Goss the boss changed political paradigm in Queensland for the better
When Wayne Goss ended the 32-year reign of the National Party in Queensland 30 years ago, a new political paradigm emerged. Here, four of his Labor peers share their memories of that pivotal time.
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THE POLITICAL CHANGES MADE 30 YEARS AGO STILL RELEVANT
Dr David Hamill
AS A member of the ABC Radio election panel on the night of December 2, 1989, I had a “bird’s-eye view” of the State Election results. As the early figures rolled in, it was clear that Queenslanders had elected their first Labor Government in 32 years.
Wayne Goss 30th anniversary: Letter emerges warning of disunity
As someone whose whole life had been spent under a succession of conservative governments, and who had spent the preceding six years as an Opposition member in a parliament that the National Party Government had dominated with a majority that owed more to electoral chicanery than popular support, the 1989 election result was exhilarating.
Things moved quickly. The first Goss Ministry was sworn in on December 7 and over the next couple of months, we set up ministerial offices and came to terms with the day to day responsibilities and realities of ministerial office.
When I look at Queensland today, I can see the indelible mark the Goss Government made on the conduct of Queensland’s public administration and its political culture.
In his wide-ranging report into police corruption, Tony Fitzgerald QC highlighted the toxic political culture that had compromised the state’s public administration. In a call to review the state’s electoral laws, Fitzgerald said: “A fundamental tenet of the established system of parliamentary democracy is that public opinion is given effect by regular, free, fair elections following open debate. A government in our political system which achieves office by means other than free and fair elections lacks legitimate political authority over that system.”
Perhaps the most significant legacy of the Goss Government has been the reform of Queensland’s electoral system. In contrast to the old system of electoral gerrymandering and malapportionment that determined the value of Queenslanders’ votes on the basis of their residential address, the Goss Government introduced a fair electoral system that ensured that elections were fought on electorate boundaries determined by an independent commission rather than the government of day.
The results speak for themselves. In the 30 years prior to this reform, the state had seen only one change of government. Since those electoral reforms were put in place, government has changed on four occasions.
Wayne Goss 30th anniversary: Letter emerges warning of disunity
In addition to delivering fair elections, the Goss Government restored the integrity of our public institutions through reforms to the parliament and the public service. The operation of a proper parliamentary committee system, including estimates committees, setting up processes to appoint people to the public service based on equity and merit and the enactment of Judicial Review and Freedom of Information legislation, the adoption of a parliamentary Pecuniary Interests Register, a Cabinet Handbook and a Ministerial Code of Conduct demonstrated our government’s commitment to accountability. While these are taken for granted today, in the 1980s and early 1990s, these reforms were strongly resisted by our political opponents.
The Goss Government delivered major infrastructure and micro-economic reforms to support economic growth and a rapidly expanding population. We made a virtue of sound economic management and saw this as an essential prerequisite for our ability to deliver additional resources to social programs in health, education, family services and the environment. We initiated a 10-year hospital rebuilding program. We also funded student places in our universities; expanded our national park estate, ended logging on Fraser Island and enacted heritage legislation.
The Goss Government also made an enduring contribution to Queenslanders’ civil liberties with freedom of assembly legislation, homosexual law reform and anti-discrimination and equal opportunity legislation.
In 1989, we campaigned under the slogan “Wayne Goss and Labor – the only change for the better”. The majority of Queenslanders agreed with us, and 30 years on, I can see why they held that view.
Dr David Hamill AM was Minister for Transport and Minister Assisting the Premier on Economic and Trade Development (1989-1995), Minister for Education (1995-1996) and Queensland Treasurer (1998-2001)
GOOD FISCAL MANAGEMENT LED TO STATE’S AAA RATING
Keith DeLacy
After 32 years in Opposition, the Goss Government was elected on December 2, 1989. We like to think it was our charisma that got us elected, but we got a lot of help from the Nationals. Long-term Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen lost his aura, most notably with the ill-fated and hubris laden Joh for Canberra campaign in 1987. Succeeding premiers Mike Ahern and Russell Cooper had no chance because of internal squabbling and the Fitzgerald Inquiry dominating headlines.
By the time of its demise the National Party Government was seen to be undemocratic (by virtue of the gerrymander), ill-liberal (authoritarian responses to widespread street marches) and corrupt (as exposed by the Fitzgerald Inquiry). The Labor Party was ready to go, with a liberation and social agenda as long as your arm.
