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A Brief History of the Beattie Labor Government

Mar 01, 2004

The Beattie Labor Government was elected in 1998, following a period of turmoil in Queensland politics.

Queensland Premier Peter BeattieThe long-term National Party Government, first elected in 1957 and which governed under Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen from 1968 to 1987, was defeated at the State election on 2 December 1989. Led by Wayne Goss, the Labor government was comfortably re-elected in 1992.

At the 1995 elections, Goss’s majority was reduced to one seat. Following the overturning of the result in the electorate of Mundingburra, the Liberal Party won the ensuing by-election and the Independent member for Gladstone, Liz Cunningham, pledged her support to the Coalition. A National-Liberal government led by Rob Borbidge took office in February 1996.

At the 1998 State election, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party captured nearly 23% of the total primary vote and won 11 seats. The ALP lost 5 seats to One Nation, but also picked up 5 seats from the Liberal Party in Brisbane. The Liberals were apparently punished by city voters for their reluctance to put One Nation last on Liberal tickets. [Read more…]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Qld Tagged With:

Beattie Names Third Term Cabinet

Feb 12, 2004

The re-elected Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie, has announced his new ministry.

About one third of the ministry is new. Beattie said: “I’m delighted to be able to give the people of Queensland a fresh, energetic and committed group of Ministers who will drive the implementation of our election commitments and build on the work we have been doing since 1998.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Ministries - State, Qld Tagged With: , ,

Beattie Says Free Trade Deal Is Betrayal Of Sugar Industry

Feb 09, 2004

The newly re-elected Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie, who lost so-called “sugar seats” in the election two days ago, has been quick to criticise the Free Trade Agreement with the United States announced today.

Text of media release from the Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie.

Sour free trade deal means Howard must deliver $120M to sugar industry

BeattiePremier Peter Beattie is bitterly disappointed that the Federal Coalition left the sugar industry out of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States.

“Prime Minister Howard says the deal is “fantastic” but it is in fact a betrayal of the Queensland sugar industry,” Mr Beattie said.

“It has shattered hopes held by the sugar industry and the Queensland Government for fairer access to a market of 280 million people. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Agriculture, Qld, Trade Tagged With: , ,

Lawrence Springborg Concedes Defeat In Queensland Election

Feb 07, 2004

Lawrence Springborg, the Leader of the Opposition in Queensland, has conceded defeat in the state election.

Springborg’s National Party regained three seats but the Labor government led by Peter Beattie was comfortably returned for a third term with its majority largely untouched.

The ALP polled 47.01% of the primary vote, a loss of 1.92%. It won 63 seats in the 89-seat Legislative Assembly.

The National Party polled 16.96%, an increase of 2.80%, and won 15 seats, an increase of 3. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Audio, Qld Tagged With: , , ,

Beattie Calls February 7 Election For Queensland

Jan 13, 2004

The Labor Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie, has announced a February 7 election for the Legislative Assembly.

The three-week campaign is likely to see Beattie’s government returned for a third term, although it is likely to lose some seats.

At the 2001 election, the ALP won a record 66 seats in the 89 seat unicameral parliament. The National Party has 12 seats and the Liberal Party has 3. There are 3 One Nation members and 5 independents. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Audio, Qld Tagged With: ,

Abbott On Action Against Hanson: “I Was Acting Entirely On My Own”

Aug 27, 2003

This is the audio and transcript of Tony Abbott’s interview with Kerry O’Brien on The 7.30 Report on August 27, 2003.

It took place one week after Pauline Hanson and David Ettridge were found guilty of electoral fraud and sentenced to three years in jail.

Hanson and Ettridge were accused of falsely claiming that 500 members of a support movement were members of “Pauline Hanson’s One Nation”, enabling it to be registered as a political party and to claim electoral funding.

In August 2003, Tony Abbott was a cabinet minister in John Howard’s government. He was Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Abbott, Audio, Howard, One Nation Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Howard Says Hanson-Abbott Furore Has ‘Got Quite Out Of Proportion’

Aug 27, 2003

This is the transcript of a doorstop interview given by the Prime Minister, John Howard, in Sydney.

Transcript of John Howard doorstop interview.

JOURNALIST: Mr Howard, you said on Friday that your party had nothing to do with the Pauline Hanson fighting fund (inaudible)?

HOWARD: Well look can I just, I’ll come to the detailed questions in a minute but this whole thing has got quite out of proportion. No politician has been involved in any way with the criminal prosecution of Pauline Hanson. Peter Beattie wasn’t involved, Tony Abbott wasn’t, I wasn’t, Kim Beazley wasn’t, Simon Crean wasn’t. Pauline Hanson was prosecuted for a crime by the independent Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions and I think all of this suggestion coming from the Labor Party that in some way Mr Abbott was involved in the prosecution is an attempt to represent him as having something that he hasn’t been. So I just think everybody ought to take a shower and sort of calm down and get the thing back into perspective. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Howard, One Nation Tagged With: , , ,

Young Workers Drawn To Queensland Public Service

Jul 27, 2003

This is the text of a media release from the Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie.

Premier Peter Beattie said today bright young Queenslanders were being recruited into the public service, to help build the Smart State.

Mr Beattie said a dedicated professional public service employment stream had attracted almost 20,000 graduates in three years.

“The 19,700 graduates drawn into this stream are additional to the young people who were separately recruited into departments,” Mr Beattie said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Public Service, Qld Tagged With:

Beattie Says Premiers Must Fight ‘Un-Australian’ Health System

May 02, 2003

The State and Territory Health Ministers have failed to reach agreement with the Federal Minister for Health, Senator Kay Patterson, over health funding.

The dispute follows this week’s announcement by the Howard government of changes to Medicare.

Text of media release by the Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federalism, Health, Qld Tagged With: ,

Despite Huge Majority, Beattie Says By-Election Is Wake-Up Call

Apr 28, 2003

In an indication of his finely-tuned political instincts, the Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie, has warned the ALP against complacency, following its defeat in the Maryborough by-election.

The by-election was caused by the resignation, due to ill-health, of John Kingston. Kingston won the seat as a One Nation candidate in 1998, resigning a year later to sit as an Independent. He was re-elected in 2001. Maryborough has previously been held by Labor and National party members. [Read more…]

Filed Under: By-Elections, Qld Tagged With: ,
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