MP WHITE SAW RED IN A LIBS’ BLUE
Today’s public is used to leadership spills. But the Liberal Party’s 1989 coup devastated a Coast politician.
A WEEK from now the Coalition Government will face the judgment of voters after six years in office.
During this time in power we’ve seen three men hold the office of prime minister, with two coups in just three years.
In the aftermath of last year’s political bloodletting, the city’s longest-serving MP, Steven Ciobo, announced his retirement from politics after 17 years.
While his departure wasn’t linked to the leadership spill, it was a different story 30 years ago this week when the federal Liberal Party unleashed on itself.
It was May 1989 and John Howard’s four years as Opposition leader were coming to an end.
The Liberal Party had been in opposition for six years following the 1983 defeat of the Fraser government.
Initially under the leadership of Andrew Peacock and later Mr Howard, the conservatives had repeatedly failed to make inroads against the Hawke government which was re-elected in 1984 and 1987.
But with another election on the horizon and no sign of an improvement in the polls against Labor, leadership turmoil engulfed the party room.
Mr Peacock made a shock challenge against Mr Howard for the leadership on May 9, 1989, and won.
It came just days after factional brawls saw three Victorian Liberal MPs dumped in bitter preselection battles.
Among those most deeply affected was Gold Coast MP Peter White.
Mr White, who was the member for McPherson, had a long history in Coast politics.
A long-serving army officer, Mr White saw service during the Vietnam War before retiring at the rank of LieutenantColonel.
In 1977 he was elected as the first MP for Southport and served for three years in state parliament until the 1980 election, when he was defeated by the National Party.
But three months later he was elected to federal parliament in McPherson following the shock death of the sitting MP Eric Robinson.
Despite being a loyal party member, Mr White struggled deeply with the 1989 leadership change, having been a long-time supporter of Mr Howard.
In the days following the Peacock coup, Mr White decided to resign his frontbench position as opposition spokesman and leave politics at the 1990 poll.
He told the Bulletin the bloodletting would make it difficult for the conservatives to win the 1990 election.
“People’s perceptions are important. You can’t go through that. It will depend when the poll is called,” he said. “I don’t know what will happen. I’m not feeling all that bright.”
Gold Coast Liberals attempted to convince Mr White not to quit. A telex was sent to his Parliament House offices from McPherson Liberal Party branch pledging strong support from rank and file members and urging the MP not to quit.
But it was to no avail – Mr White quit the frontbench and exited parliament less than a year later.
While Mr White bowed out of politics, a winner was Tweed-based Richmond MP Charles Blunt who was elevated to the leadership of the National Party.
Mr White was proved correct – Mr Peacock again failed to defeat the Hawke government in 1990 and the Liberal Party remained in opposition until 1996, when Mr Howard became prime Minister.
Mr White died in 2005.