As incoming Treasurer, I had primary responsibility for fiscal and economic performance. I could see the fiscal precipice ahead with all these spending forces lining up. On top of this we had a reputation for financial incompetence even before we could demonstrate it. The spectra of Gough Whitlam, Jim Cairns, Rex Connor hung daily over us – Sir Joh made sure it did. And the financial fiascos in the Labor states of South Australia and Victoria didn’t do much to add to the ALP’s reputation nationally for fiscal virtue.
Sir Joh and his successors never let up – a Queensland Labor Government would rack up taxes, raise debt, and blow the budget, like Whitlam, like Cain, like John Bannon. This was water off a duck’s back to some, but I took it seriously. I was determined I was never going to be party to fulfilling these prognostications about a Queensland ALP Government.
We developed the Trilogy, a budget management tool designed to repel the wanton spenders – (i) fully fund long term liabilities such as superannuation and workers compensation, (ii) fund social capital assets such as schools and hospitals from recurrent revenues and only borrow for commercial assets which can service their debt, and (iii) maintain Queensland as the low tax state. We promoted this as a government mantra.
And it worked. In 1994 Michael Roche, my chief-of-staff at the time, in celebration mode, cavorted through Treasury offices with half a bottle of red wine in one hand and the other poised in high-five mode, proclaiming in his best Martin Luther-King accent, “Queensland, net-debt free, free at last, free at last”. We had just officially passed the point where our cash assets were larger than our cash liabilities. It was worth celebrating – few jurisdictions around the globe have done this.
One further collateral benefit from this interlude of fiscal rectitude is that we removed the stain on Labor governments generally. As Gene Tunny says in his excellent book B eautiful One Day, Broke the Next, “Arguably, by showing that a Labor Government could successfully manage public finances, the Goss Government made it easier for future Labor governments, which were under less suspicion of fiscal mischief.”
But good financial management did not come at the expense of our social obligations – in fact it underwrote them. In six years we increased spending in service delivery by 39 per cent in real terms – notably in health, education and family services.
And the economic success story is probably more remarkable still. Queensland real gross state product grew by an average rate of 4.4 per cent in real terms, while growth for the rest of Australia was 1.9 per cent.
During this same period Queensland generated 55 per cent of all the new jobs created in Australia; we also consistently delivered structural budget surpluses, leading to net-debt-free status being achieved in 1994. Queensland’s AAA credit rating was enhanced setting the state apart from most other jurisdictions around the world.
It was great fun and I think it is fair to say the Goss Government left its mark and changed Queensland for the better.
Keith DeLacy was the Member for Cairns between October 1983 and June 1998 and served as Queensland Treasurer between 1989 and 1996.
GREAT LEADER LAID PLATFORM FOR POLITICAL DOMINANCE
By Robert Schwarten
Wayne Goss finished his five years, two months and 17 days as Premier the same way he started as Opposition Leader in mid-1988 by rallying his colleagues and inspiring in them the will to win. He rightly predicted Labor with its 44 seats and a Coalition “with a question mark over it” would win the 1998 election. His message was clear – “unity and discipline has started to frayover the last six months” – pointing out, “The unity and discipline that I was able to call for and receive, and to which we all contributed, was crucial to putting together the massive effort that brought us the memorable victory on December 2,1989”.
Goss penned those words in a letter to colleagues on February 19, 1996, the eve of handing the leadership to Peter Beattie after the loss of the Mundingburra by-election. Unlike other leaders, he stayed the distance, returning to the back bench before retiring to a successful business career. Most importantly, he kept his own counsel and never once did anything other than support the team as it inched towards a return to the Treasury benches.
Goss outlined his legacy of honest electoral laws, freedom of assembly laws, major environmental achievements like Fraser Island, enhancing the status of women and “our massive job-creation programs”. He ignored his greatest legacy, as most commentators have, with the exception of John Wanna and Tracey Arklay who co-authored The History of The Queensland Parliament 1957-89, The Ayes Have it. They state “no fewer than 28 new Labor members entered the Assembly in what was its largest injection of Labor talent in decades”. They also identify that “13 out of this group would become ministers in future Labor Governments; a further two Parliamentary secretaries , two Speakers and one Peter Beattie, would become Premier”.
