Bob Hawke

Robert " Bob" James Lee Hawke ( born December 9, 1929 in Bordertown, South Australia ) is an Australian politician of the Australian Labor Party (ALP ). He could win the parliamentary elections of 1983, 1984, 1987 and 1990 for the ALP and was dated 11 March 1983 to December 20, 1991 Prime Minister of Australia.

Early years

Bob Hawke was born in 1929 in Bordertown, South Australia near the border with Victoria as the second, younger son of Clement Hawke, a minister of a church congregation and his wife Ellie (nee Lee), a teacher. In 1939, after the death of Bob's older brother Neil, the family moved to Perth, Western Australia and settled there in the (then) suburb of West Leederville. Hawk went to the Perth Modern School, a high school in the neighboring suburb of Subiaco, after high school to the University of Western Australia, Perth. Here he graduated in 1953, in law and economics. Then he studied as a Rhodes Scholar in Economics from the University of Oxford in the UK. In 1955 he gained here another bachelor's degree in 1956 and returned back to Australia to take over Doctor studies at the Australian National University in Canberra. This he did not finish, however, but turned to politics in 1958.

President of the ACTU 1969 - 1980

1958 Hawke began to work as a lawyer at the largest umbrella organization of the Australian unions, the Australian Council of Trade Unions ( ACTU ). When Albert ( Ernest ) Monk, longtime president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions ( ACTU ) resigned in 1969 for health reasons from his post, Bob Hawke was elected his successor. Hawke remained until 1980 at this post and received as a skilled mediator in labor disputes great reputation both on the part of the workers as well as employers. Hawke was in this period numerous committees, so the Einwanderungsplanungsrat 1970-1980 ( in this period falls the abolition of the racist White Australia Policy), the Australian Council of Association from 1975 to 1980, the Australian Population and Immigration Council from 1976 to 1980, the Australian Refugee Council from 1979 to 1980 and the Organisation Board of Labor Party, whose national he was president from 1973 to 1978.

In Parliament

In 1963 Hawke the first attempt to parliament of Australia ( House of Representatives ) to arrive and entered in the electoral district ( Electoral Division ) of Corio ( Geelong and vicinity), in the state of Victoria against the then minister for immigration, Hubert Opperman, who for the Liberal Party of Australia candidate, to - a chance goose chase.

1980 Hawke took a renewed - this time successful - attempt to Federal Parliament ( House of Representatives ) to arrive. After he ( electoral district in the north- west of Melbourne ) against Gerry Hand with 38 in the intra-party candidacy for the constituency of Wills: had 29 votes prevailed, he resigned his presidency of the ACTU in order to fully concentrate on the upcoming election can. . In the election of 18 October 1980, he won Wills for the ALP and held this seat in the following four elections until 1992, the then chairman of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Bill Hayden, Hawke appointed Minister of his shadow cabinet - responsible of Industry, Employment and Youth ( industrial relations, employment and Youth Affairs ).

Top candidate of the ALP

As the end of 1982 was foreseeable that the then Prime Minister Fraser would seek an early election, many feared ALP MPs that the party would lose a top candidate Bill Hayden choice. At the ALP national conference on July 16, 1982 attempted Hawke and his followers, the party leadership to usurp. In a crucial vote ( leadership ballot ) Hayden / Hawke Hawke but just going down to 37: 42 votes. On February 1, 1983, was then primarily the later Minister of Economy, John Button, the Bill Hayden persuaded that as the leading candidate Bob Hawke would be the better choice to achieve an electoral victory for the ALP and two days later, at a meeting of the ALP shadow Cabinet in Brisbane, Hayden opened the way for Hawke. On 8 February 1983 Hawke was officially presented as the top candidate of the ALP. A few hours later, the incumbent prime minister, Malcolm Fraser met the Governor General Ninian Stephen, to cause the dissolution of the House and Senate (double dissolution ). Fraser had - in vain - hoped the change in ALP leadership forestall because it seemed easier to Hayden besiegender opponents. On 16 February 1983, the ALP officially launched their campaign with the slogan: " Bob Hawke - Bringing Australia together".

Prime Minister 1983 - 1991

Elections of March 5, 1983

In the election of 5 March 1983 ( House of Representatives Senate ) Bob Hawke could enter a landslide victory for the ALP. It was the biggest victory of the ALP since the election of 1943, when the party with John Curtin as the leading candidate recorded a vocal growth of almost 10% and was 49 seats ( 17 ) win. In March 1983, the voters vote for the ALP was even clearer. Of the total 125 seats of the House of Representatives ( House of Representatives ) was the ALP 75 ( 24) win. The Liberal Party of Australia has experienced substantial losses. From their won in the election of 1980, 54 seats, they could only hold 33 ( - 21). The National Party of Australia won 17 seats ( - 3).

Thus ALP decreed the House of Representatives against the right-wing liberal- national coalition has a comfortable majority of 15 seats. In the Senate the ALP now had a - albeit brief - a majority of two votes against the opposition: Of the total 64 seats could 30 to chalk ( 3). The Liberal Party got here 23, the National Party 4, the Country Liberal Party 1, the Australian Democrats 5 seats. (1 Independent - Brian Harradine for Tasmania ).

On March 11, 1983, the new ( 23 ) Prime Minister Bob Hawke before his cabinet to the public.

Hawkes first important decision as Prime Minister was to ensure an economic summit in Canberra from 11 to 14 April 1983. He managed to bring the political parties and employers ' and workers' representatives at a table with the goal of national unity in economic policy.

More important for Australia steps were:

  • The release of the Australian dollar on the international money markets
  • The first steps towards deregulation of the national economy
  • The admission of foreign banks in Australia
  • Introduction of a national health on 1 February 1984
  • Establishment of a national curriculum standards for schools
  • Establishment of national training and quality standards
  • A new Social Security Act, which replaced the Social Security Act of 1947
  • Data Protection Act

Although its popularity declined due to the many changes he introduced himself on July 8, 1987 as the top candidate of the ALP for re-election, which he won. He and his Chancellor of the Exchequer Paul Keating, the prime minister was following, thanks to the boom of the ALP. By the turn of the Party towards a " center party " they had been able to attract many voters from the liberal- nationalist camp.

At his first inauguration Hawke had the highest popularity rate, which ever had a prime minister since the introduction of opinion polls.

Private

On March 3, 1956 Bob Hawke married Hazel Masterson in Perth ( born July 20, 1929 in Perth, Western Australia ). Hazel and Bob Hawke had four children: Susan (* 1957), Stephen ( * 1959), Roslyn ( b. 1960 ) and Robert ( b. 1963 ). In 1995, the couple divorced and Hawke married his second wife Blanche d' Alpuget, the author published his biography in 1982.

Pictures of Bob Hawke

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