1989 Queensland state election

Background

The Nationals' fortunes had dwindled significantly since the 1986 election. Soon after the floundering of his attempt to become Prime Minister in the "Joh for Canberra" campaign, Bjelke-Petersen was deposed in a party room coup led by Health Minister Mike Ahern. After trying to hold onto power for four days, Bjelke-Petersen resigned and Ahern was sworn in as his successor.

The shadow campaign began in late 1988 with television advertisements depicting Labor and its leader, Wayne Goss, as "The Only Change for the Better". A string of policy papers were released on a range of themes emphasising responsible economic management and efficient, honest administration. While they maintained a positive and professional public opinion and consistently led opinion polls, neither the media nor the electorate appeared to believe they could win.

The Liberals, who had been on the crossbenches since the collapse of the Coalition in 1983, launched a series of newspaper advertisements in March 1988 under the banner "Let's Put It Right". They were in a curious position, however, because a collapse in National support in urban South East Queensland would mean that seats the Liberal Party might hope to win would be more likely to go to Labor.

On 1 April 1989, a non-partisan group called "Citizens for Democracy" gained some publicity by cutting a birthday cake to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Electoral Districts Act 1949, which had established electoral malapportionment in Queensland, which was seen as unfairly benefiting the Nationals. Both the Labor and Liberal parties favoured "one vote one value" electoral reform.

On 3 July 1989, the Commission of Inquiry into Possible Illegal Activities and Associated Police Misconduct (more commonly known as the Fitzgerald Inquiry after its chair, Tony Fitzgerald QC) handed down its report. It found links between criminal and political networks, and that corruption in Queensland's public life was widespread, commonplace and organised. It made numerous recommendations aimed at reforming the police and criminal justice system and at establishing independent institutions to monitor, report and act on reforms in the short term, and their operation on an ongoing basis. Ahern committed to implement the Report in its entirety.

Ahern sought to govern in a more consultative manner than Bjelke-Petersen, and worked to blunt the edges of what had long been one of the most unyieldingly conservative state governments in Australia. It was to no avail; by September, opinion polls were suggesting the Nationals had about half the support they had achieved at the 1986 election.

A Newspoll taken after the inquiry's release showed that the Nationals had tumbled to only 22% support, the lowest ever recorded for a sitting government in Australian history. Additionally, the Nationals suffered large swings at three by-elections, most recently in Merthyr, where the Liberals had won the seat from the Nationals despite the latter putting forward a high-profile candidate and an expensive campaign. On 22 September, Police Minister Russell Cooper toppled Ahern in a party room coup, and was sworn in as premier three days later. Cooper billed himself as a traditionalist in Bjelke-Petersen's mould, and his supporters believed he could shore up National support in its rural heartland.

Accordingly, Cooper campaigned on traditional National focuses (law and order, social conservatism, and attacks on the federal Labor government, in particular related to interest rates) and produced a number of controversial advertisements, one of which alleged that the Labor Opposition's plan to decriminalise homosexuality would lead to a flood of gays from southern states moving to Queensland. Labor responded by satirising these ads, depicting Cooper as a wild-eyed reactionary and a clone of Bjelke-Petersen and/or a puppet of party president Sir Robert Sparkes.

Logos Foundation, a fundamentalist Christian group in Toowoomba, led by Howard Carter, controversially involved itself in the election, running a campaign of surveys and full-page newspaper advertisements promoting the view that candidates' adherence to Christian principles and biblical ethics was more important than the widespread corruption in the Queensland government that had been revealed by the Fitzgerald Inquiry. Advertisements published in the Brisbane Courier-Mail promoted strongly-conservative positions in opposition to pornography, homosexuality and Abortion, and a return to the Death penalty. Some supporters controversially advocated Old Testament laws and penalties. That action backfired sensationally, with many mainstream Churches, community leaders and religious organisations distancing themselves from the Logos Foundation after making public statements denouncing them. At times, the death penalty for homosexuals was advocated, in accordance with Old Testament Law.

