Paul Keating

Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944), Australian politician and 24th Prime Minister of Australia, came to prominence first as the reforming Treasurer in the Hawke government, then as the Prime Minister who pulled off an upset victory in the "unwinnable" election of 1993. In his second term, however, his "big picture" failed to impress an electorate increasingly concerned about economic issues, and he was defeated in 1996.

Rising star

Keating grew up in Bankstown, a working-class suburb of Sydney. He was one of four children of Matt Keating, a boilermaker and trade union representative of Irish-Catholic descent. Keating was educated at Catholic schools; he was the first practising Catholic Labor Prime Minister since James Scullin left office in 1932. Leaving school at 14, Keating worked as a clerk and then as a research assistant for a trade union. He joined the Labor Party as soon as he was eligible.

Related Topics:
Bankstown - Sydney - Labor - James Scullin - 1932

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Through the unions and the NSW Young Labor Council Keating met other Labor luminaries such as Laurie Brereton, Graham Richardson and Bob Carr, and also developed a friendship with former New South Wales Labor Premier Jack Lang, then in his 90s. Keating met Lang to discuss politics on a weekly basis for some time, and in 1972 succeeded in having Lang's Labor Party membership restored. Using his extensive contacts, Keating gained Labor endorsement for the seat of Blaxland in the western suburbs of Sydney, and was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1969 election, at the age of 25.

Related Topics:
Laurie Brereton - Graham Richardson - Bob Carr - New South Wales - Jack Lang - 1972 - Blaxland - 1969

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Keating was a backbencher for most of the Whitlam Labor government, but briefly became Minister for Northern Australia in 1975, one of the youngest ministers in Australian history. In the same year, he married Annita van Iersal, a Dutch flight attendant for Alitalia. The Keatings had four children, who spent some of their teenage years in The Lodge, the Prime Minister's official residence in Canberra.

Related Topics:
Whitlam - 1975 - Annita van Iersal - Alitalia - The Lodge - Canberra

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After Labor's defeat in 1975, Keating became an opposition frontbencher, and in 1981 he became president of the New South Wales branch of the party and thus leader of the dominant right-wing faction. As opposition spokesperson on energy, his parliamentary style was that of an aggressive debater. He initially supported Bill Hayden against Bob Hawke's leadership challenges, partly because he hoped to succeed Hayden himself, but by the end of 1982 he accepted that Hawke would become leader.

Related Topics:
1975 - 1981 - New South Wales - Right-wing faction - Bill Hayden - Bob Hawke - 1982

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