Johannes Bjelke-Petersen: The Lord's PremierUniv. of Queensland Press, 2002 - 249 pages A saviour to some, reviled by others, Johannes Bjelke-Petersen became the butt of jokes and even assassination attempts. His influence spread well beyond Queensland, and in the mid-1970s he put an unknown french polisher into the Senate to help rub out the Whitlam government.Young Joh had been a loner who worked hard to overcome crippling childhood polio and the poverty of life on his family's farm. Enduring a long apprenticeship as an opposition backbencher, he finally made it to the top, bringing to his old-style autocratic rule a more media-savvy appeal to the electorate.As this long-awaited biography reveals, Joh was as cunning as he was ruthless throughout his forty-year political career. Rae Wear analyses in detail his political psyche, his unique leadership style and the reasons for his electoral support, taking into account his Danish immigrant background and lifelong Christian piety.Essential reading for anyone interested in Australian politics, this biographical study explains in depth, for the first time, Bjelke-Petersen's unlikely elevation to the premiership and his ultimate disgrace amid revelations of widespread corruption. |
Contents
Religion | 19 |
Education and Occupation | 34 |
In Government | 67 |
The Premier and the Party Organisation | 86 |
Breakdown in Relations | 109 |
The Premier and Cabinet | 130 |
The Premier and the Coalition | 153 |
The Premier Parliament and Federalism | 173 |
The Premier and Public Administration | 186 |
The Premier the Media and the People | 211 |
226 | |
241 | |
Common terms and phrases
Allen Callaghan appointment Australian Journal authoritarian backbenchers believed Bill Gunn Bill Hewitt Bjelke Boolarong Brisbane campaign Canberra Christian Chronicles Church Coaldrake coalition colleagues comm Committee Confidential Cabinet Minute corruption Country Party Courier-Mail Debates decision despite Don Lane election electoral Evans favour federal Fitzgerald Inquiry Frank Nicklin Gordon Chalk Hazlehurst Hinze Hoey Hugh Bingham ibid issue Jack Pizzey Joh Bjelke-Petersen Joh's Johannes Bjelke-Petersen Journal of Politics journalists June Kingaroy Labor land leader Legislative Assembly Liberal Party Llew Edwards Lunn Lutheran M. B. Cribb Melbourne ment Mike Ahern ministers National Party Nicklin opposition parliament parliamentary party organisation Party's pers Peter Beattie Petersen police politician Politics and History Premier premiership Queensland Newspapers Queensland Press Quoted Reynolds Robert Sparkes rural seats senior Sir Edward Lyons Sir Robert Sparkes social St Lucia suggests tion University of Queensland Vic Sullivan vote Whitlam Whitrod Whitton