Key dates

Retiring members

Labor

• Brian Davis (Brisbane Central)
• Bob Scott (Cook)
• David Underwood (Ipswich West)
• Les Yewdale (Rockhampton North)

Liberal

• Norm Lee (Yeronga)
• Bill Lickiss (Moggill)

National

• Brian Austin (Nicklin)
• Bill Glasson (Gregory)
• Peter McKechnie (Carnarvon)
• Ted Row (Hinchinbrook)
• Gordon Simpson (Cooroora)
• Martin Tenni (Barron River)

Independent

• Eric Shaw (Manly) – elected for the Labor Party

Results

The result was a landslide win for the Labor Party. Brisbane swung over dramatically to support Labor, which took all but five seats in the capital.

Initially, it appeared that the Liberal Party had won the traditionally National hinterland seat of Nicklin, however, the Court of Disputed Returns overturned that result and awarded the seat to the National Party.

| turnout % = 91.18% | informal % = 3.00% |votes % = 50.32% |votes % = 24.09% |votes % = 21.05% |votes % = 0.42% |votes % = 0.42% |votes % = 0.33% |votes % = 0.13% |votes % = 0.02% |votes % = 3.22% |2pp % 1 = 53.8% |2pp % 2 = 46.2% |}

Seats changing hands

• Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.
• 1 Lin Powell and Geoff Muntz were elected as members of the National Party, but resigned from the party, and contested the election as Independents.
• The Labor Party also retained the electorate of Manly, where the sitting Labor member had resigned and contested the election as an Independent.

Post-election pendulum

Subsequent changes

• On 6 May 1990, former National Premier Mike Ahern (Landsborough) resigned. At the by-election on 28 July 1990, Joan Sheldon gained the seat for the Liberal Party.
• On 13 May 1990, former Liberal Party leader Angus Innes (Sherwood) resigned. At the by-election on 28 July 1990, David Dunworth retained the seat for the Liberal Party.
• On 22 Nov 1990, the Court of Disputed Returns declared the election in Nicklin void, and a recount was undertaken, which declared Neil Turner for the National Party elected.
• On 18 May 1991, National Party member Clive Berghofer (Toowoomba South) resigned. At the by-election on 18 May 1991, Mike Horan retained the seat for the National Party.
• On 5 April 1991, Labor Party member Phil Heath (Nundah) resigned. At the by-election on 18 May 1991, Terry Sullivan retained the seat for the Labor Party.

A major change to electoral legislation saw the zonal system of electoral distribution abolished in favour of a system largely resembling one vote one value in time for the 1992 state election.

Notes

References

References

1. (31 July 1989). "Mike Ahern 'Dodging' By-Election". [[The Canberra Times]].
2. Coaldrake, Peter. (December 1989). "Australian Political Chronicle: January–June 1989". Australian Journal of Politics and History.
3. Salusinszky, Imre. (29 October 2010). "Kristina Keneally leading the most unpopular Labor government in history". News.com.au.
4. Coaldrake, Peter. (August 1990). "Australian Political Chronicle: July–December 1989". Australian Journal of Politics and History.
5. Roberts, G., Sex Scandal Divides the Bible Belt, Sydney Morning Herald, 13 October 1990
6. "The Logos Foundation: The Rise and Fall of Christian Reconstructionism in Australia".
7. Harrison, 2006, p.3
8. Death penalty for homosexuals]] to rid Queensland of such people, an earlier article published in the ''Herald'' quoted a Logos spokesman as saying: "the fact a law is on the statutes is the best safeguard for society".Lyons, J., God Remains an Issue in Queensland, Sydney Morning Herald, 18 November 1989
9. (2 November 1989). "A Proclamation".
10. {{Gazette QLD. (2 November 1989)
11. (2 December 1989). "Wreckage and Reclamation: Politics and Art in Brisbane 1987-1997".
12. Australian Government and Politics Database. "Parliament of Queensland, Assembly election, 2 December 1989".
13. Hughes, Colin A.. (2002). "A handbook of Australian government and politics, 1985-1999". Federation Press.