QLD: 1978 Bjelke-Petersen cabinet antics
By Steve Gray01 Jan 2009 12:01 AM
Eds: Embargoed until 0001 (AEDT) Thursday, January 1, 2009
BRISBANE, Jan 1 AAP - Newly-released cabinet documents show that 1978 was a year of continued confrontation in Queensland over the Bjelke-Petersen government's street march ban; completion of several major projects in Brisbane; and the premier's moves to have a new power station placed in his own electorate.
On January 31, Minister for Mines and Energy Ron Camm placed before cabinet a submission to build the new power station for south-east Queensland in Millmerran on the Darling Downs, utilising local coal deposits.
Mr Camm presented three alternatives to cabinet - Millmerran and more expensive alternatives at Tarong and Wandoan.
He then proceeded to criticise the Tarong site, saying Millmerran coal was better and a power station there would lead to further economic development.
Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen - preferring the Tarong site, which happened to be in his own electorate - overruled him.
Cabinet reportedly voted 10-7 in favour of the premier.
The government of the era is still praised for its development credentials.
Significant projects finished in 1978 include the parliamentary annexe, the Merivale Bridge rail link to South Brisbane, and electrification of the suburban rail system.
Work also began for a "traffic facility ... from Eagle Farm to Queensport", now the Gateway Bridge.
However, the government's economic credentials were mixed.
The parliamentary annexe cost three times the original estimate; unemployment ran at 7.56 per cent, the nation's highest; the Consumer Price Index (CPI) outstripped wage rises; and a budgeted surplus of $400,000 became a $1 million-plus deficit.
Not content just to publicly oppose any move towards the establishment of nude beaches in the state, cabinet responded to an oral submission from Minister for Local Government and Main Roads Russ Hinze by foreshadowing that approval would not be given to any local government bylaws which attempted to legalise nudity on beaches.
Some of the momentous political events of 1978 never made it into the cabinet minutes, but are worth recording to give other Queensland events context.
Bill Knox was replaced as leader of the Liberal Party by Dr Llew Edwards following several earlier, unsuccessful challenges.
Tom Burns stood aside as Labor leader, to be replaced by Ed Casey.
More than 2,000 people were arrested in 26 separate street march confrontations, including two federal Labor senators. In one incident, in Brisbane in December, 346 people were arrested.
Young civil liberties lawyer Terry O'Gorman complained that lawyers were ejected from a watchhouse where cells held 10 times the number they should have.
The issue settled into an uneasy truce, with the premier unwavering in his determination the marches were banned and Labor declaring the issue won them no votes.
Cancer quack Dr Milan Brych was not allowed into Queensland despite the backing of the premier. Then Mr Bjelke-Petersen - he was knighted in the early 1980s - contemplated sending the government's aircraft to pick Brych up from the Cook Islands.
Health Minister Dr Llew Edwards supported his federal counterpart, who said Brych had no medical registration.
Cabinet also rejected moves towards pool fencing laws, and killed-off a petrol price equalisation scheme proposed as backbenchers panicked over fuel prices fluctuating between 15c and 22c a litre.
