The Ahern Ministry was a ministry of the Australian Government of Queensland and was led by National Party Premier Mike Ahern and Deputy Premier Bill Gunn. It succeeded the Bjelke-Petersen Ministry on 1 December 1987 following Joh Bjelke-Petersen's resignation as Premier and from Parliament, and was in turn succeeded by the Cooper Ministry on 25 September 1989, led by Russell Cooper.
As the National Party was not in coalition at the time, all listed members are from that party.
Due to the speed of the unusual events leading to the demise of the previous ministry, the initial Ahern Ministry consisted simply of Ahern and Gunn sharing all of the portfolios until a full Cabinet could be appointed and details of all other administrative arrangements could be finalised. It was sworn in by Governor Walter Campbell on 1 December 1987. The appointments of all previous ministers were terminated. [1]
Office | Minister |
---|---|
Premier | Mike Ahern, BAgrSc |
Deputy Premier | Bill Gunn |
A full ministry was sworn in on 9 December 1987. The Ministry largely reflected the membership and order of the Bjelke-Petersen Ministry prior to 25 November 1987, but Russ Hinze, Don Lane, Lin Powell (who had been elected Speaker on 2 December) and Yvonne Chapman were not re-appointed. Five new ministers were appointed to fill the vacancies. [2]
On 19 January 1989, Ahern reshuffled the ministry, removing Leisha Harvey and appointing Craig Sherrin to replace her. [3]
In August 1989, Russell Cooper nominated to replace Ahern at a party-room meeting, with Paul Clauson as his deputy. The bid failed, and both ministers and Bob Katter resigned on 29 August. On 31 August, a reshuffle took place and three new ministers were appointed. [4] This final version of the ministry lasted until a second attempt by Cooper to gain the leadership was successful on 25 September.
Office | Minister |
---|---|
Premier | Mike Ahern, BAgrSc |
Deputy Premier | Bill Gunn |
Minister for Transport (until 19 January 1989) | Ivan Gibbs |
Minister for Land Management | Bill Glasson |
Minister for Finance | Brian Austin |
Minister for Employment, Training and Industrial Affairs | Vince Lester |
Minister for Mines and Energy | Martin Tenni |
Minister for Primary Industries | Neville Harper |
Minister for the Environment and Conservation | Geoff Muntz |
Minister for Family Services, Welfare and Housing | Peter McKechnie |
Minister for Northern Development (until 19 January 1989) | Bob Katter |
Minister for Water Resources and Maritime Services | Don Neal |
Attorney-General | Paul Clauson |
Minister for Industry, Small Business and Technology | Rob Borbidge |
Minister for Local Government | Jim Randell |
Minister for Corrective Services (until 19 January 1989) | Russell Cooper |
Minister for Health | Leisha Harvey, BA, Dip.Teach. (until 19 January 1989) |
Minister for Education, Youth and Sport | Brian Littleproud |
Minister for Family Services | Craig Sherrin, BSc, Dip.Ed., MEdSt (from 19 January 1989) |
Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen, known as Joh Bjelke-Petersen or simply Sir Joh, was a conservative Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, during which time the state underwent considerable economic development. He has become one of the most well-known and controversial figures of 20th-century Australian politics because of his uncompromising conservatism, political longevity, and the institutional corruption of his government.
The governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the monarch of Australia. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governor performs constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level. In particular the governor has the power to appoint and dismiss the premier of Queensland and all other ministers in the cabinet, and issue writs for the election of the state parliament.
Robert Edward Borbidge is a former Australian politician who served as the 35th Premier of Queensland from 1996 to 1998. He was the leader of the Queensland branch of the National Party, and was the last member of that party to serve as premier. His term as premier was contemporaneous with the rise of the One Nation Party of Pauline Hanson, which would see him lose office within two years.
Theo Russell Cooper is a former Australian National Party politician. He was Premier of Queensland for a period of 73 days, from 25 September 1989 to 7 December 1989. His loss at the state election of 1989 ended 32 years of continuous National Party rule over Queensland.
Michael John Ahern was an Australian National Party politician who was Premier of Queensland from December 1987 to September 1989. After a long career in the government of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Ahern became his successor amid the controversy caused by the Fitzgerald Inquiry into official corruption. Ahern's consensus style and political moderation contrasted strongly with Bjelke-Petersen's leadership, but he could not escape the division and strife caused by his predecessor's downfall.
Sir Walter "Wally" Benjamin Campbell, was an Australian judge, administrator and governor. He was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland, Chancellor of the University of Queensland and the 21st Governor of Queensland from 1985 to 1992.
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