TRIBUTES FOR BOB
WHAT MADE FORMER PM SO GREAT
Tony Blair said Mr Hawke “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”.
“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,” he said.
And former US president Bill Clinton said he “always liked and admired Bob Hawke for his progressive record and great sense of humour”.
That shone through when Australia won the America’s Cup in 1983 and Hawke famously said: “Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum.”
Hollywood star Russell Crowe paid tribute on Twitter to “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.”
However, not all tributes were so well received.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott sparked outrage for lauding Mr Hawke’s achievements with the line that he “had a Labor heart, but a Liberal head”.
For his part, Mr Hawke had once described Mr Abbott as “mad as a cut snake”.
Mr Hawke’s old sparring partner, former Liberal prime minister John Howard, said the tribute was “Tony’s way of expressing the reality”.
“That sounds like outrage for the sake of outrage to me,” he said.
Mr Howard praised Mr Hawke as the “greatest Australian prime minister produced by the Labor Party”.
He said Mr Hawke succeeded because he did not seek to “divide Australia on phoney class lines”.