Senior Labor MP Anthony Albanese has remembered the kindness and generosity of his mentor and friend Bob Hawke.

The former Australian prime minister passed away on Thursday at the age of 89.

Mr Albanese remembers how Bob Hawke spoke at the launch of his biography Albanese: Telling it Straight in 2016.

“When he launched my book I expected him to come along and say a few things about me.

“But he walked into my office, he had post-it notes in that book, he’d read every page, he had little anecdotes of his own experience and how it related to the book.

“He took it so seriously, I was incredibly humbled that he had done that.”

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Businessman John Singleton, who created the advertising for Bob Hawke’s 1983 election campaign, also remembered the politician as “a legendary orator and leader”.

He tells Chris Smith he used to spend his days debating Bob Hawke when no one else was game enough to.

“I’d go and get beat, get knocked out in the first round and then 15 rounds in a row.

“That was my job, to get flogged by Hawkie.

“Then we’d go out on the grog!”

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