Here we Joh again? The spectre of Bjelke-Petersen still looms large over Queensland
Guardian AU
β’Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:00:15 GMT
π° What Happened
Guardian Australia's Queensland correspondent Ben Smee examines how the legacy of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Queensland's notorious 'hillbilly dictator' premier, continues to cast a long shadow over the state's politics half a century later. The article opens with an anecdote about Aunty Sandra King, an elder of the Yagara, Quandamooka, and Bundjalung people, who was stopped in her tracks at a protest against plans to build an Olympic stadium in Brisbane's Victoria Park when she saw a man holding a placard reading 'I Preferred Joh.' The current Liberal National Party (LNP) government's aggressive moves on crime policy, transgender healthcare restrictions, and police-led suppression of protests are drawing direct comparisons to the repressive Bjelke-Petersen era.
The analysis reveals that at least one senior Liberal figure privately describes Bjelke-Petersen as the 'best premier Queensland ever had,' though such comments are rarely made publicly. The LNP government's approach to Indigenous affairs has been particularly controversial, with critics arguing that the removal of Indigenous people and programs from government represents a return to the darkest days of Queensland's political history. The LNP's unapologetically conservative policy agenda has reignited debates about the state's authoritarian political traditions and whether Queensland is regressing to its pre-reform era of governance.
π The Backstory
Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen served as Premier of Queensland from 1968 to 1987, making him the longest-serving premier in the state's history. His government was characterized by authoritarian governance, heavy-handed police tactics against protesters, suppression of civil liberties, and a notoriously corrupt political system that was eventually exposed by the Fitzgerald Inquiry (1987-1989). The inquiry led to the resignation of Bjelke-Petersen and the jailing of several ministers and police commissioners. His era left a lasting scar on Queensland's political identity, and the state went through decades of reform aimed at distancing itself from that legacy. The current LNP government, led by Premier David Crisafulli (elected in 2024), has pursued a conservative agenda that critics argue echoes Bjelke-Petersen's approach to governance.
π― Why It Matters
This analysis matters because it documents the apparent return of authoritarian-style politics in Australia's third-most populous state, with implications for civil liberties, Indigenous rights, and democratic norms. The normalization of comparisons to Bjelke-Petersen suggests a significant rightward shift in Queensland's political culture that could influence national politics and set precedents for conservative governance across Australia.
Guardian Australia's Queensland correspondent Ben Smee examines how the legacy of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Queensland's notorious 'hillbilly dictator' premier, continues to cast a long shadow over the state's politics half a century later. The article opens with an anecdote about Aunty Sandra King, an elder of the Yagara, Quandamooka, and Bundjalung people, who was stopped in her tracks at a protest against plans to build an Olympic stadium in Brisbane's Victoria Park when she saw a man holding a placard reading 'I Preferred Joh.' The current Liberal National Party (LNP) government's aggressive moves on crime policy, transgender healthcare restrictions, and police-led suppression of protests are drawing direct comparisons to the repressive Bjelke-Petersen era.
The analysis reveals that at least one senior Liberal figure privately describes Bjelke-Petersen as the 'best premier Queensland ever had,' though such comments are rarely made publicly. The LNP government's approach to Indigenous affairs has been particularly controversial, with critics arguing that the removal of Indigenous people and programs from government represents a return to the darkest days of Queensland's political history. The LNP's unapologetically conservative policy agenda has reignited debates about the state's authoritarian political traditions and whether Queensland is regressing to its pre-reform era of governance.
Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen served as Premier of Queensland from 1968 to 1987, making him the longest-serving premier in the state's history. His government was characterized by authoritarian governance, heavy-handed police tactics against protesters, suppression of civil liberties, and a notoriously corrupt political system that was eventually exposed by the Fitzgerald Inquiry (1987-1989). The inquiry led to the resignation of Bjelke-Petersen and the jailing of several ministers and police commissioners. His era left a lasting scar on Queensland's political identity, and the state went through decades of reform aimed at distancing itself from that legacy. The current LNP government, led by Premier David Crisafulli (elected in 2024), has pursued a conservative agenda that critics argue echoes Bjelke-Petersen's approach to governance.
This analysis matters because it documents the apparent return of authoritarian-style politics in Australia's third-most populous state, with implications for civil liberties, Indigenous rights, and democratic norms. The normalization of comparisons to Bjelke-Petersen suggests a significant rightward shift in Queensland's political culture that could influence national politics and set precedents for conservative governance across Australia.