Mike Ahern (Australian politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Ahern
AO FTSE
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Ahern in 1988
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| 32nd Premier of Queensland | |
| In office 1 December 1987 – 25 September 1989 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor | Walter Campbell |
| Deputy | Bill Gunn |
| Preceded by | Joh Bjelke-Petersen |
| Succeeded by | Russell Cooper |
| 39th Treasurer of Queensland | |
| In office 1 December 1987 – 25 September 1989 |
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| Preceded by | Joh Bjelke-Petersen |
| Succeeded by | Russell Cooper |
| 9th Leader of the National Party in Queensland | |
| In office 26 November 1987 – 25 September 1989 |
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| Deputy | Bill Gunn |
| Preceded by | Joh Bjelke-Petersen |
| Succeeded by | Russell Cooper |
| Minister for Environment and Health of Queensland | |
| In office 1 December 1986 – 25 November 1987 |
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| Premier | Joh Bjelke-Petersen |
| Preceded by | Brian Austin |
| Succeeded by | Kev Lingard |
| Minister for Industry, Small Business and Technology of Queensland | |
| In office 7 November 1983 – 1 December 1986 |
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| Premier | Joh Bjelke-Petersen |
| Preceded by | Bill Gunn |
| Succeeded by | Peter McKechnie (Industry and Technology) Vince Lester (Small Business) |
| Minister for Primary Industries of Queensland | |
| In office 17 July 1980 – 7 November 1983 |
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| Premier | Joh Bjelke-Petersen |
| Preceded by | Vic Sullivan |
| Succeeded by | Neil Turner |
| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Landsborough |
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| In office 16 March 1968 – 16 May 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Frank Nicklin |
| Succeeded by | Joan Sheldon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 June 1942 Maleny, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 11 August 2023 (aged 81) Caloundra, Queensland, Australia |
| Political party | National Party |
| Spouse |
Andrea Meyer
(m. 1971) |
| Alma mater | University of Queensland |
| Occupation | Grazier |
Michael John Ahern (2 June 1942 – 11 August 2023) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the National Party. From December 1987 to September 1989, he served as the Premier of Queensland.
Ahern had a long career in government. He became Premier after Joh Bjelke-Petersen, during a time when there were questions about government actions. Ahern was known for his calm and moderate leadership style. This was different from his predecessor. He worked to bring people together during a challenging time for the government.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mike Ahern grew up in a rural area, which was common for many National Party politicians. His father, Jack Ahern, was also involved in politics. He was active in the Country Party, which is now known as the National Party. Jack Ahern even managed campaigns for Premier Sir Frank Nicklin.
Michael Ahern was born in Maleny, Queensland. He went to school at Conondale State School and Downlands College in Toowoomba. He later studied agricultural science at the University of Queensland.
After his studies, Ahern became very active in the Young Country Party. He was the state president in 1967 and the national president in 1968. He looked up to Frank Nicklin as a political guide. When Nicklin retired in 1968, Ahern decided to run for his seat in the Landsborough area. He won the election easily and became the youngest Country Party member of Parliament at the time.
Starting His Political Career
When Jack Pizzey, who took over from Nicklin, passed away, Ahern's path in politics became more difficult. Joh Bjelke-Petersen became the new leader of the Country Party. Bjelke-Petersen did not trust Ahern. This was partly because Ahern was close to Nicklin, whom Bjelke-Petersen did not like. It was also because Ahern was young, smart, and a Catholic. Bjelke-Petersen did not want Ahern to join the Cabinet. Because of this, Ahern had to wait a long time to become a minister.
Despite these challenges, Ahern was chosen as the National Party's whip in 1972. A whip helps make sure party members vote together. He pushed for Queensland to create a system of parliamentary committees. These committees help review laws and government actions. Even though Bjelke-Petersen was against it, Ahern succeeded in setting up two committees. He became the chair of one of them, the Privileges Committee.
Ahern also disagreed with Bjelke-Petersen while chairing the Select Committee on Education. The Queensland Department of Education suggested adding two new social science courses. Some groups opposed these courses, saying they promoted ideas that went against their beliefs. Bjelke-Petersen quickly banned the courses. However, this caused a strong reaction from teachers and school organizations. The government then appointed Ahern's committee to investigate. Ahern supported including sex education in the curriculum. Bjelke-Petersen, as expected, rejected this idea. Still, the committee's final report was eventually accepted by the National Party and became part of their policy.
Becoming a Minister
Ahern was passed over for a Cabinet job twice in the 1970s. In 1980, he ran for the Deputy Leadership of the National Party. This role usually meant you would automatically be in Cabinet. Bjelke-Petersen did not want Ahern as his deputy. However, he could no longer keep Ahern out of the ministry. Sir Joh offered Ahern the role of Minister for Mines. He then supported his own choice, Vic Sullivan, for Deputy Leader.
