# Curtin's Cast Episode 50 - 1 April 2026 - Prof Frank Bongiorno on Bob Hawke

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/curtin-s-cast-7218776/curtin-s-cast-episode-50-1-april-2026-prof-frank-bongiorno-on-bob-hawke
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/curtin-s-cast-7218776/curtin-s-cast-episode-50-1-april-2026-prof-frank-bongiorno-on-bob-hawke.md
Podcast: [Curtin’s Cast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/curtin-s-cast-7218776)
Published: 2026-03-31T09:38:09+00:00
Episode link: https://jcrc.podbean.com/e/curtins-cast-episode-50-1-april-2026-prof-frank-bongiorno-on-bob-hawke/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/pb4cgp2ditu7ve4r/CC_23_Mar_E1_Full_Audio8vhtj.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/curtin-s-cast-7218776/episodes/curtin-s-cast-episode-50-1-april-2026-prof-frank-bongiorno-on-bob-hawke
Duration seconds: 3236

## Resource

This week, Nick Dyrenfurth and Kos Samaras are joined by arguably Australia’s finest historian and public intellectual, Professor Frank Bongiorno, for our landmark 50th episode — and a big question at the heart of Australian politics: Is Bob Hawke really the “gold standard”… or a myth we can’t escape? Our conversation is anchored in the new book Gold Standard? Remembering the Hawke Government, edited by Frank, Carolyn Holbrook and Joshua Black — a major reassessment of Hawke’s record and reputation. We unpack: ▪️ Why Hawke still dominates how we judge governments▪️ What actually made the Hawke model work▪️ Why reform feels harder today▪️ Whether Labor is misreading its own history What matters now is what Albanese Labor can realistically learn from Hawke — and what his record tells students of Australian politics about the limits and possibilities of reform today.

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## Transcript

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