Leaders and battle-scarred Negus recall resolve Thatcher's legacy Tim Colebatch says that Margaret Thatcher's belief 'that government was the problem, not the solution' paved the way for sweeping economic reform, including in Australia. Australia's political leaders were effusive in their praise for the late British prime minister Margaret Thatcher but the veteran television journalist George Negus recalled her as being "as scary as any war zone I've been to." Australia's first female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said Lady Thatcher's rise to the same position in Britain was a "history-making achievement." Former prime minister John Howard described Lady Thatcher as Britain's greatest prime minister other than Winston Churchill. She and former US president Ronald Reagan had brought about the end of communism and the Soviet Union, he said. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said she ranked with the greatest of prime ministers through the quality of her leadership and her impact on Britain and the wider world. Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser said Lady Thatcher had done "enormous good" for Britain. He conceded she was a divisive leader but argued that anyone who was to achieve great things had to be strong-minded. Negus faced perhaps the most excruciating minutes in Australian television. Negus faced perhaps the most excruciating minutes in Australian television when he tried to unsettle that strong mind during the filming of a 60 Minutes program in 1983. Why do people stop us in the street almost and tell us that Margaret Thatcher isn't just inflexible, she's not just single-minded, on occasions she's plain pig-headed and won't be told by anybody? Negus inquired. Mrs Thatcher fixed him with the the sort of stare that could turn the sun to ice and demanded: "Would you tell me who has stopped you in the street and said that?" Margaret Thatcher being interviewed by George Negus in 1981. When Negus stammered that he had been offered such descriptions by ordinary Britons in pubs, restaurants and cabs, Mrs Thatcher demanded to know "how many?" With the interview reversed and Mrs Thatcher the inquisitor, she pulled one of the stunts that earned her the title of "Iron Lady." "Why won't you tell me their names and who they are?" she said. Reminded of the matter on Tuesday on Melbourne ABC Radio, Negus said he had described the filmed episode to the then executive producer of 60 Minutes, Gerald Stone, as "not the greatest political interview the world has ever heard but crash-hot television." She visited Australia five times, three times as prime minister. Mrs Thatcher and former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke publicly said they respected each other but they had famous stoushes at Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings over sanctions against South Africa. At a meeting of Commonwealth heads in Kuala Lumpur in 1989, Mr Hawke accused Mrs Thatcher of trying to undermine the Commonwealth over its stance on apartheid in South Africa. Mrs Thatcher shot back that she thought it was "absolutely appalling that people who themselves never hesitate to put their viewpoint clearly should object when others do so." When it was pointed out that she was alone in her stance against the other 48 Commonwealth nations, including Australia, she stared down a packed press conference and said: "When it is one against 48, I'm very sorry for the other 48."