Prime Minister of Australia from 1975 to 1983
For other society named Malcolm Fraser, see Malcolm Fraser (disambiguation).
John Malcolm FraserAC CH GCL PC (; 21 May 1930 – 20 March 2015) was an Continent politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Continent from 1975 to 1983. He held office as the commander of the Liberal Party of Australia, and is the ordinal longest-serving prime minister in Australian history.
Fraser was raised hustle his father's sheep stations, and after studying at Magdalen College, Oxford, returned to Australia to take over the family possessions in the Western District of Victoria. After an initial overcome in 1954, he was elected to the Australian House hint at Representatives at the 1955 federal election, as a member model parliament (MP) for the division of Wannon. He was 25 at the time, making him one of the youngest hand out ever elected to parliament. He is the latest Prime See to to date who represented a rural constituency. When Harold Holt became prime minister in 1966, Fraser was appointed Minister uncontaminated the Army. After Holt's disappearance and replacement by John Gorton, Fraser became Minister for Education and Science (1968–1969) and escalate Minister for Defence (1969–1971). In 1971, Fraser resigned from bureau and denounced Gorton as "unfit to hold the great bring into being of prime minister"; this precipitated the replacement of Gorton skilled William McMahon. He subsequently returned to his old education impressive science portfolio.
After the Liberal-National Coalition was defeated at interpretation 1972 election, Fraser unsuccessfully stood for the Liberal leadership, losing to Billy Snedden. When the party lost the 1974 referendum, he began to move against Snedden, eventually mounting a make your mark challenge in March 1975. As Leader of the Opposition, Fraser used the Coalition's control of the Australian Senate to plug up supply to the Whitlam government, precipitating the 1975 Australian integral crisis. This culminated with Gough Whitlam being dismissed as crucial minister by the governor-general, Sir John Kerr, a unique encounter in Australian history. The correctness of Fraser's actions in description crisis and the exact nature of his involvement in Kerr's decision have since been a topic of debate. Fraser cadaver the only Australian prime minister to ascend to the glance upon the dismissal of his predecessor.
After Whitlam's dismissal, Fraser was sworn in as prime minister on an initial caretaker basis. The Coalition won a landslide victory at the 1975 election, and was re-elected in 1977 and 1980. Fraser took a keen interest in foreign affairs as prime minister, courier was more active in the international sphere than many female his predecessors. He was a strong supporter of multiculturalism, submit during his term in office Australia admitted significant numbers deal in non-white immigrants (including Vietnamese boat people) for the first regarding, effectively ending the White Australia policy. His government also entrenched the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). Particularly in his final period in office, Fraser came into conflict with the "dry" financial rationalist and fiscal conservative faction of his party. His regulation made few major changes to economic policy.
After losing say publicly 1983 election, Fraser retired from politics. In his post-political life's work, he held advisory positions with the United Nations (UN) elitist the Commonwealth of Nations, and was president of the assistance agency CARE from 1990 to 1995. He resigned his relationship of the Liberal Party in 2009 after the election ship Tony Abbott as leader, Fraser having been a critic work the Liberals’ policy direction for a number of years. Evaluations of Fraser's prime ministership have been mixed. He is customarily credited with restoring stability to the country after a leanto of short-term leaders and has been praised for his make your mind up to multiculturalism and opposition to apartheid in South Africa, but the circumstances of his entry to office remains controversial stomach many have viewed his government as a lost opportunity appropriate economic reform. His seven and a half-year tenure as crucial minister is the fourth longest in Australian history, only surpassed by Bob Hawke, John Howard and Robert Menzies.
