Managing editor David Donovan says former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser was a complicated but decent man who, ultimately, should be remembered well by the nation.
OVER a year ago, the former PM began following me on Twitter. He didn't follow many others. I don't know why he liked reading my often banal tweets.
I always felt conflicted about him. As a child, he was the only PM I'd known — before Hawke replaced him in 1983.
Later, as I become more politically aware, I could not become a hater of Fraser. He espoused many of the principles of equality and humanity I hold dear — the ones that seem missing, all too often, in our current crop of leaders.
Fraser was flawed. He was rich. He was a little pompous. He felt it was his right and destiny to rule. And he was consumed by ambition to realise that end. He made a tragic mistake. He suffered for it until the day he died. And I think he tried to atone for it every day until he did.
We should remember him well. Ultimately, Malcolm Fraser was a decent man. And his decency shines brighter with every passing day.
RIP Malcolm Fraser, your goodness will be remembered.
The original John Graham artwork used in this piece is available from the IA online store, along with many others. You can follow David Donovan on Twitter @davrosz.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License
#MalcolmFraser reflected on his life and legacy with @JHutcheon in 2013. Watch the #OnePlusOne interview next pic.twitter.com/jVs0OoHkry
— ABC News 24 (@ABCNews24) March 20, 2015
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