Labor legend Bob Hawke dies aged 89, page-96

Anyone can balance the books when the money is pouring in due to windfalls of trade set up by Hawke/Keating and by selling off our assets as the Howard govt did.

The point is that Hawke/Keating policies set the framework for a thriving economy from which we benefit even now.

They also had the vision to re-invent Gough Whitlam's Medibank which the Fraser govt basically demolished and created our beloved Medicare.

The wages accord and mandating superannuation for all were other monumental policies they introduced. They set the scene from which the Howard govt's benefited and some would say much of that benefit was wasted, instead of using it for our long term future. It’s well written how Peter Costello did try to slow down Howards propensity to pork barrel and dishing out welfare to those who didn’t really need it. Removing reasonable benefit limits on superannuation also undermined its purpose. Thankfully that has since been rectified to an extent. Also refusing to increase the superannuation contribution component for workers was another great mistake. Many will not have enough to retire on and the super money that superannuation funds can invest to bolster our economy is less than it could otherwise be.

Notwithstanding, the Hawke/Keating superannuation initiative has underpinned our markets and provides retirement funds which had it been up to successive coalition govt's most people would have zero and most would have had to rely entirely on the very limited age pension.

Vale Bob Hawke! A great Australian and Labor legend! My thanks for all the long lasting good things you did for our country. RIP!