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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, a once proud member of Young Labor whose entire youth politics and sense of self was built around opposing the cronyism and conservatism of her right-wing predecessor Sir Joh Bjelke-Peterson, has actually found herself cheering for him while sitting down to watch an ABC expose on the rampant corruption happening in Australian politics and law enforcement during his reign.
Last night Four Corners report titled ‘Breaking The Brotherhood’ was presented as a three-decade follow up to an initial groundbreaking expose produced by the same program, which was aired on the 11th of May 1987 and titled “The Moonlight State” with reporter Chris Masters.
Both the original and last night’s stories highlighted prostitution, gambling, bribing, controversial re-zoning scandals and police corruption within Queensland during the 18-year leadership of Nationals Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
Last night’s programme, however, including never before seen commission evidence that shows a much more likely link from to the top of state politics.
Annastacia Palaszczuk says she surprised even herself when she realised she had her fingers crossed that the Former Premier and her former-political enemy didn’t get named as a bribe-recipient.
“Come on Joh. Goooo you good thing” she whispered to herself.
After a whirlwind 18 months of targeting the exact same populist hot buttons as the man she once marched the lawns of UQ in protest of, Annastacia Palaszczuk has found herself hoping that he could lead by example when it comes to not having a legacy tarnished by corruption.
“Wait. They didn’t get him. They didn’t name him once” she cheers.
It is believed the member for Inala’s current fluffing of big business and blatant disregard for environmental fragility has left her feeling as though Sir Joh is more of a kindred spirit, as opposed to the reason she got involved in politics.
“Look he was talking about dredging the reef before the bleaching even happened” she says.
“He would have been very good at getting this whole Adani thing funded. There would have been sixteen Gold Coast developers with white shoes ready to help him out”
“I see a lot of myself in him nowadays”
“That, as well as trying to shut down our pubs earlier… Unless of course those venues want to pay up”
However, as was confirmed by last night’s programme. These kinds of populist reigns in state government can end quite quickly – as did Joh’s when his deputy Bill Gunn ordered a commission of inquiry the day after the initial television report was broadcast in 1987.
It is believed Annastacia Palaszczuk MP is now refusing to leave the state unless her suspiciously left-wing deputy Jackie Trad is out of the state as well.
