Bob Hawke by Paul Keating

[nero_bolt]

Bob Hawke's nude Prime Ministerial meetings 

PAUL Keating today revealed the delicate etiquette involved in a Treasurer conducting business with a naked Prime Minister.

And for the first time he gave a public evaluation of what might have been called the honourable member involved.

The former Prime Minister was launching the diaries of Gareth Evans, “Inside the Hawke Keating Government” (MUP), an account of the years 1984-86.

Mr Keating used the book to talk about his own place in that period, and to continue his insistence it was him and not then Prime Minister Bob Hawke who kept the Government going.

There were his difficulties with Bob, not least talking to him when he was nude.

“I’d arrive at The Lodge at 10.30 and find Bob sunning himself by the pool,” Mr Keating told a launch audience at the Australian National University where Mr Evans is chancellor.

“He often used to do this nude.

“I did have a few things to say about midgets ... on the occasion, but this is not the occasion for elaborating”.

But that’s what he did, revealing a story which long had been in circulation to illustrate the Hawke/Keating divide, but which he had never before used in public.

“Gareth and I went out there in suits one day, sweating, and there’s Bob in the nude,” he recalled.

“I said, Don’t worry, midgets ...” and gave a hand gestures involving his thumb and index finger extended parallel and close together.

Riffling off the diary’s less strident recollections, Mr Keating argued Mr Hawke was ineffective as Prime Minister between 1984 and 1989, a five-year period in which he said he drove the government’s agenda.

And he was unsparing with his predecessor.

“Bob could cry for Aborigines but he wouldn’t do anything for them,” he said at one point.

Another target was for minister Graham Richardson, with whom he said he clashed over the issue of fixed mortgage rates.

“These people have to realise there is number one and a number two in this place. And Richardson was a number two,” he said.

But he praised Mr Evans’ book, saying there was “an immediacy and an authenticity about it”.

Mr Evans compared the rigorous cabinet meetings of these days with what he knew of meetings in the Abbott government executive.

He said the Prime Minister was first among equals, “but only just”.

“The concept of a captain’s pick or captain’s call, “ he said, referring to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, “just didn’t exist in those days.” 

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/bob-hawkes-nude-prime-ministerial-meetings/story-fni0fiyv-122703889...

[cherry*135]

Nup... where does nudie sunbathing and photo of Hawke in his speedo's fit into that Icy?

Abbott has made many errors of judgement and gaffes in the last 12 months.. a books worth already.

[icyfroth]

icyfroth wrote:

While we seem to have seized on the men in budgie smugglers theme, I think the point of this thread is the sheer hypocrisy of  Labor party faithful who can indulge the outrageous behaviour of a  Labor PM, while condemning a Liberal PM for the smallest error of judgement.

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i-need-a-martini wrote:

I can't see where that point is being made at all in this thread.

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Why does that not surprise me?

[karliandjacko]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

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@icyfroth wrote:

While we seem to have seized on the men in budgie smugglers theme, I think the point of this thread is the sheer hypocrisy of  Labor party faithful who can indulge the outrageous behaviour of a  Labor PM, while condemning a Liberal PM for the smallest error of judgement.

---

I can't see where that point is being made at all in this thread.

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The OP seemed to be struggling to grasp the fact it's a Gareth Evans book not a Keating book. It looks like the point is to practice the verbal attacks of anything Labor to deflect from the unsavoury habits of the looting libs.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@icyfroth wrote:

@icyfroth wrote:

While we seem to have seized on the men in budgie smugglers theme, I think the point of this thread is the sheer hypocrisy of  Labor party faithful who can indulge the outrageous behaviour of a  Labor PM, while condemning a Liberal PM for the smallest error of judgement.

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

I can't see where that point is being made at all in this thread.

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Why does that not surprise me?

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Enlighten me.

[icyfroth]

Quite simply because Labor supporters are blind to the shortcomings of Labor leaders while wide-awake, anticipatory even, to those of the Liberal.

[i-need-a-martini]

Is being comfortable being nude a shortcoming?

And how does it compare to shortcomings like, say, visiting a cancer ward whilst you are in the position of Prime Minister simply in order to justify tthe expense of an interstate trip that was taken for the purpose of attending a private function and then being stupid enough to blab to your colleagues as if it was a natural thing to do?

[lightningdance]

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@icyfroth wrote:

@icyfroth wrote:

While we seem to have seized on the men in budgie smugglers theme, I think the point of this thread is the sheer hypocrisy of  Labor party faithful who can indulge the outrageous behaviour of a  Labor PM, while condemning a Liberal PM for the smallest error of judgement.

---

@i-need-a-martini wrote:

I can't see where that point is being made at all in this thread.

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Why does that not surprise me?

---

Too true, All the kudo klubbers love sad old wrinkly drunks in speedos but despise anybody fit and healthy wearing  them doing something for the community.

The onslaught the PM has had to endure from the left wing media and their fellow travellers has now put the iconic Australian Speedos into a category that somehow seems shameful if you wear them.

Now what's that word they screamed and bleated when Gillard was PM? was it misogyny?

[icyfroth]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

Is being comfortable being nude a shortcoming?

And how does it compare to shortcomings like, say, visiting a cancer ward whilst you are in the position of Prime Minister simply in order to justify tthe expense of an interstate trip that was taken for the purpose of attending a private function and then being stupid enough to blab to your colleagues as if it was a natural thing to do?

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Comfortable being nude is one thing. Exposing yourself is just plain EEE-EW. Especially for a senior member of government, one would expect a bit of decorum.

In the back of those revelations by Keating, Jonesy and Amanda this morning invited listeners to call in and relate any experiences they'd had being confronted by unexpected nudity.

One man called in to say he'd managed the hotel where Mr Hawke used to reside in Sydney. Apparently he was in the habit of opening the door in the nude when the bellhops used to deliver his morning paper. It got to the point where the manager had to ask Mr Hawke to cover up because the staff, especially their one female bellhop, refused to take up the paper unless he did so.

Re Mr Abbots trip. At least he had the courtesy to use taxpayers funds by serving public interests as well as private. More than I can say for some Labor and union officials who used public funds for their privat entertainment.

[lightningdance]

Hmmm what was that trip Gillard used the VIP jet for to attend a Labor wedding in Coffs.

A VIP jet that cost hundreds of thousands of taxpayers money to take her to a Labor cronies wedding? maybe she squeezed a bit of work in to cover that up but we all saw it, we all knew what she'd done, we all saw her Lie about it, and in the end the cronies admitted it was an excuse to use the aircraft to attend the wedding, any other activity had nothing to do with it.

Liar liar big ass pants on fire Gillard still invokes antipathy and dread that Labor will regain power any time soon in the future.

[debra9275]

ah yes, using taxpayers money to attend weddings, here's a few more of those

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/10/06/coalition-mps-wedding-travel-costs-20k

but I suppose they are OK by you LD?