Pretty soon we’ll be approaching the 40th anniversary of the December 1984 snap Federal Election that Bob Hawke called, just over 18 months after Labor’s historic win in early 1983 had ousted Malcolm Fraser’s government.

Hawke was enjoying very high popularity (75% approval rating in ACNielson polls) and he thought this was a smart tactical move, and a chance to level up both Houses of Parliament. But surprisingly Andrew Peacock did well in the first ever TV Leaders Debate, and the Australian people voted to return Labor with its majority reduced from 25 seats to 16. Ouch…

In that campaign young people and women played an important role, and Peter Garrett drew lots of attention campaigning around the country for the Nuclear Disarmament Party, before he later joined the ALP front bench and went very quiet on many issues.

But Hawke had ‘read the room’ and realised he needed to up the ante with young people. So he brought the Office of Youth Affairs over to Prime Minister &........

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