australian prime minister.

“Millions of working people owe their health, their prosperity and their dignity in retirement to Bob’s work.”

Bob Hawke: from the campaign trail to the world stage – a life in pictures Read more

The environment movement singled out Hawke’s legacy in conservation, which including stopping the damming of the Franklin River, securing a world heritage listing for the Daintree, setting up the national Landcare network and leading the charge to ban mining in Antarctica.

The former Greens leader Bob Brown said Hawke was “the environmental prime minister of Australia”, although noted he “did not please us all the time”, notably through is backing of some uranium mining projects.

He said it was the Hawke government, with Graham Richardson as environment minister, that was the first “to alert cabinet to the onrush of climate change”.

“Were he prime minster in 2019, I reckon the very unpopular Adani coal mine proposal would be headed for the bin.”

The Australian Conservation Foundation’s chief executive Kelly O’Shanassy said Hawke “played an enormous role in protecting some of Australia’s and the world’s most important environmental heritage, at times in the face of intense industry and political hostility”.

“Some of ACF’s proudest achievements wouldn’t have been possible without the political courage of Bob Hawke and his governments. Like all Australians we owe him a debt,” she said.

The former British prime minister Tony Blair said he had admired Hawke and learned from him.

“He was an immensely successful leader of Australia but he also impacted all of us round the world who were looking for a sustainable model of government which combined strong economies with high levels of social justice and investment in the most disadvantaged sections of society,” Blair said.

“Sharp, with a marvellous strategic political mind, and concealing a first class intellect behind that friendly and ‘good bloke’ exterior, he was wonderful and warm company, and from the first time I met him back in 1982, always willing to reach out and help younger politicians. A true model for so many of us. He will be greatly missed.”

Hawke’s widow, Blanche d’Alpuget, said: “Bob Hawke and Paul Keating and their governments modernised the Australian economy, paving the way for an unprecedented period of recession-free economic growth and job creation.

“Bob’s consensus-style approach of bringing together the trade union movement and the business community boosted job opportunities while increasing the social wage through Medicare and extra financial support for low-income families.

“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.”