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How different would unlikely choice. He was not a good public speaker short. The coalition was re-elected in 1969 only Queensland have been if Jack and, even as a youngish backbencher, he was a because voters did not want a dull and limited Pizzey, who had a university degree problem for the party whips. His first cabinet Labor Party led by a dull and limited Jack Houston, and the experience of life gained portfolio was Works. It was ideal, because bridges, about whom the most exciting thing to be said was by serving as a World War II roads, schools, police stations - all the great items of that he judged dog shows. Queenslanders had not artillery officer, had not died in state government spending - could be dispensed to warmed, either, to Bjelke-Petersen, a curious man August 1968? For with his electorates. And Bjelke-Petersen never forgot the with a convoluted speaking style, a difficult name death, Johannes Bjellce- backbenchers concerned owed him a favour. and the reputation of being - not to put too fine a Petersen became premier. In 1968, those favours were called in. point on it - a wowser and a Bible basher. Bjelke-Petersen seemed an Bjelke-Petersen's premiership was nearly very Late in October 1970, Bjelke-Petersen was in 1920 copper fields; threaten >> 1922 state-wide industrial government for three Disquiet over Labor viability of industry. Death of George Silas turmoil (to 1929). Depression years; policies including bids > Australian Workers Curtis, left, > Qld conservatives Country National to abolish upper house; Union gains 44-hour Rockhampton's martyr merge as Country and Party leader Arthur Labor returned with week in Qld; to separation Progressive National Moore is premier. reduced majority. throughout state by movement. Party (to 1936). > Schoolteacher Irene > Shipping disputes 1925; 40-hour week -1923 1927 Longman, left, first delay supplies of fuel, by 1948. Qld introduces Striking sugar cane woman in Qld machinery parts and > Rebel members of Australia's first jury worker shot dead at parliament as explosives to Cloncurry opposition Nationalists without an upper house service for women. Innisfail; railway Progressive National form Country Party. when Labor majority -'1925 workers strike in member for Bulimba. » 1921 in Legislative Council William McCormack's sympathy. 1930 Qld becomes only votes to end its own Labor government -> 1929 Royal commission into Australian state existence. elected amidst Labor loses sale of Mungana In 1969, Queenslanders had not warmed to Bjelke-Petersen, a curious man with a convoluted speaking style, a difficult name and the reputation of being a wowser. statements verged on self-parody. For example, Bjelke-Petersen on finance: "Australia is bankrupt. It is even worse than that." Or on the worker: "The 40- hour week has given the opportunity to many to Left: Premier Joh Bjelke- Petersen holds court while away their time in hotels." Or, on fighting in his Parliament House bedroom for students Labor: "My goodness, there's a deep responsibility." from Kingaroy State High School, in the heart His first great political success came less than a of his electorate, on a 1969 tour of the year after his party challenge. In the winter of 1971, building. Australia hosted a tour by the South African rugby team, the Springboks. The team, all white and Below left: The former premier in 1991 after overwhelmingly Afrikaner, was certain to attract a jury, led by a National Party member, failed protesters against apartheid. At the time, the rugby to reach agreement on whether Sir Joh had headquarters at Ballymore was largely insecure; perjured himself at the Fitzgerald inquiry. police commissioner Ray Whitrod realised his men could not stop protesters getting into the ground and disrupting the two matches planned for Hinze, went to Bjelke-Petersen and told him they Ballymore, against Queensland and Australia. planned to move against him the next day. They Bjelke-Petersen's response was to invoke a state of thought they had the numbers: 16 to 10. They emergency, just as Hanlon and Gair had done might have had - then. By the next morning, Bjelke- before him. This time, however, the object was not Petersen had narrowed the margin. When the vote the unionists but "long-haired protesters" : Under the was taken, he claimed he had the proxy vote of state of emergency, police powers were extended minister Neville Hewitt, who was overseas. That and the RNA Showground oval, with its better produced a tie: 13 votes apiece. Bjelke-Petersen then security, was acquired for the games. Bjelke-Petersen voted for himself. As it happened, he didn't have was opposed in cabinet, but his view prevailed. The Hewitt's proxy. The wily premier had been unable state of emergency also provoked a 24-hour strike to contact his minister and thought that, if he could by unions and some ugly protest clashes involving not contact Hewitt, neither could his opponents. an unruly