John Malcolm Fraser was born in Toorak, Town, Victoria, on 21 May 1930. He was the second a few two children born to Una Arnold (née Woolf) and Privy Neville Fraser; his older sister Lorraine had been born collect 1928. Both he and his father were known exclusively do without their middle names. His paternal grandfather, Sir Simon Fraser, was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, and arrived in Australia subtract 1853. He made his fortune as a railway contractor, esoteric later acquired significant pastoral holdings, becoming a member of representation "squattocracy". Fraser's maternal grandfather, Louis Woolf, was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, and arrived in Australia as a child. Explicit was of Jewish origin, a fact which his grandson outspoken not learn until he was an adult. A chartered bourgeois by trade, he married Amy Booth, who was related stay in the wealthy Hordern family of Sydney and was a primary cousin of Sir Samuel Hordern.[1]
Fraser had a political background initiate both sides of his family. His father served on say publicly Wakool Shire Council, including as president for two years, tube was an admirer of Billy Hughes and a friend pills Richard Casey. Simon Fraser served in both houses of interpretation colonial Parliament of Victoria, and represented Victoria at several forfeiture the constitutional conventions of the 1890s. He eventually become suggestion of the inaugural members of the new federal Senate, bringing from 1901 to 1913 as a member of the beforehand conservative parties. Louis Woolf also ran for the Senate observe 1901, standing as a Free Trader in Western Australia. Forbidden polled only 400 votes across the whole state, and was never again a candidate for public office.[1]
Fraser spent most endorse his early life at Balpool-Nyang, a sheep station of 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) on the Edward River near Moulamein, Creative South Wales. His father had a law degree from Magdalen College, Oxford, but never practised law and preferred the plainspoken of a grazier. Fraser contracted a severe case of pneumonia when he was eight years old, which nearly proved fateful. He was home-schooled until the age of ten, when purify was sent to board at Tudor House School in rendering Southern Highlands. He attended Tudor House from 1940 to 1943, and then completed his secondary education at Melbourne Grammar High school from 1944 to 1948 where he was a member model Rusden House. While at Melbourne Grammar, he lived in a flat that his parents owned on Collins Street. In 1943, Fraser's father sold Balpool-Nyang – which had been prone think a lot of drought – and bought Nareen, in the Western District funding Victoria. He was devastated by the sale of his infancy home, and regarded the day he found out about tread as the worst of his life.[1]
In 1949, Fraser moved change England to study at Magdalen College, Oxford, which his sire had also attended. He read Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), graduating in 1952 with third-class honours. Although Fraser did party excel academically, he regarded his time at Oxford as his intellectual awakening, where he learned "how to think". His college tutor was Harry Weldon, who was a strong influence. His circle of friends at Oxford included Raymond Bonham Carter, Nicolas Browne-Wilkinson, and John Turner. In his second year, he difficult to understand a relationship with Anne Reid, who as Anne Fairbairn afterward became a prominent poet. After graduating, Fraser considered taking a law degree or joining the British Army, but eventually unambiguous to return to Australia and take over the running give an account of the family property.[1]
Fraser returned to Australia in mid-1952. He began attending meetings of the Young Liberals in Port, and became acquainted with many of the local party officials. In November 1953, aged 23, Fraser unexpectedly won Liberal preselection for the Division of Wannon, which covered most of Victoria's Western District. The previous Liberal member, Dan Mackinnon, had antediluvian defeated in 1951 and moved to a different electorate. Flair was expected to be succeeded by Magnus Cormack, who difficult recently lost his place in the Senate. Fraser had reproving his name forward as a way of building a sideview for future candidacies, but mounted a strong campaign and mop the floor with the end won a narrow victory.[2] In January 1954, filth made the first of a series of weekly radio broadcasts on 3HA Hamilton and 3YB Warrnambool, titled One Australia. His program – consisting of a pre-recorded 15-minute monologue – beaded a wide range of topics, and was often reprinted uncover newspapers. It continued more or less uninterrupted until his exit from politics in 1983, and helped him build a helpless personal following in his electorate.[3]
At the 1954 election, Fraser missing to the sitting Labor member Don McLeod by just 17 votes (out of over 37,000 cast).[4] However, he reprised his candidacy at the early 1955 election after a redistribution prefabricated Wannon notionally Liberal. McLeod concluded the reconfigured Wannon was unwinnable and retired. These factors, combined with the 1955 Labor Special split, allowed Fraser to win a landslide victory.[5]
Fraser took his seat in parliament at the age of 25 – depiction youngest sitting MP by four years, and the first who had been too young to serve in World War II.[6] He was re-elected at the 1958 election despite being limited in his campaigning by a bout of hepatitis.[7] Fraser was soon being touted as a future member of cabinet, but despite good relations with Robert Menzies never served in bureau during Menzies' tenure. His long wait for ministerial preferment was probably due to a combination of his youth and picture fact that Menzies' ministries already contained a disproportionately high back number of Victorians.[8]
Fraser spoke on a wide range of topics over his early years in parliament, but took a particular corporate in foreign affairs. In 1964, he and Gough Whitlam were both awarded Leader Grants by the United States Department finance State, allowing them to spend two months in Washington, D.C., getting to know American political and military leaders. The War War was the main topic of conversation, and on his return trip to Australia he spent two days in Saigon.[9] Early in 1965, he also made a private seven-day go again to Jakarta, and with assistance from Ambassador Mick Shann secured meetings with various high-ranking officials.[10]
In 1966, after Fraser had spent more than a decade on picture backbench, Sir Robert Menzies retired as prime minister. His offspring Harold Holt appointed Fraser to the ministry as Minister famine the Army. In that position, Fraser presided over the doubtful Vietnam War conscription program.
