Haven’t read it in detail yet, but one thing caught my eye:

Adm. Barrie blames the Hawke govt for scrapping the idea of replacing HMAS Melbourne.

Long before the 1983 election, the deal to buy HMS Invincible from the UK had been done, signed, sealed, by the Fraser govt.

When the Falklands war popped up, the Fraser govt, clearly having second thoughts (partly due to white-anting by the RAAF), almost tripped over their own dicks in their haste to offer to the UK a chance to rescind the deal, Of course, the UK needed the ship, so they said ‘thanks, yes’.

The Hawke govt may not have pursued the replacement of HMAS Melbourne, but it was the Fraser govt which actually terminated the best option at the time.