Issues - Daylight Saving
The introduction of daylight saving was discussed at Cabinet meetings on five separate occasions, with oral submissions by the Premier presented at each. The Cabinet's 'sensible decision' was supported by the media, but the editor of the Courier-Mail warned against Queensland 'going it alone' when other states supported it116. The issue was given close attention by newspapers during July and editorials warned that Queensland must not go 'into its own Twilight Zone'117. Cabinet decided on 18th July that the Premier should express Queensland's opposition to daylight saving when he attended the Premier's Conference that month118. Differences in attitude within Cabinet, particularly between Premier Bjelke-Petersen and Treasurer Chalk, were reported119. The Premier attended the interstate conference on 21st July and said:
Queensland was against daylight saving because many people would have to go to work in the dark120.
According to the newspapers, Country Party politicians were threatening to
'retaliate' if any Liberal Party members of the Coalition voted in support
of daylight saving121. A proposed referendum on the subject was discussed at
meetings on 31st July and 7th August122. Cabinet approval, in principle, for
a daylight saving referendum was announced on 1st August; the papers reported
that discussion in Cabinet on the matter lasted two hours and quoted the Premier
as having said that if daylight saving was introduced, 'members of the public
would have to get up one hour earlier for almost half their lives'123. One week
later the government announced that a referendum would not be held124.