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Prime Minister Bob Hawke (1983-91)

Robert James Lee Hawke was Australia’s 23rd Prime Minister and the ALP’s most successful and longest-serving Prime Minister.

Hawke

He was first elected to the House of Representatives, as the member for the Melbourne electorate of Wills, in 1980. He became leader of the ALP in February 1983 and Prime Minister a few weeks later, taking his party to victory over Malcolm Fraser’s LNP coalition government.

Hawke won four consecutive terms in office. He was re-elected in 1984, 1987 and 1990, becoming the only Labor Prime Minister to win three or more federal elections. Before him, Whitlam won two consecutive elections and Fisher won two non-consecutive elections.

Hawke was deposed as ALP leader on December 19, 1991 by his deputy and former Treasurer, Paul Keating. Hawke resigned as the member for Wills in February 1992.

The Hawke Ministers 1983-91

There were 53 members of the Hawke executives, including ministers and parliamentary secretaries. THIS PAGE shows all the ministers, their seats and portfolios, dates of birth and death, and ages. The table also indicates in which of the four Hawke terms the ministers held office.

Robert James Lee Hawke

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