Radio Australia Today Editorial

Paul Keating. A Blast from the Past

16 June 2008

Those of you who don’t know who Paul Keating is, let me say that he is one of the most original people to come out of Australia.

He is an extraordiary wordsmith, a great communicator, a man of ideas, and a person of great style too.

He was also prime minister of the Land of Oz from 1991 to 1996.

His years in office, first as treasurer in the 1980s, and then as prime minister were marked by controversy. Not corruption, or anything like that, but by his words, which more effect on the economy than anything Ben Benanke might be saying out of the Federal Reserve in the U.S.

It was Paul Keating who told Australians in the late 1980s that they were in the recession that Australia had to have.

People don’t like being told that they deserve hardship, and many voters never forgave him for that little gaffe.

Like Ben Benanke, he also used words to slow the economy. His famous quote on morning radio about Australia coming close to being a banana republic did just what he wanted, it slowed peoples’ extravagance.

But the lines that stay in the heart of his supporters are the barbs he threw across the floor parliament. Here are a few examples:

“He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up”

“His performance is like being flogged with a warm lettuce.”

” You boxhead you wouldn’t know. You are flat out counting up to 10.”

” Mr Speaker can I have some protection from the clowns on the front bench?”

In school of course, he would’ve been sent to the back of the class. In parliament, lines like these, which were never malicious, had many of us in stitches.

Perhaps his biggest gaffe was when he put his arm around Queen Elizabeth when introducing her to someone. It was a small touch, but the British media went crazy, telling him to leave her alone, and dubbing him the Lizard of Oz.

So it might be of interest to learn that Paul Keating might be used in a new tourism and business campaign. In England.

Whether it comes off or not, it is good to see the ex-PM back in the media.

He may have presided a pretty appalling recession, but in these days of automation politicians, it’s nice occasionally to reflect on the days when leaders were not afraid to say something controversial. Or to be themseves.
– Phil