Fidel Castro may have been a significant figure of the 20th century, but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has declined to mark the passing of the former Cuban leader.
Mr Turnbull's office wouldn't say why he wasn't making a formal statement, leaving it instead to frontbencher Mathias Cormann to deliver the official line - calling Mr Castro a "significant but controversial figure".
"The policies and actions he pursued, in our judgment, weren't in the best interests of the Cuban people," Senator Cormann told ABC television on Sunday.
"Certainly his hostility towards the West, in particular the United States, we believe imposed significant hardship on the Cuban people."
Former prime minister Tony Abbott was less restrained, and unleashed a scathing attack on Mr Castro's legacy, who died on Friday night Cuba time.
Mr Abbott described him as a brutal dictator who killed thousands of people and reduced his country to poverty, while being an enemy of both US and western values, as well as human decency.
"Frankly his legacy is a bad one ... and not one that should be celebrated in anyway," Mr Abbott told Sky News.
Labor Leader Bill Shorten was also quiet on the dictator's death, but foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong offered her condolences to the friends and family of Mr Castro.
"The Labor opposition welcomes warming of relations between Cuba and the US, and hopes that Cuba will continue opening up, and improving human rights and civil liberties for the Cuban people," Senator Wong told AAP.
Senior Labor senator Kim Carr was less diplomatic in tweeting his thoughts.
"Vale Fidel Castro, extraordinary 20th century figure, survived 50 year embargo & 638 CIA attempts on life using ex-lovers & Mafia gangsters."