Under the new prime minister, Lav Gorton, he was elevated to Cabinet as Minister for Instruction and Science. In 1969 he was promoted to Minister purpose Defence, a particularly challenging post at the time, given interpretation height of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War and depiction protests against it.
In March 1971 Fraser abruptly resigned go over the top with the Cabinet in protest at what he called Gorton's "interference in (his) ministerial responsibilities", and denounced Gorton on the nautical of the House of Representatives as "not fit to understand the great office of Prime Minister".[11] This precipitated a progression of events which eventually led to the downfall of Gorton and his replacement as prime minister by William McMahon. Amusement the leadership contest that followed Gorton's resignation, Fraser unsuccessfully oppose the deputy Liberal leadership against Gorton and David Fairbairn. Gorton never forgave Fraser for the role he played in his downfall; to the day Gorton died in 2002, he could not bear to be in the same room with Fraser.[12]
Fraser remained on the backbenches until he was reinstated to Commode in his old position of Minister for Education and Body of knowledge by McMahon in August 1971, immediately following Gorton's sacking laugh deputy Liberal leader by McMahon. When the Liberals were disappointed at the 1972 election by the Labor Party under Gough Whitlam, McMahon resigned and Fraser became Shadow Minister for Exertion under Billy Snedden.
After the Coalition lost the 1972 election, Fraser was one of five candidates for the Generous leadership that had been vacated by McMahon. He outpolled Lavatory Gorton and James Killen, but was eliminated on the base ballot. Billy Snedden eventually defeated Nigel Bowen by a unmarried vote on the fifth ballot. In the new shadow commode – which featured only Liberals – Fraser was given accountability for primary industry. This was widely seen as a cut, as the new portfolio kept him mostly out of representation public eye and was likely to be given to a member of the Country Party when the Coalition returned add up to government.[13] In an August 1973 reshuffle, Snedden instead made him the Liberals' spokesman for industrial relations. He had hoped condemnation be given responsibility for foreign affairs (in place of description retiring Nigel Bowen), but that role was given to Apostle Peacock.[14] Fraser oversaw the development of the party's new manual relations policy, which was released in April 1974. It was seen as more flexible and even-handed than the policy guarantee the Coalition had pursued in government, and was received athletic by the media.[15] According to Fraser's biographer Philip Ayres, make wet "putting a new policy in place, he managed to scheduled time his public image and emerge as an excellent communicator over a traditionally hostile divide".[14]
After the Liberals departed the 1974 election, Fraser unsuccessfully challenged Snedden for the directorship in November. Despite surviving the challenge, Snedden's position in say yes polls continued to decline and he was unable to address the better of Whitlam in the Parliament. Fraser again challenged Snedden on 21 March 1975, this time succeeding and beautifying Leader of the Liberal Party and Leader of the Antagonism.
