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Brian Burke on His Colourful Past, the Mistakes He Made – and Life on the Outer Earth

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Brian Burke on His Colourful Past, the Mistakes He Made – and Life on the Outer Earth Weekend Australian Saturday 6/6/2015 Brief: PARLWA-WA1 Page: 1 Page 1 of 6 Section: Magazine Region: Australia Type: National Size: 6,146.00 sq.cms. Frequency: S JUNE 06-07, 2015 I’M AUSTRALIA’S MOST VILIFIED MAN BRIAN BURKE IN FULL FLIGHT By Andrew Burrell Copyright Agency licensed copy (www.copyright.com.au) Ref: 415137745 Weekend Australian Saturday 6/6/2015 Brief: PARLWA-WA1 Page: 1 Page 2 of 6 Section: Magazine Region: Australia Type: National Size: 6,146.00 sq.cms. Frequency: S THE POLLIE WHO FELL HE WAS A BRILLIANT POLITICIAN IN HIS DAY; THEN IT ALL WENT BAD. TO BRIAN BURKE ON HIS COLOURFUL PAST, THE MISTAKES HE MADE – AND LIFE ON THE OUTER EARTH By Andrew Burrell Photography Philip Gostelow Copyright Agency licensed copy (www.copyright.com.au) Ref: 415137745 Weekend Australian Saturday 6/6/2015 Brief: PARLWA-WA1 Page: 1 Page 3 of 6 Section: Magazine Region: Australia Type: National Size: 6,146.00 sq.cms. Frequency: S most vilified man”, Burke appears to have done became fatally close to a gaggle of dodgy all right for himself. In fact, the 68-year-old wheeler-dealers, including Bond and the late former premier’s vista of the sparkling Indian Laurie “Last Resort” Connell. And after exactly Ocean is almost as good as the view from Bond’s five years in the job, Burke stepped down on his old hotel. Burke would hate the comparison 41st birthday, because, he reflects now, he was with Bond, but the two men are the highest- “bored”. Most assumed he would go to Canberra o get to Brian profile survivors of the WA Inc era, which and take a shot at the prime ministership but Burke’s house, ended in both of them serving time. The Burke Burke insists his only ambition at the time was you drive north clan owns three large houses in the street, all a diplomatic posting to Ireland, his ancestral Talong Perth’s next to each other, along with three vacant homeland. Bob Hawke, who had praised Burke boundless coast- blocks of land that are being sold off for about as a “great Australian”, appointed him ambassa- line past one of the starkest reminders of the $1 million each. Two gleaming Mercedes-Benz dor to Ireland and the Holy See. irrational exuberance of the 1980s, the 25-storey cars sit in Burke’s driveway. Three years later, however, Burke was forced Observation City (now Rendezvous) hotel built But he has invited me here in an attempt to to return to Perth to face the WA Inc royal by local tycoon Alan Bond. A few minutes later, convey the opposite impression: that the years commission, which led to findings of his you arrive at Trigg Beach, where a few hardy of scandal and “unjust” prosecutions have “grossly improper” conduct as premier over swimmers are braving the autumnal chill. One exacted a heavy toll on his personal finances, disastrous business dealings that cost WA tax- block back from the sand, at the end of a sleepy caused untold stress for his family and strained payers dearly. In 1994, he was convicted and cul-de-sac, Brian Thomas Burke – a radically his relationships with friends and associates. served seven months in jail for rorting his travel slimmed-down version of the one-time Labor Many of his old mates, such as former construc- expenses as premier, becoming the first head of colossus – welcomes me into his comfortable tion union leader Kevin Reynolds and veteran any government in Australia to go to prison. home and ushers me upstairs. After several radio broadcaster Bob Maumill, have stuck by “Nobody thinks I did it,” he says now, with months of turning down my requests for an him over the years. But some people cross the characteristic chutzpah. He later served six interview, he has finally agreed to talk. road to avoid having to speak to him, he notes. months of a three-year sentence for stealing It’s soon clear that Burke, one of the most As Burke begins talking, his stoic wife Sue $122,000 in ALP campaign donations before divisive and controversial figures in Australian listens attentively, wipes up spilt coffee and that conviction was overturned on appeal. politics over the past three decades, has become fetches her husband’s headache pills when he By the early 2000s, Burke was busily remak- more reflective, perhaps a little mellower, as he needs them. Two of his 17 grandchildren are ing his reputation, setting up a spectacularly ponders his legacy. He is generous, funny, charm- watching Peppa Pig on TV and his two beloved successful political lobbying business with his ing and, in full flight, mesmerising. At times it indoor birds, a cockatiel and an African