Australia’s New Parliament House  A guide to the new Parliament House Signed by  Bob Hawke PM 1983-1991  & Paul Keating PM 1991- 1996 ____________________________________________________________ Overview This booklet provides an insight into the design, construction, material choice and final finishes employed in the new and exciting Parliament House.  What makes this an exceptional book though is the signature of the Prime Minister, Bob Hawke and his the Treasurer, Paul Keating soon to become the 24th Prime Minister of Australia. Robert James Lee Hawke (9 December 1929 – 16 May 2019) was an Australian politician and trade unionist who served as the 23rd prime minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991. He held office as leader of the Labor Party (ALP), having previously served as president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions from 1969 to 1980 and as president of the Labor Party national executive from 1973 to 1978. In 1980, Hawke stood down from his roles as ACTU and Labor Party president to announce his intention to enter parliamentary politics, and was subsequently elected to the Australian House of Representatives as a member of parliament (MP) for the division of Wills at the 1980 federal election. Three years later, he was elected unopposed to replace Bill Hayden as leader of the Australian Labor Party, and within five weeks led Labor to a landslide victory at the 1983 election, and was sworn in as prime minister. He led Labor to victory a further three times, with successful outcomes in 1984, 1987 and 1990 elections, making him the most electorally successful prime minister in the history of the Labor Party. Key reforms implemented by the Hawke government included widespread deregulation, dramatic cuts to tariffs as well as business subsidies, the introduction of universal healthcare under Medicare, increased federal expenditure on education, creating APEC, floating the Australian dollar, enacting the Sex Discrimination Act to prevent discrimination in the workplace, declaring "Advance Australia Fair" as the country's national anthem, initiating superannuation pension schemes for all workers, negotiating a ban on mining in Antarctica and overseeing passage of the Australia Act that removed all remaining jurisdiction by the United Kingdom from Australia. Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and trade unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia and leader of the Labor Party from 1991 to 1996. He previously served as treasurer from 1983 to 1991 and as deputy prime minister from 1990 to 1991 under the prime ministership of Bob Hawke. Born in Sydney, Keating left school at the age of 14. He joined the Labor Party at the same age, serving a term as State president of Young Labor and working as a research assistant for a trade union. He was elected to the Australian House of Representatives at the age of 25, winning the division of Blaxland at the 1969 federal election.  He was briefly minister for Northern Australia from October to November 1975, in the final weeks of the Whitlam government - along with Doug McClelland, After the Whitlam Dismissal removed Labor from power, he held senior portfolios in the Shadow Cabinets of Whitlam and Bill Hayden. During this time he came to be seen as the leader of the Labor Right faction, and developed a reputation as a talented and fierce parliamentary performer. After Labor's landslide victory at the 1983 election, Keating was appointed treasurer by prime minister Bob Hawke. The pair developed a powerful political partnership, overseeing significant reforms intended to liberalise and strengthen the Australian economy. These included the Prices and Incomes Accord, the float of the Australian dollar, the elimination of tariffs, the deregulation of the financial sector, achieving the first federal budget surplus in Australian history, and reform of the taxation system, including the introduction of capital gains tax, fringe benefits tax, and dividend imputation. He also became recognised for his sardonic rhetoric, as a controversial but deeply skilled orator. Keating became deputy prime minister in 1990, but in June 1991 he resigned from the ministry to unsuccessfully challenge Hawke for the leadership, believing he had reneged on the Kirribilli Agreement.  He mounted a second successful challenge six months later, and became prime minister. Keating was appointed prime minister in the aftermath of the early 1990s economic downturn, which he had famously described as "the recession that Australia had to have". This, combined with poor opinion polling, led many to predict Labor was certain to lose the 1993 election, but Keating's government was re-elected in an upset victory. In its second term, the Keating government enacted the landmark Native Title Act to enshrine Indigenous land rights, introduced compulsory superannuation and enterprise bargaining, created a national infrastructure development program, privatised Qantas, Commonwealth Serum Laboratories and the Commonwealth Bank, established the APEC leaders' meeting, and promoted republicanism by establishing the Republic Advisory Committee. Description A soft card cover edition of the noted work by Ann Gugler.  Whilst it is a cheaply produced volume the historical accuracy has no peer.   Please check pictures and don't hesitate to ask if you have any queries! 55