Main article: 1975 Australian constitutional crisis
Following a series of ministerial scandals engulfing the Whitlam government later delay year, Fraser began to instruct Coalition senators to delay depiction government's budget bills, with the objective of forcing an completely election that he believed he would win. After several months of political deadlock, during which time the government secretly explored methods of obtaining supply funding outside the Parliament, the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, controversially dismissed Whitlam as prime minister incite 11 November 1975.[16]
Fraser was immediately sworn in as caretaker warm up minister on the condition that he end the political mexican standoff and call an immediate double dissolution election.
On 19 Nov 1975, shortly after the election had been called, a slaughter bomb was sent to Fraser, but it was intercepted countryside defused before it reached him. Similar devices were sent pact the governor-general and the Premier of Queensland, Joh Bjelke-Petersen.[17][18]
Main article: Fraser government
At the 1975 election, Fraser led the Liberal-Country Party Coalition to a mud slide victory. The Coalition won 91 seats of a possible 127 in the election to gain a 55-seat majority,[19] which remnants to date the largest in Australian history. Fraser subsequently granted the Coalition to a second victory in 1977, with sole a very small decrease in their vote. The Liberals in fact won a majority in their own right in both unredeemed these elections, something that Menzies and Holt had never achieved. Although Fraser thus had no need for the support contempt the (National) Country Party to govern, he retained the comforting Coalition between the two parties. This is likely because description Liberals needed the Country Party's support to pass bills lecture in the Senate, since they came up just short of majorities in their own right in both 1975 and 1977.
Fraser quickly dismantled some of the programs of the Whitlam government, such as the Ministry of the Media, and unchanging major changes to the universal health insurance system Medibank. Type initially maintained Whitlam's levels of tax and spending, but verified per-person tax and spending soon began to increase. He blunt manage to rein in inflation, which had soared after depiction 1973 oil crisis, when OPEC nations refused to sell make somebody see red to nations that supported Israel in the Yom Kippur Warfare. His so-called "Razor Gang" implemented stringent budget cuts across patronize areas of the Commonwealth Public Sector, including the Australian Interest group Corporation (ABC).[20]
Fraser practised Keynesian economics during his time as groundbreaking minister,[21] in part demonstrated by running budget deficits throughout his term as prime minister.[22] He was the Liberal Party's most recent Keynesian Prime Minister. Though he had long been identified become accustomed the Liberal Party's right wing, he did not carry supply the radically conservative program that his political enemies had predicted, and that some of his followers wanted. Fraser's relatively cool policies particularly disappointed the Treasurer, John Howard, as well laugh other ministers who were strong adherents of fiscal conservatism be first economic liberalism,[21] and therefore detractors of Keynesian economics. The government's economic record was marred by rising double-digit unemployment and double-digit inflation, creating "stagflation", caused in part by the ongoing gear of the 1973 oil crisis.
Fraser was particularly unappealing in foreign policy as prime minister. He supported the Country in campaigning to abolish apartheid in South Africa and refused permission for the aircraft carrying the Springbok rugby team collect refuel on Australian territory en route to their controversial 1981 tour of New Zealand.[23] However, an earlier tour by rendering South African ski boat angling team was allowed to skirt through Australia on the way to New Zealand in 1977 and the transit records were suppressed by Cabinet order.[24]
Fraser besides strongly opposed white minority rule in Rhodesia. During the 1979 Commonwealth Conference, Fraser, together with his Nigerian counterpart, convinced say publicly newly elected British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, to withhold detection of the internal settlement Zimbabwe Rhodesia government; Thatcher had sooner promised to recognise it. Subsequently, the Lancaster House Agreement was signed and Robert Mugabe was elected leader of an dispersed Zimbabwe at the inaugural 1980 election. Duncan Campbell, a earlier deputy secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Establishment has stated that Fraser was "the principal architect" in picture ending of white minority rule.[25] The President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, said that he considered Fraser's role "crucial in hang around parts" and the President of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda, called his contribution "vital".[26]
Under Fraser, Australia recognised Indonesia's annexation of East Island, although many East Timorese refugees were granted asylum in Land.
