Ginger Group (Queensland)
Encyclopedia
The ginger group, in Queensland
politics was a group of Liberal Party of Australia
MLAs during the 1960s, 70s and 80s, who despite nominally being a part of the government, were opposed to some of the policies of their senior coalition party, the National Party of Australia
. Initially a small informal grouping within the Liberal party, the group came to wield greater and greater power within the Liberal partyroom, culminating in Terry White
's leadership challenge in 1983, and the party's subsequent defeat and loss of influence at the 1983 election.
n state of Queensland was dominated by the Australian Labor Party
and the Country Party
. A system of electoral malapportionment meant that regional areas held significantly more political power in the Legislative Assembly
than their populations would have suggested. This arrangement initially benefited the Labor party, but beginning in the 1950s, voting patterns in rural and regional electorates began to shift and the Country party came to dominate state politics. In the middle was the Liberal party, whose support base was concentrated in the urban areas of the state capital Brisbane
, and who were at a significant electoral disadvantage from the malapportionment.
The coalition between the Country party and the Liberals was harmonious at first, as both were determined to drive the Labor party from office and establish a conservative government in their place. The first indications of trouble came in 1963, when the Liberal party insisted on the introduction of preferential voting
in Queensland. The Country Party resisted this move, fearing that a change in the electoral system would work against their electoral interests. These fears were confirmed to be baseless at the 1963 election
, when it was shown that preferential voting did not noticeably alter the outcome in all but a few seats, and the Country party dropped their opposition. Nevertheless, the dispute showed that there was the potential for disagreement between the two electoral allies.
, the member for Clayfield
, in 1964. Murray publicly criticised the land policy of the government, as well as the Country party's dominance of government business in the legislature, which often disadvantaged the Liberals just as much as the nominal Labor opposition. At around the same time, the Liberal party had begun establishing local branches in Country party held seats, particularly on the Gold Coast
, a development that some in the Country party found provocative.
Further discontent became evident following the 1968 by-election in the seat of Landsborough
, caused by the retirement of former Country party Premier Frank Nicklin
. While Landsborough was at the time a regional seat, nearby urban growth was changing the demographics of the area, and some in the Liberal party began to agitate for a Liberal party member to run at the election. This was theoretically permitted by the coalition agreement with the Country party, which permitted so-called "three cornered contests" where there was no sitting member in place. After heated debate at the party's convention, Liberal party President Dr A. W. Hartwig declared that the party would not contest the election, but then added that he personally disagreed with the decision. Charles Porter, an MLA who would later become identified with the Ginger Group, declared that the decision not to contest the election was "flabby, craven, and lacking in confidence."
's controversial street march policies, and the midnight destruction of Brisbane's Belle Vue Hotel), as well as Liberal resentment at their junior status within the coalition. In 1975, the Country party changed its name to the National Country Party, and later to the National Party, in an attempt to attract voters in urban areas a move that made them an electoral threat in the eyes of some Liberals. However, the Liberal party leaders of the era, William Knox
and later Llew Edwards
adopted a "wait and see" approach, preferring to wait until the popular Bjelke-Petersen's retirement or electoral defeat before making a move against the Nationals.
The Ginger Group were not happy with this approach however, and continued to make public their opposition to many government policies. In 1982, they were sufficiently emboldened that Angus Innes
, a leading member of the group and the member for Sherwood
challenged Edwards for the leadership of the Liberal party. Bjelke-Petersen publicly stated that he would not work in a coalition with Innes leading the Liberal Party, and that he would form a minority government if necessary. Edwards was able to defeat the challenge, but the close margin (12-10) showed that the Ginger Group was gaining increasing power and influence within the Party.
At this point, although the Ginger Group was never a formal faction within the party, the following MLAs were widely perceived to be a part of the group:
All eight represented electoral districts either in or near to Brisbane. White and Hewitt were ministers, and the group was supported from outside parliament by John Herron
, then the state president of the Liberal Party.
of parliament over the establishment of a public accounts committee, which had been longstanding demand. Bjelke-Petersen was furious, and Edwards quickly sacked White from his cabinet portfolio over the affair. White, in turn, challenged Edwards for leadership of the party, which he managed to secure with the assistance of the other Ginger Group members. Angus Innes was at the same time elected deputy leader. Like with Innes however, Bjelke-Petersen was not willing to work with White, and dissolved the coalition agreement between the parties. In response, White moved the Liberal party to the crossbenches, but Bjelke-Petersen advised the Governor to adjourn parliament, so a National party minority government was able to remain in place until the election without having to face any confidence motions from White.
