TRIBUTES FLOW FOR HAWKIE
TRIBUTES continued to flow yesterday for Australia’s larrikin Labor leader and legendary former prime minister Bob Hawke.
His widow Blanche d’Alpuget emerged from her first night alone in their Northbridge home wearing his old dressing gown because “it made her feel better”.
She picked up newspapers carrying front page tributes to her 89-year-old husband, who died just days before the election.
“There’s been a great outpouring of love and its been very, very sustaining and energetic, and I think it’s wonderful for Australia to remember that love is what you need,” she said.
Labor leader Bill Shorten arrived shortly after with a bunch of flowers. “I’ve had a lovely catch-up with Blanche, she’s a very strong person and you can see why her and Bob had such great love,’’ Mr Shorten said as he left.
He went on to lay flowers for Mr Hawke on the steps of the Sydney Opera House and confided that Ms d’Alpuget “did caution me against being too soppy, she said because that might set her off.”
Mr Shorten had seen the Labor elder statesman a week ago and said Mr Hawke was “looking forward” to celebrating on election night.
“Blanche said that nothing would make Bob happier than Labor forming a government. The time for talk about the election is nearly at an end, if it’s not at an end. The voters will make their judgment now,” he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison also paid tribute to “a great Australian who led and served our country with passion, courage and an intellectual horsepower that made our country stronger.”
Social media lit up with tributes and heartfelt stories about the legendary prime minister who touched so many lives as he led Labor to victory in 1983, 1984, 1987 and 1990.
Former UK prime minister 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.’’
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 is a bum”.
Yesterday cup-winning captain John Bertrand said it was typical of Mr Hawke’s ability to seize the moment.
“That was a perfect thing to say. Years later Bob would often say that of all the great things he achieved … people would always remind him of that,” he said.
Hollywood star Russell Crowe paid tribute to “a great man who made this country confident ... who never lost his humility’’.
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’’.
Mr Howard praised Mr Hawke as the “greatest Australian prime minister produced by the Labor Party’’, saying he succeeded because he did not “divide Australia on phoney class lines”.
As the nation goes to the polls today, leaders have been reminded of Mr Hawke’s words on why Australians trusted him.
“Do you know why I have credibility? Because I don’t exude morality,” he said.