Dick Hamer: The Liberal Liberal

Scribe Publications, Melbourne, 2014. First Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. Inscribed by Author. Hardcover. 505 pages. Inscribed by Author. *** PUBLISHING DETAILS: Scribe Publications, Melbourne, 2014. First Edition. *** CONDITION: The book itself is in near fine condition and comes in near fine dust jacket. More specifically: Corners of boards are lightly bumped. Edges of dust jacket have superficial wear. . Dust jacket is protected in clear, plastic sleeve. Pages are clean and unmarked and in excellent condition. *** ABOUT THIS BOOK: He was the reforming leader who made Victoria a leader in social equality, the arts, and the environment. He and his government built the underground rail loop, decriminalised homosexuality, abolished capital punishment, and outlawed sexual discrimination in the workplace. He and his team ended the demolition of the inner suburbs, preserved the best of the state's buildings and landscapes, and set aside large areas of diverse ecosystems as national parks. They gave Melbourne key infrastructure such as the West Gate Bridge and the Thomson Dam, extended the city's tramlines for the first time in half a century, and built art galleries, libraries, and theatres all over the state. Yet Dick Hamer was a Liberal: a Toorak boy educated at Victoria's best schools, who served for years under the conservative Sir Henry Bolte before taking the reins himself and making the Liberal Party a spearhead of reform from 1972 to 1981. Hamer was a different kind of politician. He was intelligent, fair-minded, courteous, and hard-working, and governed with the long-term interests of his people in mind. He never tried to manufacture issues or direct debates for short-term political gain. Victorians recognised this, and elected him three times in a row as their premier - the last Liberal premier in Australia to have achieved this feat. He stands as the exemplar of important qualities in the Liberal tradition. Dick Hamer is the first biography to be written of this remarkable man, who so embodied a quality now lacking in our public life: integrity. *** Quantity Available: 1. Category: Politics & Government; Biography & Autobiography. ISBN/EAN: 9781925106138. Inventory No: 23060038.. 9781925106138