THE PRESS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1987. Sir Joh goes

Press, 3 December 1987, Page 16

THE PRESS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1987. Sir Joh goes

Even by the peculiar standards of Queensland, the last hours of Sir Joh BjelkePetersen in power were not pretty. Having been replaced as leader by his party he hung on, hoping against hope that he would be able to salvage his position as Premier through a parliamentary stratagem. In the end he knew he was beaten but, trying to command the high moral ground to the finish, disavowed the present policies of the National Party and said that he had no interest in leading the National Party any longer. Some might see sadness in the way in which a very successful politician came to such an end. However, the final hours could be considered fitting for a man who had used unpleasant devices to stay in power. He had been harsh on Aboriginals in his state, suppressed some civil rights, including street marches and trade union activities, cultivated redneck sentiment, indulged in cronyism, and used the instruments of government to impose his own eccentrically conservative political and fundamentalist religious views on social policies. It was not the manner of his going that should be surprising, but that he stayed so long. Because of the gerrymandering tyf the National Party the majority Queensland cannot be held responsible tor that long reign. In the election at the end of last year the National Party polled 39.4 per cent of the votes and gained 48 of the 89 seats in the state Parliament. The Labour Party, which is the main opposition party, won 41.8 per cent of the votes and won 31 of the seats. But even allowing for the gerrymander it was a remarkable achievement for Sir. Joh to stay in power for 19 years. The question now is what Queensland will be like without Sir Joh. Will the cronyism continue? Will the corruption that has characterised parts of the administration of the state go on? There already is some reason for optimism. Mr Ahern, who has been voted leader of the National Party, has said that the Fitzgerald inquiry into vice and

it ’ police corruption will continue. It has been suggested that part of Sir Job’s manoeuvring was to bring that inquiry to an end. If there are damaging conclusions reflecting <dh the Queensland Government in the outcome of that inquiry, the new administration will no doubt attempt to distance itself from them, pointing out that Sir Joh is no longer part ,of the Government. But the extraordinary reports about a golden parachute for Sir Joh, the use of an executive aircraft, and his appointment as a consultant to private companies building a space base at Cape York do not sound reassuring for those Who would like to see a new beginning tin Queensland. The reports may prove to /be without foundation, but if any of these benefits are bestowed on Sir Joh it could reasonably be argued that the Queensland Government is continuing in its old ways. State premiers in Australia usually retire with their superannuation to which they have contributed. Retired Prime Ministers of Australia do have some benefits, including the use of a car and the use of a secretary, but state premiers do. not receive any of the advantages reported to have been offered lo Sir Joh. The departure of Sir Joh from the political scene will affect not only Queensland, but also Federal politics. In the Whitlam years it was Sir Joh’s refusal to conform to constitutional practice governing the appointment of senators that brought about the change of balance in the Senate that ultimately brought about the downfall of the Whitlam Government. During the last election campaign Sir Joh became the champion of the New Right, split the National Party and caused the coalition between the Liberals and the National Party to break up. Mr John Howard, leader of the ■ Liberals, thus is cheered by Sir Joh’s ' departure. :' ■ k / As Sir Joh fades into history he will seem more and more like a comic-strip character. But the reality is that he was a power in the land.