What we're talking about

NW on Win A Lexus with The Rumour File That common sense has become very uncommon! more
Ela Carte on Ela Carte's Morsels Hi Gail,I think you must mean Noir, which is at 175 Swan St Richmond - www.noirrestaurant.com.au.And yes, it was absolutely ... more
peter on Win A Lexus with The Rumour File RE YOUR RUMOUR FILE ALL THIS MONEY MR DOYLE IS SPENDING ON SWANSTON ST I THINK RUMOUR USED TO BE FACT THAT SWANSTON ST IS A ... more
Nicholas on 3AW Online Community HUGE GARAGE SALE!Everything is absolutely cheap29 Greensted Grove, Roxburgh Park8:00 - 4:00 more
Jaime on Ask Bob Hart a food question Hi Bob,I've been getting extra organised this year and have already started making my Christmas puddings for family and ... more
Marty Cogger on Streaming 3AW with Mac and iPhone Please tell me why no android app,does apple own the world.No all the the people in the world have to own anything apple. more
Caroline on 3AW Online Community Choir of Hope & Inspiration â?? Joy to the World concertWed 7th December Christmas Concert - 7:30pm, St Michaelâ??s Uniting ... more
gail creighton on Ela Carte's Morsels Morning Ela I was wondering if you could advise the restaurant that you were discussing with Ross and John on Friday morning ... more
Nina on 3AW Online Community Garage Sale - 16 Wilsons Road Doncaser this Saturday 26th November starting at 8.00am. Vintage homewares, manchester, ... more
Mim and Millie on Mikayla Francis not forgotten We love and miss our cheeky little princess. Will be sending you love and messages on Sunday.XXX more
Anonymous on BLOG: Eastlink speed camera I'm glad to see I'm not alone on this. I received a fine yesterday for the Wellington Rd underpass, when I know for a fact ... more
Sandra Pemberton on 3AW Online Community Garage sale, Saturday 5th November from 8am, 9 Shenfield Avenue Chelsea- while you're at the beach today pop in and have a ... more
liberty1 on Do Not Fit A Smart Meter! Smart meters are a part of the United Nations Agenda 21 plan. Everyone here will know about Agenda 21 indirectly, it is also ... more
olive on Do Not Fit A Smart Meter! Because we have a granny flat,there would be 2 smart meters on the wall directly behind our bedhead. Does anyone know how ... more
Mich Smith on Do Not Fit A Smart Meter! Our block of units had smart meters installed without consent and with no prior notification either. My partner bought an ... more
Gillian Horvath on 3AW Online Community SALES BONANZA : Fundraiser for the Drysdale Bowling & Croquet Club, Collins St, Drysdale : Sunday 6th November : 10am to ... more
Graham Ferguson on Streaming 3AW with Mac and iPhone another vote for an android app more
Dianne on 3AW Online Community Sandy Point Wind FestivalCup Weekend Saturday 30 October and Sunday 31 October.Sandy Point is approx 2 hours from Melbourne ... more
lola on Smart meter rollout continues I just listened to the Energy Minister Michael O'Brien say that we all pay for the SM whether we have it installed or not! ... more
Sue Mittermair on Do Not Fit A Smart Meter! Say no to Smart Metres. An enquiry to suspend is needed now. Power prices will go up. Everyone I know who has a smart metre ... more

Paul Keating and Bob Hawke at war

Posted by: 3AW Radio | 15 July, 2010 - 8:23 AM

Bob Hawke and Paul Keating - things are heating up

PLAYING NOW: Neil Mitchell has his say on the spat between 'two old bulls' and speaks to Barry Cassidy, someone very close to Bob Hawke.

Cassidy refutes many of the claims made by Paul Keating.

SEE VIDEO BELOW: Former Premier Jeff Kennett is describing as 'sad' the latest spat between former Prime Ministers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating.

Mr Keating has claimed that his predecessor had to be "carried" for years as he struggled with depression.

He says an updated Hawke biography written by his wife Blanche D'Alpuget is an attempt to 're-write history'.

Ellie Harvey (Fairfax Media): Paul Keating has responded with trademark vitriol after reading extracts of Blanche d'Alpuget's biography of her husband, Bob Hawke.

Mr Keating, who served as treasurer to the then prime minister before ousting him in 1991, says he carried Mr Hawke for four of his eight years.

"The fact is, Bob, I was exceedingly kind to you for a very long time," he says in a letter to Mr Hawke published in The Australian.

"I knew the state you were in in 1984 . . . I carried you through the whole 1984-1987 parliament, insisting you look like the prime minister, even if your staff – the Manchu Court I called them – were otherwise prepared to leave you in your emotional hole."

Mr Keating says the extracts "fail to make clear that [Mr Hawke's] emotional and intellectual malaise lasted for years". He describes Mr Hawke's performance during the 1987 election as "lacklustre".

Mr Keating also said he has been misrepresented in his role in floating the exchange rate, and his position on the first Gulf War.

He said he had been approached by d'Alpuget for her book Hawke, The Prime Minister, which was launched on Monday, but had declined.

"I told her she could not write about your years with me, without dealing honestly and fully with your long years of depression and executive incapacity."

He was considering writing his own book to correct "yours and Blanche's rewriting of history [which] is not only unreasonable and unfair [but] grasping".

He said he would tell the whole truth, and "record without favour how lucky you were to have me drive the government during your down years, leaving you with the credit for much of the success".

3AW Mornings with Neil Mitchell

Neil is one of Australia’s most experienced journalists with success in newspapers, radio and television. He was one of the youngest editors of a daily metropolitan newspaper, The Herald. Enter Neil's highlights page for videos. replays and news.

Blog comments

Paul Keating is the biggest Flog we have ever seen. Good to see Labor such a strong brotherhood of a party. They must have a strong back so the knifes don't cause pain....Gillard is the 21st century version of that tosser Keating. "Oh I got a fine for a red light camera" Welcome to the real world Keating, I'm sure you can afford the fine on your Tax paid pension and free everything. We vote the Party not the Leader Folks, and you have already seen Labor in action. I'm as scared as you.

Benny Friday 16 July, 2010 - 11:37 PM
It just goes to show that if Barry Cassidy did not even know about Bob Hawke's many simultaneous love affairs , he really knows very little about the man.
He spoke so much during this interview trying to confirm or deny rumours about our belovered ex prime minister during his time of reign only to be made to look like a bloody fool in the very final moments of the interview.
Have a listen for yourself and be the judge. He is typical of many Australian journalists including Neil Mitchell in that they allow their personal opinions to form some kind of flawed logic which gets in the way of truth. I hope that I will not be the only person to comment on this subject. As far as his Sunday morning program The Insiders is concerned...well all I can say for that is I love to sleep in on Sunday mornings so as I momentarily wake from my slumber to reach for my remote, turn channel to the abc and snooze right through the whole boring program.

Tony Gian Friday 16 July, 2010 - 12:04 AM
One week is supposed to be a long time in politics but for some even 20 years is nothing.
Blanche, Anita, Hazel etc are not there behind all that. Or are they still in politics?
I may be wrong.

AnitaG Thursday 15 July, 2010 - 12:45 PM
Who cares about Bob Hawke and Paul Keating.
They are bothof the same mould.
If they didn't get their way they verbally attacked people to get their own way.
The only difference was Hawke had more personality.
They are both history and we don't need them to try and influence people now.

Dazza Thursday 15 July, 2010 - 11:02 AM
Can't wait for the Rudd vs Gillard book.

David Thursday 15 July, 2010 - 10:55 AM