Paul Keating vs Kerry O’Brien: Round Two… FIGHT!
The second instalment of the ABC's interview series was the story of policy battles, economic reform, and of course that "envious little bastard", Bob Hawke.
As good as the politician was (and he was frequently very good), Paul Keating’s achievements as an elected official are a matter of public record. The hope was that the ABC’s four-part O’Brien interview series would offer an insight into Keating, the man. So what did we learn?
After the nostalgia of the first instalment, the second was heavy on policy and light on personal insight. A sense of the man could be found, however, precisely in the lack of personal details. One got the distinct sense that by the late ’70s, Keating the man was a mere vessel for Keating the power-fixated legislator. As such, part two was the story of policy battles, economic reform, and, of course, Bob Hawke.
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On Bob Hawke
The most famous, most complicated relationship in Keating’s life was the one he shared with Bob Hawke, and it dominated the discussion. When the then-ACTU leader Hawke challenged for the Labor leadership in 1979, Keating backed his rival, the incumbent shadow PM Bill Hayden. Though their partnership later blossomed, Keating’s early impressions of Hawke were not positive.
Keating: I’d run into him a few times socially…not with great pleasure. Bob used to belt the bottle a bit. He was always a bit…rude.
On the matter of securing the post of Treasurer under Hawke in 1983, despite realigning himself with Hayden by taking on the Shadow Treasurer’s post just prior to Hayden’s resignation (I know, I’m dizzy too), Keating explained his Keating-tastic tactics:
Keating: He inherited me…He’d had these discussions with staff – I don’t know how seriously, by the way, but serious enough for me to say, ‘Bob, you try and touch me as Shadow Treasurer, and I’ll invoke the Harry Truman Doctrine of massive retaliation – and I mean massive.’
Pretty soon though, Hawke and Keating were the Milo and Otis of Canberra, finishing 1983 “thick as thieves”. In the discussion of Hawke’s darkest moment as Prime Minister, though, Keating’s pathological streak flared noticeably. In August 1984, Hawke discovered that his heavily pregnant daughter, Roslyn, was addicted to heroin. When asked about his emotional response to the situation, Keating either misunderstood the question, or didn’t have any emotional response whatsoever, merely confirming that yes, it was a tough time for Bob, and that he cried in front of the Malaysian Prime Minister.
Empathy, Keating-style
As the discussion moved to the depression that Hawke suffered in the wake of that revelation, Keating and O’Brien jousted in earnest for just about the first time.
Keating: You’ve got to know something about power, Kerry. Leave a void, and someone will fill it. Bob left a massive depression in the power equation through ‘85, ‘86, ‘87, and [by] a very large measure, I filled it.
On O’Brien’s objection to the implication that Hawke’s brief period of depression in fact lasted three years, Keating whipped out some cuttings, including a piece by Hawke’s ‘now wife’ (pronounced with a knowing flourish), Blanche D’Alpuget. Regardless of whether D’Alpuget felt that Hawke was “vanishing”, it felt petty, and a little tawdry.
And this statement was downright bitter:
Keating: I don’t blame Bob for skipping out on consumption tax…I blame him for this though: not telling me before he decided to go to the ACTU. In the middle of the night. That’s called ratting – R-A-T-T-I-N-G…I think his nerves went, basically.
Paul’s not having it.
And yet. And yet! They’re definitely still buddies. I don’t think I understand politicians…
O’Brien: How easily were you and Bob able to repair the fracture?
Keating: The show must go on – we are in show-business. There was always a point of affection for Bob with me. I mean that. The public will never understand the value they got out of Bob and me…the changes were revolutionary.
O’Brien: He delivered the political capital, and you used it up…
Keating: Let me say this in Bob’s favour: PMs need a reforming treasurer like a dose of rabies.
Keating in physical discomfort at the thought of the ‘envious little bastard’.
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On Loyalty
Not a long section, this one.
When O’Brien asked about Keating’s meeting with Bob Hawke to discuss the ousting of Bill Hayden, “in a period where loyalty to the leader was still held in very high regard”, all Keating could muster was, “well, I didn’t want the meeting.”
And on Hawke’s victory in 1983, Keating claims his thoughts were with the man he was instrumental in deposing: “On that day I wasn’t thinking of my leadership ambitions, I was thinking of Bill losing his great shot at history.”
“Suuure…”
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Keating Revolutionised Australia’s Economy, And Doesn’t Care Who Knows
If you were looking for fireworks, juicy revelations and acid-tongued bon mots, look away now. Keating quite clearly cares a lot about his reputation as a reforming Treasurer, and was at pains to get every detail right — he wasn’t going to let Bob Hawke get a sliver of credit for his own deeds.
Although Keating quite clearly craved the highest office, evidence of the more noble side of his political make-up is revealed when he starts talking fiscal policy — which he did with some enthusiasm. While he was aware that Australia was a “nanny economy” in need of massive reform, he also knew that “the last thing we needed to look like was the Beverley Hillbillies coming again”.
Regarding his legacy, Keating asserted that the ‘four pillars’ banking reforms that he inflicted on the “deadbeats” in the banking sector saved Australia from a US-style meltdown in 07/08 — and he reminded O’Brien in no uncertain terms that his 1985 Tax Summit reform package “is still the basis of the current taxation system of Australia”.
On his (his!) decision to float the dollar, he explained that “the Australian dollar was locked up and uncompetitive, and too high in value. It was killing miners and farmers.” Keating also found the time to dismiss as “a complete lie” Hawke’s claim that he had to convince Keating about the float.
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Glimmers Of Humanity
Keating: Anyone who walks onstage, whether a thespian or a politician, has…certain nerves in the belly. If you don’t have those, you’ll never be any good.
I hate to bang on about the Keating self-confidence, but one got the sense that the man’s faith in himself greatly informed both his personality and his political career . Whether it’s arrogance or an accurate self-appraisal on his part is another matter for another time.
On the subject of question time, and his routine humiliation of opponents, Keating insisted that his behaviour was more than mere sadistic jerkery: “There’s got to be a bit of fun in it all. I can say I left public life with feelings of enmity to no-one on the opposition benches.”
Keating once again touched on his love of classical music, both defending himself against charges of arrogance and paying tribute to his heroes through the medium of Shakespearian metaphor:
Keating: There’s a difference between pride in one’s work and humility…a Wagner opera ‘Bruckner Symphony Number Five’, the scale of the genius [says to you] that, ‘sorry, you’ve missed out’. I’m a mortal, but these are immortals…we’re just bit players on a very large stage.
What I’m trying to say is that one of Australia’s most charismatic, influential and polarising politicians is giving a run-down of one of the most turbulent periods in Australian politics, and you really ought to get over to iView post-haste.
And I have a feeling something interesting might happen next week, too. Dunno what, though.
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