SIR JOH’S EMPIRE CRASHES
Thirty years ago the state’s longest serving leader was brought down by the Nationals – his own party
IN the end, Sir Joh BjelkePetersen saw off his 19 years and four months as premier with a short press conference and a small wave.
Queensland’s long-serving leader exited the political stage 30 years ago this weekend following the most tumultuous week in the state’s political history.
Nothing in recent weeks could compare to the experience of seeing the State Government implode and vote to remove its leader who refused to go.
Sir Joh’s relationship with the National Party had been on thin ice throughout 1987 following revelations of systematic and institutional corruption and his aborted push to become Prime Minister.
With the Fitzgerald Inquiry still raging, Sir Joh was pressured to name a retirement date in late 1988 in a last-ditch bid to save his leadership.
The move was only briefly successful before the situation became untenable.
In the final week of November he met with Governor Sir Walter Campbell and demanded the sacking of his cabinet for disloyalty and a new election.
Campbell declined and Sir Joh instead limited the request to five Ministers he wished to remove including Mike Ahern Bill Gunn, Brian Austin and Peter McKechie.
Gunn, the deputy premier and police minister became aware of the move and feared Sir Joh would use the reshuffle to shore up his power and end the Fitzgerald Inquiry.
Gunn immediately called for a leadership spill.
The premier, however was having nothing of it and attempted to have an election called anyway, but Sir Walter decided it was not a constitutional matter and refused to intervene.
The Nationals urged Sir Joh to call a party room meeting to allow for a showdown but the premier declined.
Eventually the Nationals’ management committee called the meeting, overruling Sir Joh who chose to boycott the meeting and therefore did not contest the leadership.
Ahern was named the new Nationals leader but immediately discovered he could not yet become premier – because Sir Joh refused to resign.
In a surreal turn of events, the now ousted Nationals leader even asked Labor and the Liberal Party to support him in a bid to remain in the top job.
Ultimately the situation came to a head on the night of December 1, 1987 when Sir Joh travelled to Government House and resigned his commission and seat in parliament.
Bitter to the end, Sir Joh gave a final press conference slamming his colleagues.
“The National Party of today is not the party that I took to the election last year,” he said.
“The policies of the National party are no longer those on which I went to the people.
“Therefore I do not wish to lead this government any longer.”
The 76-year-old ended his political career by shouting at reporters “Cheerio to all you people. All the best. I’m going to be a free man for the first time in 40 years.”
Ahern was sworn in as premier with Gunn as his deputy that night.
It was also the end of the line for South Coast MP Russ Hinze who was dumped from cabinet and ultimately resigned from parliament the following year.
The Nationals were defeated by Labor at the December 1989 election.