Australian MPs are mourning the loss of a political icon.
Bob Hawke has passed away peacefully in his home, aged 89.
He was the longest-serving Labor Prime Minister, leading the country from 1983 to 1991.
Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said on Twitter that Hawke had a massive impact on the country.
"Bob Hawke is a giant of Australian politics. He and Paul Keating internationalised the Australian economy. He established APEC and radically deepened Australia's engagement with Asia. He established Medicare. Together with Therese and the entire nation, I mourn his passing."
Hawke is often ranked among Australia's greatest leaders, coming in second behind World War II-era Prime Minister John Curtin in a 2010 Monash University survey of academics.
Current Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Hawke "had a unique ability to speak to all Australians and will be greatly missed".
"Bob Hawke was a great Australian who led and served our country with passion, courage, and an intellectual horsepower that made our country stronger," he wrote on Twitter.
"He was true to his beliefs in the Labor tradition and defined the politics of his generation and beyond."
Despite his advanced years, Hawke had recently been campaigning for Labor in the upcoming election, which the party is tipped to win.
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