Ever a commanding presence, Bob Hawke these days projects a much softer, mellower image than the 'shoot from the hip' less tolerant, if quick-witted, individual many remember as Australia's longest-serving Labor prime minister, from 1983-1991.
A tireless campaigner for stronger ties between Australia and the Asian region, Mr Hawke - in Hong Kong last week to address the Australian Chamber of Commerce Australia Day luncheon at the Grand Hyatt hotel - has long championed and promoted the decades-old relationship between Australia and China, in which Hong Kong plays a continuing pivotal role.
The former passion and emotion still fire up, though, when it comes to expressing his opinions about Australia and the impact of global considerations such as terrorism, in particular the role the US has adopted in relation to President George W. Bush's much-vaunted 'Axis of Evil'.
It was a description that rang alarm bells for many Australians, especially those who remember the heated debate, endless protests and groundswell of anti-government opinion surrounding Australia's involvement in Vietnam.
While a long-time admirer of former US president George Bush Snr, Mr Hawke was not as forthcoming in support of his son.
'The central problem with the concept of the Axis of Evil is that it involves an assumption that the United States is the 'fulcrum of virtue',' he told the chamber.
