What Ahern could teach Anna, if only she would listen

As Queensland farewelled former premier Mike Ahern at a state funeral on Friday, the contrast between his courageous style of leadership and what we are stuck with now could not have been starker, writes Kylie Lang.

• Gallery: Funeral for Mike Ahern

As Queensland farewelled former premier Mike Ahern at a state funeral in Caloundra on Friday, the contrast between his courageous style of leadership and what we are stuck with currently could not have been starker.

Mr Ahern was remembered as a humble man whose integrity was unquestionable. Attending his funeral on behalf of this newspaper, I was struck by a recurring sentiment – here was a politician who put the people of Queensland first.

The National Party leader was premier from December 1987 to September 1989, taking over from a disgraced Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen as the Fitzgerald Inquiry into official corruption shook the state.

Mr Ahern started Queensland on the “road to honesty” in government, as former Labor premier Peter Beattie put it recently.

Former Qld Premier Mike Ahern dies on August 11. (AAP Image/Richard Waugh).

Fast forward to 2023 and that road has turned into a sinkhole. For more than eight years, we’ve been treated as mugs by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, whose popularity is slipping deeper into that sinkhole.

You, dear readers, will have examples of your own.

For me, it is the arrogance in refusing to own her government’s failings and glibly acknowledging them only when exposed by the media. It is the lack of empathy during the height of the pandemic when families were ripped apart for nothing more than a belligerent adherence to inflexible mandates – not applied to footballers and celebrities.

It is her missing-in-action approach to youth crime – now an epidemic due to her lot’s pathetic policies.

This week as hundreds marched on Parliament House, chanting “help us Anna, help us now”, the Premier was squirrelled away in her office.

Contrast this to Mr Ahern, who in the late 1980s during AIDS hysteria, openly held the hand of an HIV positive man to demonstrate there was no need for fear.

Annastacia Palaszczuk speaking at the State Funeral Service for Mike Ahern. Photo Steve Pohlner

Ms Palaszczuk appears to consider herself somehow above the rest of us.

Why take her boyfriend to an Olympic Games meeting in Sydney?

Why refuse (until forced) to change her Minister for the Olympics title to rightfully include the Paralympics?

Why take forever – as Queenslanders suffered – to remove the incompetent Health Minister Yvette D’Ath, and why not boot her out of Cabinet altogether?

This leads me to Mark Bailey.

Mr Mangocube, aka Minister for Transport and Main Roads, has proven himself to be wholly incapable, presiding over cost blowouts on major projects totalling $4.5bn, including the latest $2.4bn for the Maryborough Train Manufacturing Program.

At issue is not only the questionable use of taxpayer dollars.

It is the lack of transparency and deliberate attempts to hide the truth.

As we now know, Mr Bailey’s office sent an email to the Department of Transport and Main Roads’ communications unit with a “couple of things to consider” in a draft press release. One of them was deleting a reference to the revised $9.5bn cost of the train program.

Hey presto! When Mr Bailey and the Premier issued a joint press release on June 30, the stated figure was the original $7.1bn. Mr Bailey knew the real figure, and it’s impossible to believe Ms Palaszczuk didn’t. But when pushed by the Opposition this week, all she offered was “the matters have been addressed extensively” and “we apologise to Queenslanders”.

At the State Funeral Service for Mike Ahern. – Photo Steve Pohlner

Addressed extensively? Is she referring to the narrow investigation by John McKenna KC which found Mr Bailey’s staffer had not “directed any public service employee” to remove the $9.5bn reference?

Mr McKenna said it was his opinion the staffer was only offering advice. However, as readers who’ve worked in the public service have noted, the reality is if a ministerial office even hints at something, it happens.

Never mind that the code of conduct for ministerial staff prohibits employees from “directing” or “attempting to direct” a public servant.

This integrity problem was treated seriously in last year’s Coaldrake review of culture and accountability in the public sector. Peter Coaldrake said any suggestions from a minister’s office could be taken by public servants as directives – and if public servants gave their own advice the price could be “devastatingly” high.

Queenslanders are still waiting for “honesty in government”, with only some of the Coaldrake recommendations actioned.

Mike Ahern famously declared he would implement the findings of the Fitzgerald inquiry “lock, stock and barrel”. Annastacia Palaszczuk saw fit to use those exact words in response to the Coaldrake review. That is the extent of any common ground.

Kylie Lang is associate editor of The Courier-Mail [e-mail]

Tony Fitzgerald QC with premier Mike Ahern handing down the report of the Commission of Inquiry.