Wayne Goss facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Wayne Goss MP
34th Premier of Queensland Elections: 1989, 1992, 1995
In office 7 December 1989 – 19 February 1996
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor	Walter Campbell Leneen Forde
Deputy	Tom Burns
Preceded by	Russell Cooper
Succeeded by	Rob Borbidge
Minister for Economic and Trade Development
In office 7 December 1989 – 19 February 1996
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Doug Slack
Minister for the Arts
In office 7 December 1989 – 24 September 1992
Preceded by	Paul Clauson
Succeeded by	Dean Wells
Minister for Police and Emergency Services
In office 10 – 16 December 1991
Preceded by	Terry Mackenroth
Succeeded by	Vince Lester
Leader of the Opposition in Queensland
In office 2 March 1988 – 2 December 1989
Deputy	Tom Burns
Preceded by	Neville Warburton
Succeeded by	Russell Cooper
Leader of the Labor Party in Queensland
In office 2 March 1988 – 19 February 1996
Deputy	Tom Burns
Preceded by	Neville Warburton
Succeeded by	Peter Beattie
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Logan
In office 1 November 1986 – 13 June 1998
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	John Mickel
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Salisbury
In office 22 October 1983 – 1 November 1986
Preceded by	Rosemary Kyburz
Succeeded by	Len Ardill
Personal details
Born	Wayne Keith Goss (1951-02-26)26 February 1951 Mundubbera, Queensland, Australia
Died	10 November 2014(2014-11-10) (aged 63) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Political party	Labor
Spouse	Roisin Hirschfeld ​ (m. 1981)​
Children	2
Parents	Allan James Goss Norma Josephine Dalton Goss
Education	Inala State High School
Alma mater	University of Queensland (LLB)
Occupation	Lawyer Politician

Wayne Keith Goss (born 26 February 1951 – died 10 November 2014) was a very important leader in Queensland, Australia. He served as the Premier of Queensland from December 7, 1989, to February 19, 1996. He was the first Premier from the Labor Party in Queensland in over 32 years. Before becoming a politician, Wayne Goss worked as a solicitor (a type of lawyer). After leaving politics, he became the Chairman of the Queensland Art Gallery and also led the Australian branch of Deloitte, a big business company.

Early Life and Education

Wayne Goss was born in Mundubbera, a town in Queensland. He grew up in a place called Inala. He went to Inala State High School and later studied at the University of Queensland. There, he earned a degree in law.

After university, he worked as a lawyer. He also spent time helping people at the Aboriginal Legal Service. This service provides legal help to Indigenous Australians. He later started his own law firm. He joined the Australian Labor Party in November 1975.

Political Journey

Wayne Goss first became involved in state politics in 1983. He was elected as a Member of Parliament (MLA) for the Salisbury area. From 1986, he represented the Logan area.

He played a big part in the fight for civil liberties in the 1970s and 1980s. This was during the time of the Bjelke-Petersen Government. He worked to bring about legal and political changes. In March 1988, he was chosen as the Leader of the Opposition. This meant he was the main leader of the parties not in power.

Leading the Labor Party

Wayne Goss led the Labor Party into the 1989 state election. They were running against the National Party government. This government was led by Russell Cooper. At the time, the National Party was facing many questions about past issues. People thought the Labor Party had a good chance to win. Labor had been out of power since 1957.

During the election, Wayne Goss focused on his plans for a fairer Queensland. He promised to make changes that would benefit everyone.

Becoming Premier

Wayne Goss and the Labor Party won the 1989 election by a large amount. This was a big win for them. It ended 32 years of rule by the Coalition or National Party. People saw this as the start of a new time for Queensland.

Once he became Premier, Wayne Goss worked to make many important changes. These changes came from a major investigation into how the government worked.

The Goss Government brought in new rules for elections and public services. One big change was getting rid of unfair voting rules. These old rules had helped keep the National Party in power. His government also made sure people were hired for government jobs based on their skills. They created new National Parks to protect nature. They also found better ways to manage the state's money.

The government also introduced social changes. They appointed Queensland's first female Governor. They also worked to get more university places and hire more teachers. Important people like Kevin Rudd (who later became Prime Minister of Australia) and Wayne Swan (who became Deputy Prime Minister) worked with Wayne Goss.

Wayne Goss won a second term as Premier in the 1992 state election. He kept a strong majority in Parliament.

Before the 1995 election, the Goss Government announced a plan for a new road. This plan caused some concern about its effect on nature. This led to a very close election. Labor lost some seats, especially in areas known for koalas. Even though Labor got fewer overall votes than the other parties, they still managed to win a very small majority of just one seat.

After the 1995 election, Labor's majority depended on one seat in Mundingburra. This seat was won by Labor's Ken Davies by only 12 votes. But some problems were found with the votes. A special court ordered a new election for that seat in February 1996. The other party won this new election.

This meant that neither Labor nor the other parties had a clear majority. This is called a hung Parliament. An Independent Member of Parliament, Liz Cunningham, held the deciding votes. She decided to support the other parties. Because of this, Wayne Goss had to resign as Premier on February 19, 1996.

Leaving Leadership

After stepping down as Premier and Labor Party leader, Wayne Goss became a regular Member of Parliament again. He was still a respected figure. He had planned to run for a federal election seat in 1998. However, he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. This meant he had to reduce his work. Even with support from all sides of Parliament, he decided to retire from politics in 1998.

Life After Politics

After leaving politics, Wayne Goss took on many roles in the community and business. He earned another degree from the University of Queensland. He also received special honorary degrees from QUT and Griffith University.

He was the Chairman of the Queensland Art Gallery for nine years. During this time, the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) was built. He also served as a Director for the Brisbane Broncos NRL team.

In 2001, Wayne Goss received a Centenary Medal for his contributions to Australia.

In the business world, he was the National Chairman of Deloitte Australia from 2005 to 2013. He also led an engineering company called Ausenco. He was involved with other companies and groups, including FreeTV Australia, which represents TV companies.

Wayne Goss was also an Ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation. He helped with a group that dealt with the damage from the 2010-11 Queensland floods.

Family Life

Wayne Goss lived in Brisbane with his wife, Roisin. They had two children, Ryan and Caitlin. Both of their children also attended the University of Queensland. They both received special scholarships to study at the University of Oxford in England.

Passing and Legacy

Wayne Goss bravely fought a brain tumour for 17 years. He had four operations to manage it. He passed away at his home in Brisbane on November 10, 2014, at the age of 63. His wife and children were with him.

Many people, including former Prime Ministers and Premiers, spoke about his great work. They remembered him as a very important leader for Queensland.

Instead of a state funeral, his family held a private funeral. A public memorial service was held at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. Many people attended to remember him. His wife shared stories about his life.

A building at the Griffith University Logan City campus is named after Wayne Goss. This is to recognise his vision for education. A type of rainforest tree, Gossia, is also named after him. This honours his work in protecting nature.

See also

• Goss Ministry
• Gossia