Today’s release of the 1990 Queensland Cabinet Minutes shows the Goss Government’s bold steps towards transforming Queensland into a modern, progressive and productive state, after 32 years of conservative government – delivering reform which is still supporting Queenslanders today.
Minister for the Digital Economy, Leeanne Enoch said 1990 was truly the year when change came to Queensland.
“Premier Goss cracked down on corruption, took steps towards every Queenslander’s vote having equal weight, and turned the public service into a modern administration,” Ms Enoch said.
“The release of these 1990 Cabinet papers reveal the progressive reform agenda of the Goss Government which was built on fairness, discipline and integrity – which can be seen today as integral to Queensland’s continuing success.
One of the cornerstone pieces of the Goss Government was the establishment of a major medical centre for Logan City.
The Goss era cabinet documents, revealed today, details the planned opening of the new Logan Hospital, as well as south-east Queensland transport infrastructure projects and regional mining venture approvals – all of which continued to be a focus of Cabinet attention under Premier Goss.
Wayne Goss at Parliament
Click HERE to view the minutes of the 1990 Cabinet documents, via Queensland State Archives.
HISTORY:
In 1986 Mr Goss became the Labor member for Logan, followed by becoming the Queensland ALP leader. That was followed in 1989, with him becoming Premier after the party’s win at the state election. He went on to lead the ALP to a second victory at the 1992 state election.
in 1996, he resigned as Premier and Leader of the Labor Party before returning to the backbench when Labor lost power. He assumed something of an “elder statesman” role, but a diagnosis of a brain tumour forced him to scale back his activities. He then retired from politics at the 1998 state election.
TRIBUTES:
Mr Goss battled his brain tumour for 17 years. He died aged 63 at his home on 10 November 2014,
In marking his death, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described him as Queensland’s “greatest postwar Premier”.
Former Premier Peter Beattie described Mr Goss as “Labor’s best premier since T.J. Ryan in 1915”.
Former Premier Anna Bligh said “Wayne Goss was the father of modern Queensland”.
The then LNP Premier Campbell Newman praised Mr Goss’s “amazing contribution to Queensland”.