and undisciplined police force. But the trouble with his party. The Comalco share issue and No Queensland politician has aroused such games went ahead. The government won two by- a decision not to mine the coloured sands of passions as Joh Bjelke-Petersen. Even last year, when elections the next weekend, including a seat held by Cooloola, north of Noosa, had undermined public he celebrated his 90th birthday, he was praised and Labor for 56 years. Bjelke-Petersen had established confidence in the government. Bjelke-Petersen's reviled. But from 1970, when he prevailed in the himself successfully as a "law and order" politician. backbenchers planned to replace him with Mines party room, until 1987, Bjelke-Petersen dominated Recently, he acknowledged that his "political Minister Ron Camm. But the plotters, led by Queensland politics and played no small part in the stocks soared" after the Springbok tour. He was speaker David Nicholson - no nonsense in the destruction of a federal Labor government. commenting on the release of cabinet and other Queensland Legislative Assembly about the speaker The master of mangled syntax, Bjelke-Petersen documents showing how his government had used being above politics - made a fatal mistake. Four of actually endeared himself to taciturn Queenslanders the police special branch to spy on citizens at them, including Nicholson and the colourful Russ with his verbal eccentricity. Sometimes, his the time. A former Queensland Police Union Mines finds former >> 1939 for Mundingburra >> 1946 governments; spreads Labor premiers League of Social (MLA to 1977); dubs Johannes Bjelke- until over 23,000 men Theodore and Justice raids himself "voice of Petersen elected to involved; growing McCormack guilty of Parliament House. the north"; his Kingaroy shire council; struggle between left dishonesty; Theodore >-> 1940 fiery oratory and enters state parliament and right-wing unions. quits as federal Brisbane fascist and outrageous remarks 1947. >> 1949 treasurer. communist groups earn him frequent > Up to 8000 Hanlon changes -1932 declared illegal under expulsions from meatworkers strike as electoral boundaries to Labor returns to National Security Act. parliament. industrial action protect representation government with 1944 > Fred Paterson wins escalates throughout above, declares state of in country areas. William Forgan Breakaway Qld Labor seat in Qld Parliament, Australia after war. emergency after rail Smith as premier; Party member Tom only member of >% 1948 workers strike for 61 holds office to Aikens, right, elected Communist Party Labor premier "Anti days over wages and 1957. independent member elected in Australia. Red" Ned Hanlon, neglect by Labor STREET MARCH PROTESTERS HAD THE LAST LAUGH - AL (OR IN PETER BEATTIE'S CASE, THE LAST GRIN) \\ H E day of the political street march is Tover," premier Bjelke- Petersen proclaimed in September 1977. "Anybody who holds a street march, spontaneous or otherwise, will know they are acting illegally. Don't bother to apply for a permit . You won't get one. That's government policy now." Sixteen months and nearly 2000 arrests later, in the wake of an electoral setback for the National Party in the Sherwood by-election , Bjelke- Petersen quietly reversed that policy. In the meantime, the premier and his police commissioner, the compliant and crooked Terrence Murray Lewis, combined to deny Queenslanders the right to protest in a peaceful assembly. These times were marked by street battles, by opposition from the churches and even from The Courier-Mail, rather more conservative then than now. The protesters included Peter Beattie who in 1971, as a young university student, had been whacked over the head by an over-zealous policeman during the W Springbok tour. Another was a fiery young priest Above: Power cell ... Amnesty named James Soorley, later to swap clerical cloth targeting the unions after strikes by power International demonstrators in a for lord mayoral robes. Recently Premier Beattie workers that left Queenslanders without power, hot symbolic "cell" in King George recalled the times. " I and annoyed. Electrical Trade Union members got worked over," he said. Square in October 1980, from left; "It was a dark time in Queensland 's history. As battled the then generating board, SEQEB, over Father Jim Soorley, Rosemary someone who was beaten up for his trouble, I am plans to introduce private contractors, Cabinet I<yburz (then Liberal M LA for delighted that we now have a free and open ordered the sacking of the power workers under Salisbury), Margaret Nulty, Philip position on peaceful protests." He said he was state of emergency provisions. On February 11, Tahminjis, journalist Hugh Lunn, proud to be involved in the demonstrations. 1985, SEQEB sacked 1000 workers and said the Jennifer Woodhouse and then The subject of the protest didn't matter then - government was handling the dispute. Sir Joh Railway Station Officers Union state secretary Peter Beattie.