Secrets of the state’s democracy
QUEENSLAND is known for its political characters, from Joh Bjelke-Petersen to Bob Katter, Peter Beattie and Clive Palmer.
But Queensland’s wild political history began even before Australia was a nation.
Before 1902, issues with distance and communications made holding an election on one day impossible. Instead colonial elections were held over a period of weeks or even months. In 1871 the colonial election took 61 days.
In the years leading up to and following Australian federation, a group called the Continuous Ministry ruled colonial Queensland. The group was made up of conservative businessmen for whom politics was not a primary concern.
But a fracture in the 1899 Ministerialist government resulted in Labor’s Anderson Dawson becoming premier. It was the first parliamentary socialist government anywhere in the world.
But Mr Dawson’s reign lasted for just six days before the Ministerialists regrouped to defeat Dawson on the parliamentary floor.
The massive swing against the LNP in 2015 seemed unique at the time, but 100 years before almost the exact same thing took place. Labor, led by T.J. Ryan, took 20 seats off the Liberal Party and premier Digby Denham lost his seat.
That election was the first in Australia to feature compulsory voting.