The Nine Network’s political editor, who is nearing his 74th birthday, announced he was retiring on Thursday afternoon.
The veteran journalist’s career has outlasted 14 Australian prime ministers. At the age of just 25 he was the Canberra Bureau Chief for Melbourne’s Sun newspaper.
However, Oakes is perhaps best known for his career in television. In 1980 he read then-treasurer John Howard’s budget speech live on television – a day before the budget was due to be handed down.
Oakes told Channel Nine of all his explosive stories, this was the one that caused “the biggest stink”.
“I met a contact in a hotel carpark on the Sunday morning,” he said. “He handed over the budget speech and gave me 15 minutes to read it. So I gabbled the whole lot into a tape recorder while he went in and had a quick drink, and then I transcribed it back at the office.”
Oakes said after nearly 50 years in the Canberra Press Gallery it was time to hang up his hat…
Source: ‘An absolute giant’: Laurie Oakes announces retirement
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