Joh praised by some, scorned by others
25.04.2005
TRIBUTES poured in yesterday for Joh Bjelke-Petersen while some of his fiercest detractors questioned the legacy of Queensland's longest-serving premier.
John Howard, whose bid for The Lodge was derailed by the aborted Joh-for-PM campaign in 1987, said he did not bear any grudges for Sir Joh, who died on Saturday aged 94, and that he had phoned Lady Flo to offer his condolences.
``He made an enormous contribution to Queensland during his premiership -- it was a period of great economic growth for the state,'' Mr Howard said.
Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser said he hoped Sir Joh would be remembered for ``the good things'' he did for Queensland.
``A lot of people wouldn't be able to remember Queensland when he became premier, but it was a much sleepier state -- the major mining and industrial developments hadn't really begun in a major way,'' Mr Fraser said.
``Brisbane was a very much lesser city.''
The Nationals leader in the Senate, Ron Boswell, said Sir Joh was his ``dear friend and supporter'', and that the former premier should be remembered for ``the good things'' he did, such as developing the state's export coalmining industry.
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie praised Sir Joh's contribution to the state.
``We all know he was a controversial figure,'' Mr Beattie said. ``There will be people who love him, there will be people who hate him, but the fact is if you look at the total equation, when you take the negatives and positives, he did a lot of good for the state.''
One of the most public personalities in Sir Joh's life, Beryl Young, his personal pilot from 1970 to 1987, said she would remember her ``old boss'' with great affection.
``That whole coal basin through the centre of Queensland came to life in his years, as did the dams and power stations,'' she said.
Alan Callaghan, Sir Joh's press secretary from 1971 to 1979, and later a department head in his government, said: ``Most of the major infrastructure in this state today was built by his governments and very little has been done since.
``He will also be remembered for the Fitzgerald (corruption) inquiry, but ... on balance, I think Queenslanders will remember him with affection.''
But the president of the Australian Civil Liberties Council, Terry O'Gorman, said Sir Joh was ``the most appalling premier Queensland has ever had in terms of civil liberties and human rights'' because of his stance on street marches, his partisan police appointments and the furore surrounding the 1971 Springbok tour, when Sir Joh called a state of emergency because of the protests against racism.
Prominent Queensland Aboriginal activist Sam Watson said: ``Aboriginal people will always remember him as a racist, a thug and a dictator.''
Wayne Goss, the first Labor premier after the Bjelke-Petersen era, would not be drawn on Sir Joh's passing. However, in an ABC interview to be aired on May 6, Mr Goss says: ``No, I don't have a grudging respect for Sir Joh.''
