1975 Cabinet Minutes Open to the Public

Media Release: Monday 1 January 2006

Strained relations between the Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen and the Commonwealth Government dominated State Cabinet business during 1975 according to the Minister for Public Works, Housing and Racing, Robert Schwarten.

Mr Schwarten who today released the 1975 State Cabinet Minutes held in closed custody at Queensland State Archives for the last 30 years said issues such as the Federal inquiry into mining on Fraser Island and Commonwealth interference were discussed frequently.

“However a study of the Queensland Cabinet Minutes reveal Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen never took a submission to State Cabinet before he nominated the controversial Pat Field to fill the Senate vacancy left by the death of Labor Senator, Bert Milliner,” he said.

“This unprecedented action by the Premier played a pivotal role in the political crisis that brought down the Whitlam Government.

“Yet we now discover that there was no State Cabinet decision, or even a Cabinet submission, on this highly controversial issue.

“At the time, Liberal Members of State Parliament were split down the middle over the decision to break with constitutional convention.”

Mr Schwarten said one of the biggest news stories in Queensland politics for the year was the letter bomb sent to the 14th floor of the Executive Building.

“The assassination attempt on Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen resulted in an increase his personal security to two guards and purchasing a bullet proof vest but once again, these decisions were made away from Cabinet,” he said.

“1975 was a very interesting year politically. The Cabinet minutes show the country was still dealing with the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy, Vietnamese war orphans began arriving and in October, five Australian journalists were killed by Indonesian forces in Timor.

“With the Federal Labor Government in office there were also some major social changes – the Family Court was established and Medibank opened its doors. The Queensland Cabinet noted the establishment of the new health system.

“Electricity rationing began in Queensland and conservation issues were gaining momentum with the Premier bitterly resenting moves from Canberra to stop sand mining on Fraser Island (Decisions 22539, 3 June 1975 and 22627, 17 June 1975).”

Mr Schwarten said opposition to the Iwasaki Tourist Resort Concept by Japanese entrepreneur Yohachiro Iwasaki’s resort development at Yeppoon was causing controversy in 1975, just as it had in previous years.

“Cabinet approved an Inter-Departmental Committee Report, recommending ‘detailed information and a revised plan’ be requested from the developer and be tabled in Parliament,” he said.

“Stopping dredging of the Brisbane River was discussed in Cabinet but was rejected based on the economic benefits to the construction industry of mining sand and gravel.”

Mr Schwarten said the Cabinet Minute also revealed some interesting decisions.

“Premier Joh Bjelke-Peterson pursued Cabinet to give an inventor $2,500 despite an engineer’s report clearly stating the man’s perpetual motion machine would never work “in any way at all” and no funds should be provided,” he said.

“Keep Left Unless Overtaking signs are seen for the first time on Queensland roads (Decision 23522, 24 November 1975) and the year rounds off with Cabinet rezoning land for a second quarry at Coomera owned by the Minister for Main Roads and Local Government, Russ Hinze,” (Decision 23667, 15 December 1975).”

Mr Schwarten encouraged Queenslanders to take an interest in the State’s fascinating history and visit Queensland State Archives at Runcorn.

The Cabinet Minutes will be available to the public at the Queensland State Archives Runcorn facility from Tuesday 3 January.

“The Cabinet Minutes give us a look at our relatively recent past – only 30 years ago – yet Queensland State Archives is the custodian of government archival records including maps, photographs and documents dating back to when the colony was first formed in the 1820s,” he said.

Queensland State Archives is located at 435 Compton Road, Runcorn, Brisbane and open to the public weekdays between 9am and 4.30pm. It is also now open on the second Saturday of the month from 9am to 4.30pm.

For further information contact Kate Jones, phone 3227 1184, or mobile 0408 717 887.

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Last Updated: Friday, 3 February 2006