Why Crisafulli should study Borbidge govt, not Newman government

The Crisafulli government is here for the long haul and is determined not to rerun the Newman government, but what happens if instead they become the Borbidge government Mark II?

It's 30 years since Rob Borbidge won government from Wayne Gosss, and while most will have forgotten itt, the times are eerily similar, including the explosion in popularity of an auburn-haired politician from Ipswich - Pauline Hanson.

Like this government, the Borbidge government inherited power from a Labor administration that had lost control of the budget and was struggling to administer the state. Like the Newman government it only lasted one term (two years and four months actually).

Again, like this government It won on a small target strategy focussing on transport, health and law and order.

Unlike this government there was no expectation before the election that it would win, and it ran on a campaign slogan of "Put Labor Under Pressure", implying that it couldn't win. Ironically, it was this humility that delivered it a 7.5% swing during the election.

In its brief period in power it brought the budget back into balance, widened the Pacific Highway between Brisbane and Nerang, privatised Suncorp Bank, started building hospitals again, reformed the criminal code and toughened penalties, recruited more police, right sized the public service and took the toll off the Sunshine Coast motorway.

With a record of achievement like this, and being in their first term, you would think that voters would give them a second term, so what went wrong?

First there were a couple of rifts with their base.

In April 1996, two months after they became the state government, the Port Arthur massacre occurred, and a month later Borbidge signed onto John Howard's gun laws.

Country people were in revolt to the extent that Howard even wore a bullet-proof vest to at least one public meeting.
The ill-feeling extended to Borbidge.

1998, the year they lost, was also the year that Howard would go to an election promising a GST, and crucially, that election was after the state one. Conservative voters generally hate new taxes.

Added to that, the government seemed to think that actions speak louder than words, and that they would be rewarded just for doing a good job. That's not how politics work.