“STATEMENT OF THE OBVIOUS” – By Des Kelly

Bob Hawke, a former Prime Minister of Australia, is now very frail and on his “last legs”, according to various professional journalists, over here in Oz. He, Bob himself, has spoken about his terrible health at the moment, and does not think that he will be around to see “Labour” win the next election in 2019. What a lot of bulldust!.

Of course, he is frail. How many men at age 89 can jump around doing the samba ?. What is the friggin use of stating the bloody obvious ?. At least, he has Blanche looking after him, when at home, and the best “medicine-men” at his beck and call, when in hospital. Deservedly so, I would hasten to add, because THIS ex-Prime Minister was a very different “kettle of fish” while serving his people.

This could be termed a “preulogy” I suppose. He is still very much alive & kicking, thank the good Lord for that.

A bit difficult to do the samba while in a wheelchair, but still kicking, Bob Hawke started off, a brilliant student, born in South Australia, moved over to Western Australia, studied at the West Australian University, going on, from there to the Oxford University, where he then became a Rhodes Scholar.

Not easy to do all this, at the best of times, but this is Bob Hawke, we are talking about folks, a man who then became a ” force to be reckoned with” in the “Union-movement”, an Orator with the best of them, as I remember, absolutely the BEST advertisement for Australian Beer, beating several records in the “guzzling-down” of Victoria Bitter, which, I think, was his favourite. There wasn’t a barman around who wouldn’t jump for joy when he heard that “Hawkey” was coming around.

Bob Hawke also loved his “Sports”. After he did become the P.M., he gave up playing cricket, only after he had one eye almost blinded when struck by a “bouncer”, then went over to Western Australia once again to join a bloke by the name of Alan Bond, whose yacht Australia ll won the ” America’s Cup, 1983, skippered by John Bertrand, after 132 long years. The New York Yacht Club people were not too happy about it, cos they had won the cup for the previous 131 years, mathematically speaking. B9b Hawke’s famous quote, after the race was that any “boss” who sacked a worker for missing work to watch the race, was a BUM.!!

Yes, Bob Hawke, former Aussie Prime Minister IS frail.

However, it will be only the Almighty who decides WHEN to invite Bob to his bar-room in the sky. Doubtless, the present love of his life, who is a famous Author, herself, will present his autobiography to the public of Australia. All I can add to this, is the fact that Bob Hawke was, is now, and always will be, one UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTER. Good on ya, Bob.