Australian former PM Bob Hawke dead

Friday, 17 May 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke and his wife Blanche d'Alpuget arrive at a memorial service in honour of former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam at Sydney's Town Hall - REUTERS

SYDNEY, AFP: Australia’s longest-serving Labour Prime Minister Bob Hawke died Thursday aged 89, his wife announced.

“Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian -- many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era,” his second wife Blanche d’Alpuget said in a statement, “He died peacefully at home.”

The son of a preacher, Hawke led his country during the 1980s, a period during which he seduced the nation with his everyman appeal while beginning deregulation of the economy, including floating the dollar.

From negotiating with Frank Sinatra to ensure the crooner’s 1974 Sydney concerts went ahead to shedding tears over bloodshed in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, Hawke was a huge presence on Australia’s political landscape.

Never voted out by the public, which forgave him his faults, he won four elections on the run beginning in 1983, and only left office following a party room coup.

To many he was a quintessential Australian “larrikin” – a beloved rogue.

His death comes days before Australians go to the polls.

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.