How long was bob hawke prime minister

Across the Hawke governments Aboriginal affairs received considerable attention, as did the environment, while higher education was transformed and equal opportunity acquired a national emphasis, including through legislation against gender discrimination in workplaces. While his authority within the Party was unquestioned, he also achieved consensus within government ranks, was politically astute, provided advice on what was electorally acceptable, and brought diverse groups to the negotiating table.

While able to persuade his ministers and members to support policy changes, he relied on the considerable support of his Treasurer Paul Keating and Industry Minister John Button to achieve economic reform. Other Ministers, too, were drivers in their portfolios in what was viewed as a reformist government. His leadership was damaged, the electorate was becoming disenchanted with the recession, and he was successfully challenged at the end of It was achieved at the end of a difficult process for both bodies, at a time when the economy was stagnating.

Hawke considered that Bond had lifted the national spirit with his win at a time when the country was in economic decline, but united around this 'marvellous historic victory'.

Hawke also memorably stated that Australians taking a day off to celebrate the victory should not be penalised. Stewart eds. Skip to main navigation Skip to secondary navigation Skip to content.

Australian Prime Ministers Show nav. Home Prime Ministers Bob Hawke. Born 9 December Bordertown, South Australia. Partner Hazel Hawke Blanche d'Alpuget. Party Australian Labor Party. Milestones Australian actor Russell Crowe described him as a "great man who never lost his humility":. Bob Hawke has died. A great man who made this country confident. A great man who never lost his humility.

Guinness book of records , 2. Rhodes Scholar. Trade Union Leader. Prime Minister. Thanks for everything Mr Hawke. Bob Hawke's death comes days before Australians go to the polls in a federal election. His former rival and the man who succeeded him as Labor leader and prime minister, Paul Keating, said that the pair had enjoyed a "great partnership".

Bob Hawke obituary: Australia's charismatic former PM. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Who was Bob Hawke? Hawke became a household name as president of the ACTU but his relentless drinking and womanising was well known and was seen as a major handicap to his political ambitions.

Hazel Hawke said in one interview she realised Hawke was serious about becoming prime minister when he gave up drinking. He had made a couple of earlier attempts to enter parliament but in was preselected as the member for Wills, and elected that year.

Hawke stalked the then opposition leader Bill Hayden relentlessly, leading to leadership instability which was finally resolved in February The following month a federal election was held and Hawke defeated Malcolm Fraser. Bob Hawke was elected to federal parliament at the general election on 18 October as Labor candidate for the seat of Wills, Victoria, which he held through the next four general elections: , , and On election he was immediately appointed to the shadow ministry of opposition leader WG Hayden, as spokesman on industrial relations, employment and youth affairs.

Hayden resigned the leadership, contested the position against Hawke at a caucus ballot on 16 July, and retained the position in a vote of He did so on 3 February , 20 minutes after the Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, called a general election.

Hawke brought Labor back into government at the general election on 5 March , gaining a seat majority over the Liberal—National coalition in the House of Representatives. Labor also held 30 Senate seats, compared to the 28 coalition, five Democrats and one Independent. Present were political parties and union and employer organisations. The idea was to attempt a national consensus on economic policy.

The Hawke government also floated the Australian dollar on international money markets and allowed the operation of foreign-owned banks as first steps towards deregulating the national economy. In the Hawke government used its powers under World Heritage legislation to prevent the Tasmanian government from building the Gordon-below-Franklin dam in Tasmania.

The Labor government led by Hawke was returned to office at an election on 1 December , with a reduced majority. Changes included: amalgamations of smaller tertiary training institutions; creation of new universities from former Colleges of Advanced Education; the setting of national curriculum standards for schools; upgrading of the Technical and Further Education TAFE sector; and the establishment of national training and qualification standards.

Despite loss of popularity as measured by opinion polls, Hawke took Labor to a record third term in office at the general election on 8 July He also arranged the celebration of the Bicentenary of the First Fleet and European settlement in Australia with a year-long series of events conducted in all states and territories in Although Hawke took Labor to a record fourth term in office at the general election in March , uncertainty grew within the parliamentary party over his ability to win another election during a period of recession.