Of the 28, there were seven women, bringing the Labor total of women to eight. They all won seats that in most cases had not seen Labor members in decades. Lorraine Bird took out Whitsunday; Dr Lesley Clarke won Barron River; Molly Robson converted Springwood; Wendy Edmund added Mt Cootha; Laurel Power won Mansfield; Judy Spence put Mt Gravatt back in the Labor corner after 32 years; and Margaret Woodgate beat Nationals minister Yvonne Chapman in Pine Rivers. Edmund, Robson, Woodgate and Spence would all become ministers. In Spence’s case, she would defy the taunts of “oncer” to become the longest-serving member and female minister from that intake. She was also the first to give birth as an MP, also in her first term.
While three new members, Steve Bredhauer (Cook), Don Livingstone (Ipswich West) and myself (Rockhampton North) replaced retiring Labor members, 15 other men of diverse backgrounds and interests took the rest of the seats needed to win. Matt Foley, a barrister,was a mate of Goss, who put the wood on him to stand for Yeronga. Other lawyers to take Coalition seats included Rod Welfordand Ray Barber. North Toowoomba was captured by Dr John Flynn, while John Szczerbanik took out the once prized Nationals seat of Albert. Gary Fenlon won Greenslopes and Darryl Briskey won Redlands, another held by a minister. Ray Hollis won Redcliffe; Phil Heath, a small-business owner, won Nundah, held by Deputy Liberal Leader William Knox. In Wide Bay, Bob Dollin won Maryborough while Bill Nunn won Isis.Jon Sullivan added Caboolture to the total.
As the swing moved north, coal miner Jim Pearce took Broadsound . This was a gerrymandered seat of which Bjelke Peterson could boast. In Townsville, former Liberal member Ken Davies brought the Labor seat tally to three. Warren Pitt beat Max Menzelin Mulgrave. In Mt Isa, Tony McGrady romped home.
It is easy to focus on the magnificent results of the Goss cabinet but the contribution of the above mentioned is largely ignored by political scientists. Without those who stood for hitherto unwinnable seats and in most cases ended up out of pocket as a result, there would be nothing to celebrate on December 2. While some would later lose and others rat, these were the foundation members of over 20 years of state Labor governments. As someone who was there and shared the exhilaration of the win, I appreciate the efforts of these pioneers in building future Labor governments. Labor ran in every seat and sadly no credit has ever been given to those who stood in impossible-to-win seats.
Robert Schwarten was the member for Rockhampton between July 1995 and March 2012 and served as a senior minister in the Beattie and Bligh governments.
BIG CHANGES CAME AT RIGHT TIME FOR STATE ON THE ROPES
Anthony Chisholm
My first political memory is the election of the Goss government on December 2, 1989. I recall the growing sense of excitement in my family about the potential election of a Labor government and how we kept the famous “Goss the Boss” front page of the next day’s Sunday Mail. I’d turned 11 that year, so for my generation, it is easy to take for granted what was achieved in 1989 and in the following years.
We need to venture back to the 1970s and ’80s. Institutionalised corruption and cronyism flourished in the public service and police force, with environmental vandalism and heritage destruction, the suppression of public discontent and workers’ rights, the targeting of political opponents and a political system designed to keep the Nationals entrenched. It lasted 32years, but we should never take for granted that it was an easy task to dismantle it and set about the task of modernising Queensland.
Enter Wayne Keith Goss. Bright, energetic, determined, professional and disciplined would describe the then Opposition leader.He built a loyal and politically talented team: the old-school Labor scrapper in Tom Burns as his deputy leader; hard-headed parliamentary operator Terry Mackenroth and reformers in David Hamill, teamed with a back-room operation of Wayne Swan as campaign director and Kevin Rudd as chief of staff to win that election and then go on to reform the state.
The first two decisions Goss made in government was to abolish the Imperial Honour System and disband the Special Branch,which were at the heart of so much corruption, cronyism, abuse of power and targeting of political opponents.
This wasn’t an act of symbolism; this was the start of good governance in Queensland. There was so much to do, but a cautious state to take with you.
I got to know Wayne in the years after he had left politics. Those characteristics that earned him the trust of Queenslanders remained: he demanded high standards and a relentless work ethic.
As a party official, I could see how he would have driven his ministers and government. He led a Labor Government for all of Queensland: economically careful, focused on improving social services, made up for lost time on the environment and restored integrity and accountability to government in Queensland.
While Premiers Beattie, Bligh and Palaszczuk deserve credit for what they and their governments achieved in their own right, I am certain that the Goss government provided a platform for the Labor Governments that have come since and all that has been done to create the modern Queensland we enjoy today.
Antony Chisholm was elected to the Senate for Queensland in 2016 and has been a member of the Australian Labor Party since 1995.
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