The death of a Labor lion has given Bill Shorten more to fight for at this election - and it shows.
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The passing of Bob Hawke is a reminder to Labor volunteers of everything they are campaigning for. It also piles pressure on Shorten himself.
"I already feel a responsibility to millions of people to win," Shorten said on Friday morning.
"But sure, I want to do it for Bob, as well, tomorrow. I don't want to let his memory down. And I feel a lot of Labor people will feel the same way."
The election campaign cannot stop but it must change after this news.
One of Blanche D'Alpuget's messages to Shorten on Wednesday was to campaign even harder. Her message was to go and win every vote.
Labor has chosen to make Friday all about Labor history and Hawke's achievements. It cancelled plans for Shorten to campaign in Brisbane and turned its attentions to gatherings of the Labor faithful in Sydney and Melbourne.
Scott Morrison has to campaign differently, too. The Prime Minister has gained ground in the latest opinion polls and needs to take every chance to gain victory, but he has to adjust his tone to recognise Hawke's achievements as well.
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Both sides have to adjust their tone. Labor will not want to be accused of exploiting Hawke's death for political gain. The Coalition will need to soften its tone on a day of national mourning.
There is no better example of this challenge than Tony Abbott's hamfisted use of Hawke's death to score political points over Liberal and Labor ideology.
Overall, the death of this Labor giant is likely to help Shorten.
There are already signs it is motivating Labor members to win the campaign on polling day, when every volunteer counts.
The flood of memories of the Hawke era may help. From the creation of Medicare to the floating of the dollar and the opening of the economy, the achievements remind voters of a stable, reforming Labor government.
The most magnificent moments, like Hawke's speech three decades ago in response to the massacre in Tiananmen Square, are a reminder to Australians of what a Prime Minister should be.
Hawke's "blessing" of Shorten earlier this week, in an open letter to Australians endorsing the Labor leader, may be one of the most powerful interventions in this campaign.
- SMH/The Age