Over his career, Ahern held other important roles. These included Minister for Primary Industries, Minister for Industry, Small Business and Technology, and Minister for Health and Environment. Ahern was much younger than most of his Cabinet colleagues. He was also one of the few ministers who had a university degree.
By the late 1980s, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen's leadership began to face problems. A campaign he supported, called "Joh for Canberra", failed in 1987. Also, an inquiry into government issues, led by Tony Fitzgerald, began in 1987. This inquiry was set up against Bjelke-Petersen's wishes. Facing pressure to step down, Sir Joh announced in October 1987 that he would retire in 1988.
Soon after, Sir Joh supported a plan to build the world's tallest building near Brisbane Central Station. The Brisbane City Council and many people were against this idea. Some members of his own party also objected. Sir Joh met with the Governor of Queensland, Sir Walter Campbell, in November. He asked to remove some ministers who disagreed with him. On 24 November, Campbell agreed to let him remove Ahern and two other ministers.
Sir Joh refused to call a party meeting for his opponents to challenge his leadership. So, the National Party's management committee called a meeting for 26 November. Sir Joh did not attend this meeting. At the meeting, the vote to change leadership passed. With Sir Joh not present, Ahern won the leadership vote. Bill Gunn became the deputy leader.
Ahern immediately wrote to the governor, asking to be made the new premier. This is usually a simple request, as the National Party had enough seats to govern. However, Sir Joh insisted he was still premier, even though he had not run for the leadership. The situation was unusual, with Queensland having a "Premier who is not leader" and the National Party having a "Leader who is not Premier." This ended after four days when Bjelke-Petersen retired. Ahern finally became Premier on 1 December. Ahern also held several other temporary ministerial roles, including Attorney-General.
As Premier
As Premier, Ahern led a National Party that was divided. There were supporters and opponents of Bjelke-Petersen. The Fitzgerald Inquiry was also revealing many issues from Bjelke-Petersen's time. Ahern promised to put all the inquiry's recommendations into action. Bjelke-Petersen, from outside Parliament, tried to make the government unstable.
Ahern tried to change the image of the Queensland government. It had been known as one of the most traditional state governments in Australia. He announced plans to reform the public service and the parliament. He also aimed for a more cooperative way of governing. However, he did not agree to abolish the "Bjelkemander." This was a system that gave more power to rural votes, which helped the National Party. Ahern also introduced laws about domestic violence. He set up the Southbank Corporation to redevelop the site of Expo '88, which is now South Bank Parklands. Ahern oversaw the removal of a Supreme Court of Queensland judge, Angelo Vasta, from his position due to findings from the Fitzgerald Inquiry.
The results of the Fitzgerald Inquiry were published in 1989. This caused serious damage to the National Party. It almost erased Ahern's efforts to improve the government's image and separate the party from his predecessor. A poll released after the inquiry showed that Ahern's government had only 22 percent support. This was the lowest support recorded for a state government in Australia at that time. The damage was even greater because the Nationals faced a state election that year. Polls showed that the Labor Party had its best chance in years to win. If the poll results were repeated in an election, the Nationals would have lost by a lot.
Even though Ahern was not involved in any wrongdoing, some of Bjelke-Petersen's strong supporters blamed Ahern. They said he was weak and allowed the crisis to affect the National Party. On 25 September 1989, Police Minister Russell Cooper challenged Ahern for the leadership and won. The Nationals lost the election just two months later. This ended 32 years of continuous National Party government. Ahern resigned from Parliament six months after the election. He then went on to have a successful career in business.
Later Life and Achievements
After leaving politics, Ahern joined the boards of several companies, mostly in technology. He was chairman of Intrapower Ltd, Family Care Medical Services Ltd, McIntosh Financial Planning, Indue Group of Companies, and NeuMedix Health Group. He also served as a director of Brisbane Markets Limited.
Ahern became a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. He was chairman of the Australian Liver Foundation. He also served on the board of governors for the ATSE Clunies Ross Foundation and the Queensland Community Foundation. He was appointed as a special representative for the Queensland Government in Africa, the Middle East, and India. In 2001, he received a Centenary Medal.
In 2007, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). This award recognized his service to the Queensland Parliament. It also honored his work in economic and trade development, especially in farming and international relations. He was also recognized for his contributions to the community through technology, medical research, education, and charity.
In 2010, Ahern was given a Queensland Greats Award.
Death
Mike Ahern passed away from cancer in Caloundra, Queensland, on 11 August 2023. He was 81 years old.
Images for kids
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Mike Ahern in 1988
