Joh For Canberra - The Appeal of Sir Joh

The Appeal of Sir Joh

Many commentators have written about Joh Bjelke-Petersen and the "Joh for Canberra" campaign in scathing terms. Historian Raymond Evans has claimed that it was waged "somewhat like Napoleon's ill-fated march on Moscow" while Rae Wear has likened Bjelke-Petersen to Mao Zedong. Much has been made of the sense of grandeur and self-delusion that seemed to pervade Bjelke-Petersen's attempt to run for federal office, and the role that Bjelke-Petersen's personality played in shaping the campaign. Rae Wear has cited the "Joh Canberra" campaign as an example of "the old-age immortality project, whereby narcissistic and self-made politicians defy death by erecting lasting monuments to themselves". At the time of the campaign, Bjelke-Petersen was 75 and was eager to make a permanent mark on Australian politics before his retirement from public life. Prominent journalist Paul Kelly concurs that hubris was an important factor in Bjelke-Petersen's campaign. He quotes Bjelke-Petersen as saying "even if we (the Nationals) don't win more seats than the Liberals I'll be prime minister", a statement that appears to confirm Bjelke-Petersen's self-deliusion and ignorance of political realities. The widespread popularity that Bjelke-Petersen enjoyed in Queensland could not be transposed to the political atmosphere of federal politics. While many historians have been damning about Joh Bjelke-Petersen and his legacy, they have also acknowledged the appeal he held in his home state. Bjelke-Petersen's popularity essentially rested on a belief in Queensland exceptionalism. As premier, Bjelke-Petersen cultivated his identification with the "ordinary, decent Queenslander and traded on small business and rural fears of rapid social change". Queensland premiers have often gained support by emphasising "rural agrarianism and mobilisation of the 'common people' against a vilifed elite," a tactic that Bjelke-Petersen mastered in his nineteen years as premier. In Queensland, Bjelke-Petersen had successfully built a coalition of religious conservatives, rural voters and business interests that could be relied upon for support. However, during the "Joh for Canberra" push Bjelke-Petersen found that his appeal did not extend nationwide and that the dynamics of Queensland politics did not apply to the nation as a whole.