Key Factors
- Former federal Labor chief and governor-general Invoice Hayden has died aged 90.
- Following information of the demise, Anthony Albanese and Paul Keating have each praised Hayden.
- Labor frontbenchers Penny Wong and Jim Chalmers have additionally commented on Hayden’s passing.
Former federal Labor chief and governor-general Invoice Hayden is being remembered as a terrific Australian after his demise aged 90.
Hayden led Labor in opposition from 1977 to 1983 earlier than serving as international minister in . He had beforehand served as a minister and briefly .
Hayden went on to grow to be Australia’s twenty first governor-general, holding the workplace between 1989 and 1996.
Chief of the Opposition Invoice Shorten (proper) greets former Labor chief Invoice Hayden and his spouse Dallas Hayden at a Labor Celebration Rally as a part of the 2016 election marketing campaign in Brisbane, 26 June 2016. Supply: AAP / Mick Tsikas
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese mentioned Hayden was a Labor legend who laid the foundations for the reforms pursued by the Hawke-Keating governments.
“If Invoice Hayden left no different legacy than as , he would nonetheless stand all the time as a legend of our labour motion and a terrific contributor to our nation,” Albanese mentioned in an announcement on Saturday.
“In a time of forceful personalities, Invoice Hayden was notable for his humility.
“But there was nothing modest about his ambition for Labor or Australia. This was the quiet power of character he delivered to the reason for progress.”
Historical past ought to document that with out Hayden championing and constructing Medibank, Albanese mentioned.
As social safety minister after Labor got here to energy in 1972, Hayden was the architect of Medibank, the precursor to Medicare.
Former Labor chief Gough Whitlam celebrates his ninetieth birthday in 2006 with shut buddies and colleagues, together with former labour celebration chief Invoice Hayden (far left, sitting) and Paul Keating (far battle, sitting). Supply: AAP / Sergio Dionisio
Former prime minister Paul Keating described Hayden as “a terrific servant of Australia”.
“Political circumstances denied Invoice Hayden the prime ministership however the Hawke authorities during which he served as international minister was arrange and formed by him as chief of the parliamentary Labor Celebration,” Keating mentioned.
“And the financial personnel he put in place had been the constructing blocks the Hawke authorities relied upon to shift the nation’s coverage to the financial rationalism which has since made Australia so versatile and so rich.”
Born in 1933, Hayden grew up in Queensland the place he labored within the public service and police drive earlier than profitable the federal seat of Oxley in 1961, which he held till 1988 earlier than serving as governor-general.
Opposition chief Peter Dutton mentioned Mr Hayden, , put his celebration and the nation earlier than private ambition.
“For the person who described himself as ‘a product of the Nice Despair’, Invoice Hayden achieved nice issues in public life, leaving Australia that a lot larger due to his service,” Dutton mentioned.
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers mentioned in an announcement that Invoice Hayden was a “selfless servant of the Australian folks, and our Celebration”.
He posted the tribute on social media platform X, previously Twitter, together with a photograph from 1980 of Hayden together with his spouse.
Overseas Minister Penny Wong hailed Hayden as a champion of lasting progressive reform.
“As Overseas Minister within the Hawke authorities, Invoice drove nearer ties between Australia and Asia and the Pacific area and we proceed to ship on that legacy right now,” Senator Wong wrote on X.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles described Hayden as “a person of huge stature” who stands among the many giants of the labour motion.
“Be it because the architect of common healthcare or the nation’s first single mom’s pension, Invoice sought to make this nation a greater and fairer place for all Australians. He understood the significance of our area and Australia’s place in it,” he mentioned.
A state funeral shall be held for Mr Hayden, who’s survived by his spouse Dallas and three kids.
