Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser dies
Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser has died at the age of 84.
"It is with deep sadness that we inform you that after a brief illness John Malcolm Fraser died peacefully in the early hours of the morning of 20 March 2015," the Office of the late Malcolm Fraser said in a statement on Friday.
"We appreciate that this will be a shock to all who knew and loved him, but ask that the family be left in peace at this difficult time."
Mr Fraser rose to the prime ministership in controversial circumstances after Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed Labor’s Gough Whitlam on November 11, 1975.
Fraser engineered the constitutional crisis by blocking the Whitlam Government’s attempt to secure supply – a move that was hailed by conservatives as necessary to restore the economy but made him a target of hatred on the political left.
In his later life, years after departing politics, Mr Fraser became something of an unlikely hero on the left.
He appeared alongside Mr Whitlam in TV commercials advocating support for a republic.
He was also an outspoken opponent of the hardline treatment meted out to boat people beginning under John Howard, and at the 2013 endorsed Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
He was a prolific user of Twitter.
His last message a day ago linked to an Australian National University website story: "Time for a new China vision - Asia and the Pacific - ANU".
Liberal Party pollster Mark Textor passed on his condolences on Twitter.
Like 44,500 others, I enjoyed following Former Prime Minister #MalcolmFraser. His last tweet was Wednesday pic.twitter.com/5gZgt2VanL
— Peter Doherty (@PeterDoherty7) March 20, 2015
"Rest In Peace Malcolm #Fraser. A Man of considerable dignity and rare gravitas."
Senior Labor MP Michelle Rowland tweeted: "Malcolm Fraser provided strong leadership on matters of multiculturalism and racial equality. May he rest in peace."
Another senior Labor MP Matt Thistlethwaite said: "Vale former PM Malcolm Fraser. An admirable defender of human rights who stood by his beliefs."
Team Australia 'divisive' and 'counter-productive'
Last year Fraser took aim at current Prime Minister Tony Abbott's use of the term Team Australia - which he described as "divisive", "counter-productive" and a "terrible" choice of language.
It was used when Mr Abbott announced plans for new anti-terrorism laws, which raised concerns among some community leaders.
"It resonates very, very badly with Australia's ethnic communities," he told the ABC.
"If I were still a member of the Liberal Party I would be totally distraught.
"You have got to be able to debate, and using that term is almost an attempt to stop or to shut down debate."
On Friday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Malcolm Fraser was rightly proud of his government.
"I didn't always agree with his positions, but I always appreciated his insights and the wisdom of his long experience," Abbott said.
Last month, Mr Fraser also said that the biggest question right now is what Australia's future will be.
Whiles Treasurer Joe Hockey on Friday said Mr Fraser contributed to building a better Australia.
“These events just indicate how in one way or another we all stand on the shoulders of those that were before us,” Mr Hockey said on Friday.
“Right or wrong, many people have contributed to public life over a long period of time that have helped to build a better Australia and unquestionably he was one of them. So we pass on our condolences.”
