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The Forum > General Discussion > Malcolm Fraser dies after short illness - aged 84.

Malcolm Fraser dies after short illness - aged 84.

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I learned the sad news this morning of the death
of our former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser who
died after a short illness aged 84.

I thought that the posters on this forum would
want to send their condolences to his family
and express what the man meant to them. He had
a long career in politics and with his death it
seems like the passing of an era.

I wish his family my Deepest Sympathy.

May he Rest In Peace.
Posted by Foxy, Friday, 20 March 2015 12:55:35 PM
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Foxy, you beat me to it on this one. I am genuinely saddened by the passing of Big Mal, I may not have said that back in 1975, but time and his actions certainly have changed my opinion about the man. A truly great and caring Australian. Resigned from the Liberal Party in 2010.
Now all three major political players from those tumultuous days in 75 have gone Kerr-Whitlam-Fraser the passing of one hell of an era in Australian politics.
Posted by Paul1405, Friday, 20 March 2015 5:17:10 PM
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Dear Paul,

I am very saddened as well. Modern Australia
will be an emptier place without his vision
and leadership, that's for sure.

I had forgotten some of his achievements and
then reading articles on the web - I made a note
of some of them:

1)Here was a leader who was a staunch defender of
asylum seekers and a critic of Australia's
foreign policy. He regularly penned articles
condemning Australia's mandatory detention
policies and its relationship with the US.

2)He maintained the Whitlam Government's commitment to
the cause of reconciliation and land rights of the
Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people.

3)He offered refuge to tens of thousands of vulnerable people
driven from Vietnam by the horror of war.

4)He maintained many of the policies implemented by
the Whitlam Government, including the precursor to
Medicare, Medibank, and free tertiary education.

The friendship which developed between him and his
former political enemy, Gough Whitlam was testament
to his character.

5)His work to end the apartheid
regime in South Africa both during and after his time
in political office demonstrated his commitment to
equality.

And, his subsequent appointment to roles
with the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations
reflected his high international standing.

6) He established the Family Court, the Commonwealth
Ombudsman, and the nation's first Freedom of Information
laws and the Human Rights Commission.

Apparently he continued working right up to the time
of his death.

I hope that there will be a State Funeral or a State
Memorial Service for him. That would be a respectful way
for the current Government to honour a man who contributed
so much to this country.

May He Rest In Peace.
Posted by Foxy, Friday, 20 March 2015 5:58:32 PM
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Are you actually talking about the same arrogant fool, who couldn't keep his pants on, that I remember? The one who was only very marginally better than the dill he replaced.

No wonder he & Whitlam got on in their later years, each were about as nutty as the other.

Between them they did almost as much damage to Oz as Rudd & Gillard.
Posted by Hasbeen, Friday, 20 March 2015 6:56:53 PM
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Hasbeen,
Fraser also recognised Democratic Kampuchea and Zimbabwe...but we don't talk about CHOGM and ASEAN and all that skullduggery anymore.
Posted by Jay Of Melbourne, Friday, 20 March 2015 7:31:58 PM
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Dear Hasbeen,

"De mortuis nil nisi bonum dicendum".

According to articles on the web and other
sources that I have come across - There is
a reason why we should not speak ill of the
dead. It's wrong to do so when someone has
died and cannot defend themselves.
You're supposed to get your criticism in while
they're still alive. Out of respect (and tradition).

All of us realise that you shouldn't suddenly
decide to like someone just because they're
dead - however, why bother writing anything at all
in that case.
As one author pointed out - you don't drag corpses
around the public square after they've died.

Imagine if at a wedding people would say - "Nope I
can't stand the groom, he's not suited to her at all!"
Or at a Christening, "Look, this is just the ugliest
looking baby I've ever seen!"

Therefore on certain occasions respect and tradition
are more important than your own version of the bald
truth.

Speaking ill of the dead is not just distasteful.
It's cowardly!
Posted by Foxy, Friday, 20 March 2015 7:42:38 PM
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