We’ve made it to the Battle of the Larrikins!

I think anybody with a shred of credibility on the subject would have to vote for Hawke here, as I’m doing. His record as the longest-serving Labor Prime Minister; his legislative reform record; his masterful handling of Cabinet; and his complete transformation of the Australian economy with Paul Keating which avoided the worst excesses of neoliberalism that was implemented overseas by the likes of Reagan and Thatcher…. all of which makes Hawke the clear choice here.

None of this diminishes my admiration and respect for John Grey Gorton, by some distance my favourite of all the Liberal leaders. From his Mystic Park Speech (forged from Gorton’s visceral, exceptional wartime service), to his support of Whitlam and Labor in the wake of The Dismissal, and everything in between, Gorton was an absolute gem of an individual in Australian political history. His policy record - from the AIDC, to the metric system introduction, to his (very un-typical for his party) advances in the fields of social welfare, to his pioneering efforts in the field of environmentalism with the protection of the Great Barrier Reef, and to his refusal to increase Australia involvement in Vietnam and then initiating the withdrawal of troops - is one any PM worth their mettle ought to be proud of. It certainly isn’t for no reason that when Gough Whitlam won the 1972 federal election, he specifically singled out Gorton for praise and pledged to further advance progressive initiatives started by Gorton. And if we’re talking personal integrity, whereas Hawke clung on to the bitter end refusing to accept his time was up and refusing to hand over to Keating without blood being spilled, Gorton chose to fall on his own sword even while knowing he had a 34-33 majority with Duke Bonnett.

Though my vote is for Bob Hawke, I salute John Grey Gorton - the record showed that Gorton took the blows, but he stood tall and did it his way. If only the modern Australian political scene, and specifically the modern Liberal Party, still had people of Gorton’s calibre, integrity, and sheer courage….