love- old Labor ministerial chum Julian Grill. WA’s seems like he remembers every conversation he’s bird, are chirping with vigour. Outside are then premier, Geoff Gallop, was horrified at the ever had and the name of everyone he’s ever met. Burke’s two prized red-tailed black cockatoos. duo’s rising influence within his government But it’s also clear he hasn’t lost his Machiavellian “They are just beautiful birds – I spend half an and banned his ministers from having contact streak; he can be wily and controlling. hour with them every day,” he smiles. Burke with them, but it had little effect. Gallop’s suc- Burke’s bout of introspection has been still has a restless energy about him – he still cessor, Alan Carpenter, lifted the ban – a move sparked by an autobiography that he’s been makes plenty of phone calls and has been help- he would come to deeply regret. working on recently, and which he hopes to ing eldest son Peter with some property deals. The mining boom in the west was cranking have published this year. But don’t expect the He gives the impression of a man who would up and plenty of companies were happy to pay staunch Catholic to confess to any major sins. love to be back in the thick of it. After all, he tens of thousands of dollars for Burke to work He is unapologetic and unremorseful. Every once ruled this town. his magic. Whatever the problem, the lobbyist accusation about corruption and criminal con- always seemed to “know someone” he could duct is flicked away with long-rehearsed lines. Brian Burke was the most brilliant and lean on to fix it. Using flattery and intimida- Despite two jail terms and a string of other popular politician in the nation when he ran tion, Burke could obtain a confidential docu- well-documented brushes with the law that Western Australia with youthful flair during the ment, persuade a minister to slash red tape or halted his career as a political lobbyist and led, economic boom of the 1980s. After becoming convince a public servant to take a sudden in his own words, to his status as “Australia’s premier on his 36th birthday, in 1983, he interest in some hitherto insignificant cause. Copyright Agency licensed copy (www.copyright.com.au) Ref: 415137745 Weekend Australian Saturday 6/6/2015 Brief: PARLWA-WA1 Page: 1 Page 4 of 6 Section: Magazine Region: Australia Type: National Size: 6,146.00 sq.cms. Frequency: S The former premier’s influence within the legal minds. Only recently Labor Party meant he held sway over some MPs a new commissioner, the and ministerial staffers who were relying on his respected Supreme Court help with fundraising or preselection. judge John McKechnie, Yet Burke was more than an aggressive has taken charge after the spruiker with top-notch contacts. He also post had been vacant for devised sneaky methods of bypassing about a year. Premier the usual channels to get things done. Colin Barnett wants the Some of these practices seemed an commission to focus more affront to democracy. When a local gov- on organised crime rather Stamp of approval: ernment in WA’s south-west refused to Burke in 1986, the than political misconduct. back a $330 million hotel project, year his popularity Burke argues that in Burke helped to secretly finance and soared to 73 per cent his case the CCC’s sweep- promote a group of council candidates 2007, four Labor cabinet ing powers – including the right to install more likely to favour the development. ministers in WA had stood recording devices in private homes and the And when Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s down or been sacked over right to interrogate people without legal rep- then-fledgling miner Fortescue Metals Group their links to the lobbyist, including small busi- resentation – were misused. He describes the needed new laws rushed through parliament in ness minister Norm Marlborough who, it was CCC’s tactic of using its hearings to play late 2005, Burke came up with the idea of intro- revealed, had carried a “secret” phone to take private recordings of conversations to often ducing the Bill into the upper house rather than regular instructions from his old mate. stunned witnesses, who had no right of cross- the lower house, ensuring it was passed in a The saga took on McCarthyist undertones examination, as one that lacked procedural fair- single day. Burke’s lobbying work for Forrest when the Howard government tried to ensnare ness and, moreover, failed to get to the truth. ensured Fortescue was able to win all of its Labor leader Kevin Rudd over revelations of a Burke grows visibly angry when discussing government approvals in record time and begin Perth dinner he’d attended with Burke two the “innocent victims” of the CCC, which in his exporting iron ore from the Pilbara by 2008.
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