The subsequent 1983 election was disastrous for the Liberal party and the Ginger Group, with the party losing fourteen seats and being reduced to only eight members, two of whom defected to the National party shortly after the election. Significantly, from the Ginger Group, only White and Innes survived, with both of them being blamed by the media and many supporters for the loss. Bjelke-Petersen was able to form government in his own right, and the coalition agreement with the Liberals was not reformed. White resigned as leader soon afterwards, although Innes later managed to become leader of the Liberal party in time for the 1989 election, which saw the Labor party take power for the first time in decades.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
politics was a group of Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
MLAs during the 1960s, 70s and 80s, who despite nominally being a part of the government, were opposed to some of the policies of their senior coalition party, the National Party of Australia
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
. Initially a small informal grouping within the Liberal party, the group came to wield greater and greater power within the Liberal partyroom, culminating in Terry White
Terry White
Terry White is an American sprint canoer who competed in the mid to late 1980s. Competing in two Summer Olympics, he earned his best finish of fourth in the K-2 1000 m event at Los Angeles in 1984.-References:*...
's leadership challenge in 1983, and the party's subsequent defeat and loss of influence at the 1983 election.
Background
After the second world war, the politics of the AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state of Queensland was dominated by the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
and the Country Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
. A system of electoral malapportionment meant that regional areas held significantly more political power in the Legislative Assembly
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
than their populations would have suggested. This arrangement initially benefited the Labor party, but beginning in the 1950s, voting patterns in rural and regional electorates began to shift and the Country party came to dominate state politics. In the middle was the Liberal party, whose support base was concentrated in the urban areas of the state capital Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, and who were at a significant electoral disadvantage from the malapportionment.
The coalition between the Country party and the Liberals was harmonious at first, as both were determined to drive the Labor party from office and establish a conservative government in their place. The first indications of trouble came in 1963, when the Liberal party insisted on the introduction of preferential voting
Preferential voting
Preferential voting is a type of ballot structure used in several electoral systems in which voters rank candidates in order of relative preference. For example, the voter may select their first choice as '1', their second preference a '2', and so on...
in Queensland. The Country Party resisted this move, fearing that a change in the electoral system would work against their electoral interests. These fears were confirmed to be baseless at the 1963 election
Queensland state election, 1963
Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 1 June 1963 to elect the 78 members of the state's Legislative Assembly.The major parties contesting the election were the Country Party led by Premier Frank Nicklin, the Liberal Party led by Alan Munro, the Australian Labor Party led by...
, when it was shown that preferential voting did not noticeably alter the outcome in all but a few seats, and the Country party dropped their opposition. Nevertheless, the dispute showed that there was the potential for disagreement between the two electoral allies.
Growth
The first overt opposition to the Country party's dominance from within the Liberal party came from John MurrayJohn Murray (Queensland politician)
John Murray, MBE was an Australian politician. He attended state schools before serving in the military 1939-45. He returned to become a farmer and grazier at Ingham, Queensland...
, the member for Clayfield
Electoral district of Clayfield
The district of Clayfield is an electoral division of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. It is centred around the inner northern suburb of Clayfield in the state capital of Brisbane....
, in 1964. Murray publicly criticised the land policy of the government, as well as the Country party's dominance of government business in the legislature, which often disadvantaged the Liberals just as much as the nominal Labor opposition. At around the same time, the Liberal party had begun establishing local branches in Country party held seats, particularly on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, a development that some in the Country party found provocative.
Further discontent became evident following the 1968 by-election in the seat of Landsborough
Electoral district of Landsborough
Landsborough was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland from 1950 to 1992. The district was based on the Sunshine Coast....
, caused by the retirement of former Country party Premier Frank Nicklin
Frank Nicklin
Sir George Francis Reuben Nicklin, KCMG, MM was Premier of the Australian state of Queensland from 1957 to 1968, and the first Country Party Premier since 1932.-Early life and career:...
. While Landsborough was at the time a regional seat, nearby urban growth was changing the demographics of the area, and some in the Liberal party began to agitate for a Liberal party member to run at the election. This was theoretically permitted by the coalition agreement with the Country party, which permitted so-called "three cornered contests" where there was no sitting member in place. After heated debate at the party's convention, Liberal party President Dr A. W. Hartwig declared that the party would not contest the election, but then added that he personally disagreed with the decision. Charles Porter, an MLA who would later become identified with the Ginger Group, declared that the decision not to contest the election was "flabby, craven, and lacking in confidence."
Rebellion and takeover
As time wore on, and the period of Country party dominance continued, some figures within the Liberal party became more and more outspoken in their opposition to government policy. Discontent arose from differences of opinion on policies (including on then-premier Joh Bjelke-PetersenJoh Bjelke-Petersen
Sir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG , was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, a period that saw considerable economic development in the state...
