Bill Hayden - Later Life

Later Life

Hayden's 1996 autobiography indicates that after he left office in 1996 he was still irritated by his treatment from some sections of the Labor Party. The book is interpreted by some readers that he had an animosity towards Paul Keating for having helped engineer the 1983 leadership change. By the late 1990s Hayden joined the board of Quadrant, a well-known Australian monthly cultural and public policy magazine. In the debate preceding the 1999 republic referendum, he rejected the specific proposal and sided with the monarchists, stating he only supported direct election of a president.

Since retirement from the position of Governor-General, Hayden has continued to contribute to public policy discussion in Australia. While on the board of Quadrant, he took time to lend personal support to the publication and wrote a tribute to its editor P.P. McGuinness on his death in 2008. He has also continued to write opinion and comment pieces for other magazines and newspapers in Australia about current social, economic and political issues including foreign affairs.