Remember when: Singer Fairlie Arrow declared her abduction was not a hoax as Keating won

FRIENDS of signer Fairlie Arrow asked the Gold Coast entertainment industry if her abduction story was a hoax.

Gold Coast History: Gold Coast Bulletin 1991, December 19. Front page.

Gold Coast Bulletin, Thursday December 19, 1991

FRIENDS of signer Fairlie Arrow asked the Gold Coast entertainment industry if her abduction story was a hoax.

Outside Broadbeach Police Station, Ms Arrow said she knew there was a lot of scepticism about her 48 hour ordeal in which she said she was blindfolded, gagged and her arms and legs tied to a four-poster bed.

Ms Arrow, 27, also described as ludicrous suggestions that “the most frightening experience of my life’’ was designed to boost plans for a commercial neighbourhood watch security company.

Only hours after her release, Ms Arrow told police and reporters she was convinced the demented and infatuated fan had planned to kill her.

Ms Arrow said she was upset with numerous friends who had telephoned to ask if she had “made the whole thing up”.

“Trust me. This is not a bad publicity stunt,” she said.

“I can think of a lot of easier ways to run a publicity stunt than this.

“It’s pretty hard for me to comprehend what’s happened as well for so long I tried to do something about it and now finally everyone is taking it seriously.”

The incident determined to be a hoax within days after police investigations.

Meanwhile, the Labor leadership crisis continued with signs Prime Minister Bob Hawke would attempt to tough it out against Paul Keating.

The senate had censured the Hawke Government the previous day and called on Labor to end its “leadership farce”.

That day, Keating successfully challenged Hawke for the Labor leadership and was sworn in as prime minister the next day.