O’Neill: Hawke was great friend to PNG

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill says the passing away of former Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke is a great loss to his family and the people of Australia.
O’Neill signed the condolence book at the Australian High Commission yesterday in the presence of High Commissioner Bruce Davis and Gulf Governor Chris Haiveta.
He said the late Hawke was a great friend of PNG.
“Our nation’s sympathies to the family and people of Australia on the passing of a great friend of Papua New Guinea, the Hon Robert Hawke,” O’Neill wrote.
He said Hawke had been involved on a lot a labour matters in PNG in the early 1960s.
“Of course though his leadership and of many other Australian prime ministers, Papua New Guinea and Australia enjoy a very strong bilateral relationship,” he said.
Gulf Governor Chris Haiveta worked under Hawke in 1991 on a short work placement while the Chief of Staff to then Prime Minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu.
He was attached to Hawke’s office in 1991 for a month. He said Hawke was instrumental in the setting up of the first wages review and tribunal bill.