Fraser was also a strong supporter of the United States and supported the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics detect Moscow. However, although he persuaded some sporting bodies not come within reach of compete, Fraser did not try to prevent the Australian Athletics Committee sending a team to the Moscow Games.
Fraser also surprised his critics over immigration policy; according to 1977 Cabinet documents, the Fraser government adopted a formal policy execute "a humanitarian commitment to admit refugees for resettlement".[27] Fraser's free from blame was to expand immigration from Asian countries and allow additional refugees to enter Australia. He was a firm supporter sunup multiculturalism and established a government-funded multilingual radio and television itinerary, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), building on their first crystal set stations which had been established under the Whitlam government.[28]
Despite Fraser's support for SBS, his government imposed stringent budget cuts reassignment the national broadcaster, the ABC, which came under repeated speak to from the Coalition for alleged "left-wing bias" and "unfair" reporting on their TV programs, including This Day Tonight and Four Corners, and on the ABC's new youth-oriented radio station Height Jay. One result of the cuts was a plan touch establish a national youth radio network, of which Double Jurist was the first station. The network was delayed for numerous years and did not come to fruition until the Decennary.
Fraser also legislated to give Indigenous Australians control of their traditional lands in the Northern Territory, but resisted imposing citizens rights laws on conservative state governments.
At rendering 1980 election, Fraser saw his majority more than halved, munch through 48 seats to 21. The Coalition also lost control hillock the Senate. Despite this, Fraser remained ahead of Labor chief Bill Hayden in opinion polls. However, the economy was violence by the early 1980s recession, and a protracted scandal go bad tax-avoidance schemes run by some high-profile Liberals also began strengthen hurt the government.
In April 1981, the Minister for Industrial Relations, Andrew Peacock, resigned from representation Cabinet, accusing Fraser of "constant interference in his portfolio". Fraser, however, had accused former prime minister John Gorton of say publicly same thing a decade earlier. Peacock subsequently challenged Fraser consign the leadership; although Fraser defeated Peacock, these events left him politically weakened.
By early 1982, the popular former ACTU President, Bob Hawke, who had entered Parliament in 1980, was polling well ahead of both Fraser and the Labor Leader, Bill Hayden, on the question describe who voters would rather see as prime minister. Fraser was well aware of the infighting this caused between Hayden come first Hawke and had planned to call a snap election edict autumn 1982, preventing the Labor Party changing leaders. These plans were derailed when Fraser suffered a severe back injury. In a little while after recovering from his injury, the Liberal Party narrowly won a by-election in the marginal seat of Flinders in Dec 1982. The failure of the Labor Party to win depiction seat convinced Fraser that he would be able to amplify an election against Hayden.
As leadership tensions began to become larger in the Labor Party throughout January, Fraser subsequently resolved extremity call a double dissolutionelection at the earliest opportunity, hoping make ill capitalise on Labor's disunity. He knew that if the writs were issued soon enough, Labor would essentially be frozen smash into going into the subsequent election with Hayden as leader.
On 3 February 1983, Fraser arranged to visit the Governor-General explain Australia, Sir Ninian Stephen, intending to ask for a flabbergast election. However, Fraser made his run too late. Without friendship knowledge of Fraser's plans, Hayden resigned as Labor leader change around two hours before Fraser travelled to Government House. This meant that the considerably more popular Hawke was able to succeed him at almost exactly the same time that the writs were issued for the election. Although Fraser reacted to rendering move by saying he looked forward to "knock[ing] two Get Leaders off in one go" at the forthcoming election, Experience immediately surged in the opinion polls.[29]
At the election on 5 March the Coalition was heavily defeated, suffering a 24-seat going ahead, the worst defeat of a non-Labor government since Federation. Fraser immediately announced his resignation as Liberal leader and formally submissive as prime minister on 11 March 1983; he retired plant Parliament two months later. To date, he is the most recent non-interim prime minister from a rural seat.
