The goings on in Queensland in the l980s -including the reign of Joh-Bjelke-Petersen - are covered in this 1989 volume , found in a North Queensland dump shop. It consists of satirical columns written by Lawrie Kavanagh which appeared in the Brisbane Courier Mail .
The revelations of the Fitzgerald Inquiry into Queensland are covered in a racy fashion under headings such as SOUNDS OF CORRUPTION , AT LEAST THE ANARCHY'S GONE , the latter opening with the explanatory statement that after almost 20 years by a righteous Christian who believed that with God on your side you could do no wrong ?
As a result , the Fitzgerald probe had revealed graft , corruption, pimps, prostitutes ,illegal gambling ,conflict of interest , jobs and knighthoods for the boys , use of police as government stormtroopers and spies against opponents , thousands of anonymous dollars falling out of the sky for the party and friends .
Kavanagh , tongue obviously in cheek , went on to say that at least there was no anarchy on the streets ,thank God-Sir Johannes-Bjelke-Petersen's major concern and his legacy.
There is mention of staggering sums of anonymous cash raining down on the National Party without so much as a receipt.
With a background as a sports reporter , Kavanagh cleverly wrote up the heavyweight championship fight between Hopalong (John )Howard and Hercules (Bob) Hawke with the involvement of Queensland amateur lightweight champeen, Joh Peanutsen , who fancied himself becoming the Prime MInister of Australia .
There is a foreword by the late Queensland federal Liberal politician Sir James Killen , a barrister , former Minister for the Navy and Defence , praising Kavanagh's writing style . He said Kavanagh took a clear delight in using the lances of language against mean manoeuvres , shabby attitudes and boorish manners . KIllen ,who enjoyed jokes and racehorses , did some writing himself. He was 81 when he died in 2007; Gough Whitlam delivered his eulogy
This blog had to give first aid to the book cover in the form of a rub down with a gluestick because the cover illustration had unravelled .
