Former Australian PM dies

Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia

Malcolm Fraser, the former Australian prime minister who was notoriously catapulted to power by a constitutional crisis that left the nation bitterly divided, died today, his office said. He was 84.

Fraser was active in public life until the end, and his death shocked the nation. His life after politics was dominated by human-rights issues.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Australia’s 22nd prime minister had “restored economically responsible government while recognizing social change.”

“Malcolm Fraser held true to the belief that his actions were in the best interests of Australia,” Abbott said in a statement.