Former Queensland premier Mike Ahern, whose short reign followed Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen and grappled with the fallout from the tumultuous Fitzgerald inquiry, has died aged 81.
Mr Ahern, who was born in Maleny and served as the member for Landsborough from 1968 to 1980, reportedly died peacefully at Caloundra on Friday morning after a battle with cancer.
His family has been offered a state funeral as he is remembered as a man of integrity and a giant of Queensland politics.
His death was confirmed on Friday morning by federal Nationals leader David Littleproud on behalf of the family.
“The National Party family has lost one of its greatest today,” Mr Littleproud said.
Sunshine Coast mayor Mark Jamieson paid tribute to the “transformational leader’’, who he said had embodied integrity and courage.
Cr Jamieson said Mr Ahern, a prominent Caloundra local, had served as premier when the state needed him most.
“Queensland was in the grip of an integrity crisis when the Sunshine Coast’s Mike Ahern stepped up to take over the leadership from Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, showing courage and resolve,” he said.
“He was a transformational leader during the Fitzgerald Inquiry into official corruption, standing tall and inspiring change that would set his state on a much brighter path.
“Mike Ahern was a man of integrity, honesty and courage and we and generations to come have so much to thank him for.
“He was a proud Caloundra resident, having lived at Shelly Beach for half a century, and cherished his community and local environment, often seen walking along the beautiful foreshore near his home.
“Mike was born into a dairy farming family in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, following his father’s interest in Country Party politics.
“He entered parliament in 1968 and was actually nicknamed the ‘Conondale Kid’ because, at 25, he became the youngest MP ever elected in Queensland.’’
Cr Jamieson said that after his retirement from politics in 1990, Mr Ahern became a successful businessman and was awarded an Order of Australia for his services to politics, trade relations, education and charities, which also saw him receive a Queensland Greats Award in 2010.
Cr Jamieson said his and the Sunshine Coast community’s thoughts were with Mr Ahern’s wife Andrea and five children Louise, Claire, John, Christine and Sharon in this difficult time.
Mr Ahern was premier from December 1987 to September 1989 after a prominent stint under Mr Bjelke-Petersen, who resigned amid the damage from revelations in the Fitzgerald probe into police corruption.
Mr Bjelke-Petersen was premier from 1968 to 1987.
Almost all the levers of power in 1987 rested in his office and he reserved access to department briefings to his inner circle of trusted ministers.
Tensions boiled over in November when he effectively stopped speaking to most of his executive team and wrote to governor Walter Campbell, requesting he sack a quarter of his ministers, which the governor refused.
The premier was eventually successful getting three ministers sacked, including Mr Ahern.
Victory would be short-lived.
Mr Ahern took leadership of the National Party days later and Mr Bjelke-Petersen resigned as premier on December 1.
As the new leader, Mr Ahern famously declared he would implement the findings of the damning Fitzgerald findings “lock, stock and barrel”.
Mr Littleproud, whose father Brian was a backbencher in the Bjelke-Petersen years and later a minister, said he still wore the tie and cufflinks gifted to him by the former premier.
“Mike Ahern and my father are two of the greatest influences on me and my pursuit of politics,” he said.
“It’s difficult to describe all that Mike Ahern achieved and stood for, but integrity is what Mike Ahern embodied in all that he did during his time in public office.
“We are a better state and country for having Mike Ahern and our National Party family’s thoughts are with Andrea and the family during this sad time.”
Both sides of the Queensland’s political landscape remembered Mr Ahern as a leader who was respected and admired.
“I always had the greatest respect for Mike Ahern, regardless of our political differences,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
“He was always ready with a smile and a conversation and was a genuinely agreeable, down-to-earth character.
“I send my condolences and the sympathies of my government to his family and as a further mark of respect, the government will offer a state funeral for Mr Ahern.”
Queensland Liberal National leader David Crisafulli said the state had lost a giant who always put people ahead of politics.
“Mike Ahern let the sun shine in on government in Queensland more than three decades ago,” he posted on social media.
“The decisions he made back then still resonate with Queenslanders today.”
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