's controversial street march policies, and the midnight destruction of Brisbane's Belle Vue Hotel), as well as Liberal resentment at their junior status within the coalition. In 1975, the Country party changed its name to the National Country Party, and later to the National Party, in an attempt to attract voters in urban areas a move that made them an electoral threat in the eyes of some Liberals. However, the Liberal party leaders of the era, William Knox
William Knox (Queensland politician)
Sir William Knox was born in Victoria, Australia and was the Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly representing the district of Nundah for the Liberal Party of Australia between from 1956 to 1989....
and later Llew Edwards
Llewellyn Edwards
Sir Llewellyn Roy Edwards, AC was the twelfth Chancellor of the University of Queensland, a Queensland state politician and state Liberal Party leader, as well as Chair and CEO of the 1988 World Exposition, Brisbane's World Expo '88...
adopted a "wait and see" approach, preferring to wait until the popular Bjelke-Petersen's retirement or electoral defeat before making a move against the Nationals.
The Ginger Group were not happy with this approach however, and continued to make public their opposition to many government policies. In 1982, they were sufficiently emboldened that Angus Innes
Angus Innes
John Angus Mackenzie Innes, was a Queensland politician and leader of the state Liberal Party.-Biography:Innes was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly in 1978 at a by-election to fill a vacancy created by the death of John Herbert...
, a leading member of the group and the member for Sherwood
Electoral district of Sherwood
Sherwood was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland from 1950 to 1992.First created for the 1950 state election, the district was based in the south-western suburbs of Brisbane, covering areas that previously belonged to the abolished district of Oxley...
challenged Edwards for the leadership of the Liberal party. Bjelke-Petersen publicly stated that he would not work in a coalition with Innes leading the Liberal Party, and that he would form a minority government if necessary. Edwards was able to defeat the challenge, but the close margin (12-10) showed that the Ginger Group was gaining increasing power and influence within the Party.
At this point, although the Ginger Group was never a formal faction within the party, the following MLAs were widely perceived to be a part of the group:
- Angus InnesAngus InnesJohn Angus Mackenzie Innes, was a Queensland politician and leader of the state Liberal Party.-Biography:Innes was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly in 1978 at a by-election to fill a vacancy created by the death of John Herbert...
, member for Sherwood - Terry WhiteTerry WhiteTerry White is an American sprint canoer who competed in the mid to late 1980s. Competing in two Summer Olympics, he earned his best finish of fourth in the K-2 1000 m event at Los Angeles in 1984.-References:*...
, member for Redcliffe - Guelf Scassola, member for Mt Gravatt
- Ian Prentice, member for Toowong
- Terry Gygar, member for Stafford
- Rosemary Kyburz, member for Salisbury
- Rob Akers, member for Pine Rivers
- Bill Hewitt, member for Greenslopes
All eight represented electoral districts either in or near to Brisbane. White and Hewitt were ministers, and the group was supported from outside parliament by John Herron
John Herron (Australian politician)
Dr. John Joseph Herron , Australian politician, ambassador and surgeon, was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate from 1 July 1990 to 5 September 2002, representing Queensland. From 2002 to 2006 he was the Australian Ambassador to Ireland and the Holy See.Dr...
, then the state president of the Liberal Party.
1983 election
Matters came to a head in 1983 when the Ginger Group crossed the floorCrossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
of parliament over the establishment of a public accounts committee, which had been longstanding demand. Bjelke-Petersen was furious, and Edwards quickly sacked White from his cabinet portfolio over the affair. White, in turn, challenged Edwards for leadership of the party, which he managed to secure with the assistance of the other Ginger Group members. Angus Innes was at the same time elected deputy leader. Like with Innes however, Bjelke-Petersen was not willing to work with White, and dissolved the coalition agreement between the parties. In response, White moved the Liberal party to the crossbenches, but Bjelke-Petersen advised the Governor to adjourn parliament, so a National party minority government was able to remain in place until the election without having to face any confidence motions from White.
The subsequent 1983 election was disastrous for the Liberal party and the Ginger Group, with the party losing fourteen seats and being reduced to only eight members, two of whom defected to the National party shortly after the election. Significantly, from the Ginger Group, only White and Innes survived, with both of them being blamed by the media and many supporters for the loss. Bjelke-Petersen was able to form government in his own right, and the coalition agreement with the Liberals was not reformed. White resigned as leader soon afterwards, although Innes later managed to become leader of the Liberal party in time for the 1989 election, which saw the Labor party take power for the first time in decades.