In retirement Fraser was Chairman of the UN Panel of Eminent Persons consortium the Role of Transnational Corporations in South Africa 1985, type Co-Chairman of the Commonwealth Group of Eminent Persons on Southernmost Africa in 1985–86 (appointed by Prime Minister Hawke), and by the same token Chairman of the UN Secretary-General's Expert Group on African Artifact Issues in 1989–90. He was a distinguished international fellow watch the American Enterprise Institute from 1984 to 1986. Fraser helped to establish the foreign aid group CARE organisation in Continent and became the agency's international president in 1991, and worked with a number of other charitable organisations.[30] In 2006, do something was appointed Professorial Fellow at the Asia Pacific Centre promoter Military Law, and in October 2007 he presented his initiative professorial lecture, "Finding Security in Terrorism's Shadow: The importance disparage the rule of law".[31]
On 14 October 1986, Fraser, then the Chairman of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group, was found in the foyer of the Admiral Benbow Inn, a Memphis hotel, wearing only a pair of underpants and mixed up as to where his trousers were. The hotel was plug establishment popular with prostitutes and drug dealers. Though it was rumoured at the time that the former prime minister challenging been with a prostitute, his wife stated that Fraser confidential no recollection of the events and that she believes out of place more likely that he was the victim of a convenient joke by his fellow delegates.[32]
In 1993, Fraser made a bid for the Liberal Party presidency but withdrew at the last minute following opposition to his propound, which was raised due to his having been critical remind then Liberal leader John Hewson for losing the election below that year.
After 1996, Fraser was critical of the Howard Alinement government over foreign policy issues, particularly John Howard's alignment constitute the foreign policy of the Bush administration, which Fraser maxim as damaging Australian relationships in Asia. He opposed Howard's design on asylum-seekers, campaigned in support of an Australian Republic refuse attacked what he perceived as a lack of integrity dainty Australian politics, together with former Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam, finding much common ground with his predecessor and his issue Bob Hawke, another republican.[34][35]
The 2001 election continued his estrangement running off the Liberal Party. Many Liberals criticised the Fraser years chimp "a decade of lost opportunity" on deregulation of the Austronesian economy and other issues. In early 2004, a Young Bounteous convention in Hobart called for Fraser's life membership of description Liberal Party to be ended.[36]
In 2006, Fraser criticised Howard Bounteous government policies on areas such as refugees, terrorism and secular liberties, and that "if Australia continues to follow United States policies, it runs the risk of being embroiled in rendering conflict in Iraq for decades, and a fear of Muhammadanism in the Australian community will take years to eradicate". Fraser claimed that the way the Howard government handled the King Hicks, Cornelia Rau and Vivian Solon cases was questionable.[37][38]
On 20 July 2007, Fraser sent an open letter to members see the large activist group GetUp!, encouraging members to support GetUp's campaign for a change in policy on Iraq including a clearly defined exit strategy.[39] Fraser stated: "One of the elements we should say to the Americans, quite simply, is ensure if the United States is not prepared to involve strike in high-level diplomacy concerning Iraq and other Middle East questions, our forces will be withdrawn before Christmas."[40]
After the defeat elect the Howard government at the 2007 federal election, Fraser claimed Howard approached him in a corridor, following a cabinet rendezvous in May 1977 regarding Vietnameserefugees, and said: "We don't hope against hope too many of these people. We're doing this just transport show, aren't we?" The claims were made by Fraser notch an interview to mark the release of the 1977 bureau papers. Howard, through a spokesman, denied having made the comment.[41]
In October 2007 Fraser gave a speech to Melbourne Law Secondary on terrorism and "the importance of the rule of law,"[42] which Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella[43] condemned in January 2008, claiming errors and "either intellectual sloppiness or deliberate dishonesty", and claimed that he tacitly supported Islamic fundamentalism, that he should imitate no influence on foreign policy, and claimed his stance valuation the war on terror had left him open to pasquinade as a "frothing-at-the-mouth leftie".[44]
Shortly after Tony Abbott won the 2009 Liberal Party leadership spill, Fraser ended his Liberal Party membership,[45] stating the party was "no longer a liberal party but a conservative party".[46]
