This appeared late yesterday:
Former Governor-General Bill Hayden dies aged 90
Former Governor-General and ALP leader Bill Hayden has died, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed.
Former Labor Party leader and Governor-General Bill Hayden has died, aged 90.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the news via social media on Saturday afternoon.
“Bill Hayden was a humble man but there was nothing modest about his ambition for Labor or Australia,” Mr Albanese said.
“He brought a quiet strength to the cause of progress and through his lifetime of service, he changed our party and our country for the better.
“May he rest in peace.”
Mr Hayden served as a minister in both the Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke governments.
He served as Leader of the Opposition from 1977 to 1983, before being succeeded by Bob Hawke, who led the ALP to victory at the 1983 election.
During the Hawke government, he served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
He was also previously Treasurer during the Whitlam government for a brief five-month period in 1975.
He also served as Whitlam’s Minister for Social Security.
He was born in Brisbane in 1933 and joined the Queensland Police Force in 1953, during which time he joined the ALP.
In 1961, he was elected as the Member for Oxley, which he held until 1988.
He served as Leader of the Opposition, following the 1977 election loss and Whitlam’s retirement.
Following the 1987 election, he took up the post of Governor-General and held the role until 1996.
Mr Albanese said a state funeral would be held to honour Mr Hayden.
The Prime Minister describe him as being instrumental in the introduction of Medicare and an important figure in ALP and Australian history.
More here:
Wikipedia makes clear his central role:
“Medibank (1975–1976)
The Whitlam government, elected in 1972, sought to put an end to the three-tier system by extending healthcare coverage to the entire population.[22] Before the Labor Party came to office, Bill Hayden, the Minister for Social Security, took the main responsibility for developing the preliminary plans to establish a universal health scheme.
According to a speech to Parliament on 29 November 1973 by Mr Hayden, the purpose of Medibank was to establish the "most equitable and efficient means of providing health insurance coverage for all Australians."[23] “
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_(Australia)
I have to say it is not many of us who have made such a fundamental change for our fellow citizens. These sorts of changes are not common, and few have such a huge and lasting impact.
David.
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