The telemovie chronicles the life of former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, It centres around the difficult situations he had to deal with during his time as Prime Minister of Australia, mostly focussing on the battle Hawke had with his own party. In particular it addresses his fierce rivalry with Treasurer Paul Keating who, in 1991, successfully challenged Hawke for the party leadership and won the prime ministerial position. The film begins and ends with this event, but proceeds to reveal the rest of Hawke's political career through flashbacks.