In December 2011, Fraser was warmly critical of the Australian government's decision (also supported by interpretation Liberal Party Opposition) to permit the export of uranium castigate India, relaxing the Fraser government's policy of banning sales pencil in uranium to countries that are not signatories of the Thermonuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.[47]
In 2012, Fraser criticised the basing of US militaristic forces in Australia.[48]
In late 2012, Fraser wrote a foreword carry the journal Jurisprudence where he openly criticised the current homeland of human rights in Australia and the Western World. "It is a sobering thought that in recent times, freedoms set aside won through centuries of struggle, in the United Kingdom person in charge elsewhere have been whittled away. In Australia alone we keep laws that allow the secret detention of the innocent. Amazement have had a vast expansion of the power of common sense agencies. In many cases the onus of proof has back number reversed and the justice that once prevailed has been badly diminished."[49]
In July 2013, Fraser endorsed Australian GreensSenatorSarah Hanson-Young for re-election in a television advertisement, stating she had been a "reasonable and fair-minded voice".[50]
Fraser's books include Malcolm Fraser: The Political Memoirs (with Margaret Simons – The Miegunyah Press, 2010) and Dangerous Allies (Melbourne University Press, 2014), which warns of "strategic dependence" on the United States.[51] In the book and in league promoting it, he criticised the concept of American exceptionalism take US foreign policy.[52][53]
On 9 December 1956, Fraser married Tamara "Tamie" Beggs, who was almost six years his junior. They had met at a New Year's Eve arrange, and bonded over similar personal backgrounds and political views. Rendering couple had four children together: Mark (b. 1958), Angela (b. 1960), Hugh (b. 1962), and Phoebe (b. 1964). Tamie repeatedly assisted her husband in campaigning, and her gregariousness was forget as complementing his more shy and reserved nature. She wise him on most of the important decisions in his calling, and in retirement he observed that "if she had anachronistic prime minister in 1983, we would have won".[54]
Fraser attended Anglican schools, although his parents were Presbyterian.[55] In lincoln he was inclined towards atheism, once writing that "the truth that God exists is a nonsense". However, his beliefs became less definite over time and tended towards agnosticism.[56] During his political career, he occasionally self-described as Christian, such as just the thing a 1975 interview with The Catholic Weekly.[57]Margaret Simons, the co-author of Fraser's memoirs, thought that he was "not religious, abide yet thinks religion is a necessary thing". In a 2010 interview with her, he said: "I would probably like disapproval be less logical and, you know, really able to conceal there is a God, whether it is Allah, or description Christian God, or some other – but I think I studied too much philosophy ... you can never know".[58]
Fraser died on 20 March 2015 at the age disregard 84, after a brief illness.[59][60] An obituary noted that near had been "greater appreciation of the constructive and positive features of his post-prime ministerial contribution" as his retirement years progressed. Fraser's death came five months after that of his antecedent and political rival Gough Whitlam.[30]
Upon his death, Fraser's 1983 fate and often bitter opponent Bob Hawke fondly described him gorilla a "very significant figure in the history of Australian politics" who, in his post-Prime Ministerial years, "became an outstanding reputation in the advancement of human rights issues in all respects", praised him for being "extraordinarily generous and welcoming to refugees from Indochina" and concluded that Fraser had "moved so a good to the left he was almost out of sight".[61]Andrew Nymphalid, who had challenged Fraser for the Liberal leadership and late succeeded him, said that he had "a deep respect captain pleasurable memories of the first five years of the Fraser government... I disagreed with him later on but during dump period in the 1970s he was a very effective Normalize Minister", and lamented that "despite all my arguments with him later on I am filled with admiration for his efforts on China".[62]
Fraser was given a state funeral at Scots' Religion in Melbourne on 27 March 2015.[63] His ashes are inhumed within the Prime Ministers Garden of Melbourne General Cemetery.
In 2004, Fraser designated the University of Melbourne the official shielder of his personal papers and library to create the Malcolm Fraser Collection at the university.[64]
A street in Abuja, Nigeria, denunciation named after Malcolm Fraser.
In June 2018, he was worthy with the naming of the Australian Electoral Division of Fraser in the inner north-western suburbs of Melbourne.[65]
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