Selected Highlights 1987 Cabinet Minutes, Queensland State Archives
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Selected Highlights 1987 Cabinet Minutes, Queensland State Archives Dr Tracey Arklay, Susan Horton and Jennifer Menzies, Policy Innovation Hub, Griffith University Policy Innovation Hub, Griffith University 1987 Cabinet Minutes Selected Highlights Table of Contents Fitzgerald Inquiry .................................................................................................................................... 3 Property development ............................................................................................................................ 4 Government ............................................................................................................................................ 8 Industry Assistance, Agricultural Development, Bailouts and Disasters .............................................. 12 Agrarian Socialism and other good causes ........................................................................................... 14 Cape York International Space Port ...................................................................................................... 15 Law and Order ....................................................................................................................................... 16 Environment ......................................................................................................................................... 18 Health .................................................................................................................................................... 20 Indigenous Affairs ................................................................................................................................. 23 Education .............................................................................................................................................. 26 Commonwealth/State relations............................................................................................................ 26 Local Government ................................................................................................................................. 28 Public sector .......................................................................................................................................... 28 Industrial disputes ................................................................................................................................. 31 Expo ‘88 ................................................................................................................................................. 33 Demise of Bjelke-Petersen .................................................................................................................... 34 Cabinet under Ahern ............................................................................................................................. 34 Curiosities .............................................................................................................................................. 35 Griffith University Team ........................................................................................................................ 40 2 December 2017 Policy Innovation Hub, Griffith University 1987 Cabinet Minutes Selected Highlights Fitzgerald Inquiry At the 25 May Cabinet meeting, the Police Minister and Deputy Premier Bill Gunn, who was Acting Premier at the time, took a secret submission to Cabinet (Dec 51516) to appoint Gerald Edward “Tony” Fitzgerald QC as a ‘Commissioner to Inquire into Allegations Relating to the Queensland Police Force’. Responding to the Four Corners episode The Moonlight State, which aired on 11 May, Fitzgerald’s appointment would have far-reaching implications for the state of Queensland. During the year, Cabinet considered a number of submissions relating to the Fitzgerald Inquiry. In June, they responded to a request from Police Commissioner Terry Lewis for the government to meet the costs for legal representation of the Commissioners, the Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioners, as well as retired officers from those ranks, when they appeared before the Commission (Dec 51581). A later decision (Dec 52005) agreed that Cedric Hampson QC and a junior counsel should be retained to represent members of the Queensland Police Force at the Inquiry. In June, Ian Callinan QC was appointed the State Government legal representative at the Commission of Inquiry (Dec 51646). On 22 June, Police Minister Bill Gunn presented an oral submission to backdate the Terms of Reference for the Fitzgerald Inquiry to 1 January 1977 (Dec 51825), in order to look at retrospective allegations and to extend the scope of the Inquiry beyond the issues raised in The Moonlight State. At the next Cabinet meeting a decision was made to set the remuneration for Tony Fitzgerald at $3,000 a day (Dec 51888). In August, Cabinet agreed to a request to provide a number of secret and restricted Cabinet documents to the Fitzgerald Inquiry on ‘attempts made to reform the laws on gaming, betting, prostitution and related matters’ (Dec 52165). In October, Cabinet agreed to an amendment of the Police Complaints Tribunal Act to allow information regarding police complaints to be surrendered to the Commission of Inquiry (Dec 52666). In early October, Cabinet responded to an approach by Tony Fitzgerald to widen the powers available to a Commission of Inquiry (Dec 52667). The Commission of Inquiry Acts 1950–1954 Amendment Bill responded to concerns that two witnesses, Jack Herbert and Ann Marie Tilley, had failed to appear before the Commission. The amendments, drafted by Fitzgerald, empowered the Chair of a Commission of Inquiry to issue a summons for a person to appear and a warrant for the search of premises and vehicles, as well as allowing the Commissioner to apply to the Supreme Court for approval to use listening devices and freeze assets. Cabinet was unsure of the validity of the amendments, but agreed to them in ‘view of the expectations raised by media comment, not to react favourably to his proposals and introduce legislation along the lines he has suggested’. In November, Police Minister Bill Gunn submitted to Cabinet that the government’s legal representative Ian Callinan QC also represent Judge Eric Pratt at government expense (Dec 52903). 3 December 2017 Policy Innovation Hub, Griffith University 1987 Cabinet Minutes Selected Highlights By 21 December, the writing was on the wall for a number of serving police officers, and Cabinet considered whether superannuation could be withheld from officers who are found to be corrupt (Dec 53235), but did not reach a decision. Property development Ministerial rezonings During 1987, the Minister for Local Government, Main Roads and Racing Russ Hinze used his power to rezone land and usage on multiple occasions. This was done to overcome opposition from local councils or community concerns, and many of the decisions directly benefited developers and members of the ‘white shoe’ brigade. For example, the Sanctuary Cove Resort Act was changed to add in 210 hectares of adjoining land for 500 more residential developments and an 18 hole golf course (Dec 52094) . Objection from local councils were overcome through ministerial rezonings. For example, Hinze proposed to override both the Mulgrave Shire Council and the Local Government and Supreme Court processes to rezone land at Trinity Beach for a tourist resort, despite the 4,000 objections received by the Council about the proposal (Dec 51799). In April, Cabinet agreement to ministerial rezoning of the land bound by Queen, Albert and Elizabeth Streets, which was to become the Myer Centre. Hinze’s rationale was that the developer was concerned it would inevitably face ‘commercial objections’ if due process was followed, and ministerial rezoning would avoid the jurisdiction of the Local Government Court (Dec 51278). Cabinet also approved Hinze’s proposal for a ministerial rezoning of the Police Barracks on Petrie Terrace in Brisbane. There had been disagreement with the Brisbane City Council, so approval was given to an exemption from the City of Brisbane Act. The historic value of the buildings did not seem to be an issue and whether the Barracks building was retained would be at the discretion of the developer (Dec 50845). Beach and tourism development Government-facilitated tourism development had long been a hallmark of the Bjelke-Petersen government, and in 1987 this trend continued. In March, the process of managing large resort developments was brought firmly under the hand of the government with Cabinet approving the introduction into Parliament of the Integrated Resort Development Bill. It was decided that the Premier’s Department would be responsible for granting approval for projects to proceed under the Act (Dec 51096). Also in March, Cabinet began consideration of a proposal from the Kern Corporation Ltd to develop the Mooloolaba Spit, including a proposal to build a five-star Hilton Hotel (Dec 51026). After consideration by the Coordinator-General, it was concluded that the development of a hotel on the 4 December 2017 Policy Innovation Hub, Griffith University 1987 Cabinet Minutes Selected Highlights site would not be appropriate. After multiple deferrals by Cabinet, it was decided on 13 July that invitation documents to develop the vacant Crown Land on the Spit be prepared and advertised (Dec 51948). The redevelopment of the Cairns foreshore was also the subject of