Mike Ahern (Australian politician)

Michael John Ahern AO FTSE (2 June 1942 – 11 August 2023) was an Australian National Party politician who was Premier of Queensland from December 1987 to September 1989.After a long career in the government of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Ahern became his successor amid the controversy caused by the Fitzgerald Inquiry into official corruption.Ahern's consensus style and political moderation contrasted strongly with Bjelke-Petersen's leadership, but he could not escape the division and strife caused by his predecessor's downfall.[citation needed] When Jack Pizzey, Nicklin's successor, died, Ahern's prospects suffered a setback when the wily conservative Joh Bjelke-Petersen was elected as the Country Party's new leader.Sir Joh decided to placate Ahern by offering the portfolio of Minister for Mines while successfully running his own preferred candidate, Vic Sullivan, for Deputy Leader.Ahern also brought in legislation relating to domestic violence and established the Southbank Corporation to redevelop the site of Expo '88 (now South Bank Parklands).Ahern oversaw the parliamentary dismissal of a Supreme Court of Queensland judge, Angelo Vasta, who had been adversely implicated in some findings of the Fitzgerald Inquiry.The publication of the results of the Fitzgerald Inquiry in 1989 were seriously damaging to the Nationals, and all but negated Ahern's efforts to rehabilitate the government's image and distance the party from his now-detested predecessor.In a harbinger of things to come, Liberal-turned-National Don Lane was forced to resign after admitting to rorting funds as a minister, and his Brisbane-area seat of Merthyr was resoundingly lost to the Liberals.Although Ahern was not implicated in any form of corruption, hardline Bjelke-Petersen supporters blamed him for his alleged weakness and vacillation in allowing the crisis to engulf the National Party.
Michael Ahern (disambiguation)The HonourablePremier of QueenslandElizabeth IIWalter CampbellDeputyBill GunnJoh Bjelke-PetersenRussell CooperTreasurer of QueenslandHealthBrian AustinKev LingardPeter McKechnieVince LesterVic SullivanNeil TurnerQueensland Legislative AssemblyLandsboroughFrank NicklinJoan SheldonMaleny, QueenslandCaloundra, QueenslandNational PartyAlma materUniversity of QueenslandGrazierSir Joh Bjelke-PetersenFitzgerald InquiryCountry PartyDownlands CollegeToowoombaagricultural scienceLegislative Assembly of QueenslandJack PizzeyRoman CatholicismLutheranCabinetcommitteesCanadian parliamentQueensland Department of Educationfundamentalistsecular humanismQueensland Teachers Unionsex educationtertiaryJoh for CanberraTony FitzgeraldExpo '88world's tallest buildingBrisbane Central StationBrisbane City CouncilGovernor of QueenslandSir Walter CampbellAttorney-GeneralTerry LewisBjelkemanderdomestic violenceSouth Bank ParklandsSupreme Court of QueenslandAngelo VastaNewspollstatutory general election that yearDon LaneMerthyrFellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and EngineeringCentenary Medal2007 Australia Day HonoursOfficer of the Order of AustraliaQueensland Greats AwardsParliament of QueenslandNine NewsPeter BowersQueensland ParliamentWayback MachineQueensland GovernmentABC NewsLeader of the National Party in QueenslandPremiers of QueenslandHerbertMacalisterMackenzieLilleyPalmerDouglasMcIlwraithGriffithMoreheadNelsonByrnesDicksonDawsonMorganKidstonDenhamTheodoreGilliesMcCormackF. CooperHanlonNicklinPizzeyBjelke-PetersenR. CooperBorbidgeBeattieNewmanPalaszczukCrisafulliTreasurers of QueenslandMoffattMcLeanStephensFitzgeraldRamsayHemmantArcherGarrickPattisonDonaldsonHawthornBarnesFihellyCooperLarcombeEdwardsDe LacySheldonHamillMackenrothFraserNichollsJanetzkiQueenslandVowlesSpringborgSeeney