Premier Newman - the final days

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This was published 8 years ago

Premier Newman - the final days

By Amy Remeikis
Updated

"That's the last press conference I'll ever have to do... that's the last time I'll ever have to talk to that pack of bastards".

Having endured his final press conference on January 29, his last day on the official election campaign hustings, Campbell Newman apparently managed to find a silver lining.

Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman.

Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman.

In an extract seen by Fairfax Media of Gavin King's tome featuring the life and times of the state's most recent former leader, Mr Newman's final days as Premier and his contempt for the state's media, and political discourse as a whole, are laid bare.

Mr Newman points to the 2012 campaign as changing him and how he dealt with the media having grown "extremely angry and bitter" over what he described as unfair and unethical treatment of his family and in-laws over the course of his first campaign.

A quote from Can Do: Campbell Newman and the Challenge of Reform by Gavin King.

A quote from Can Do: Campbell Newman and the Challenge of Reform by Gavin King.

For that he blames the Labor Party, particularly Jackie Trad and journalists for running allegations against him, but especially his family, without what he believed to be the proper scrutiny.

But in a revealing extract, detailing the last days of the election campaign and his time in power, Mr Newman's contempt, scorn and disappointment in the media and what he believes to be its role in his downfall is evident.

The "bastards" quote, Mr King attributes to Mr Newman as he was driven by former Barron River MP Michael Trout back to the Cairns airport, on the day the LNP abandoned its planned last ditch blitz of seats, and headed back to Brisbane.

Earlier that morning, Mr Newman had responded to questions regarding Tony Fitzgerald's concerns with his government with the line "I have had the greatest respect for him in the past".

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A quote from Can Do: Campbell Newman and the Challenge of Reform by Gavin King.

A quote from Can Do: Campbell Newman and the Challenge of Reform by Gavin King.

"Later, as he sat on the tarmac trying to figure out where to direct the plane next, Campbell almost looked relieved," Mr King writes.

"He had long given up on seeing serious topics of policy and a debate about the future of Queensland in the media. Reporters were only focused on the politics of politics, on polling and personalities, and getting Campbell to respond to the latest grenade thrown his way by an opponent or a critic.

A quote from Can Do: Campbell Newman and the Challenge of Reform by Gavin King.

A quote from Can Do: Campbell Newman and the Challenge of Reform by Gavin King.

"Michael Trout recalled 'One minute, Campbell was on the phone to David Criasfulli, who wanted him in Townsville as planned, and the next he was on the phone to [head media advisor] Lee Anderson who wanted him back in Brisbane. I'll never forget he turned and looked at me with those eyes that can look straight through you, and he just said, 'I'm done'. He'd had enough. He knew his time was up. He said the media didn't want to know about the policies and the good things we'd done in Government. All they wanted to do was pull down a good government. The media knew they'd got what they wanted out of him at that press conference and he was done'."

Mr King labels the difference in the media's treatment of Mr Newman and Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor as "stark".

"Labor released a handful of policies, none of them particularly detailed," Mr King wrote.

"The media wasn't interested in policy debate and the union's negative campaign against the Strong Choices asset program was working, particularly in regional areas. Palaszczuk just had to blurt out constant reminders about the 'fights, hubris, arrogance and division' of the Newman LNP Government and coast along for the ride.

"Campbell's memory turned back to the 2011-12 campaign assault on his wife, family and integrity. He didn't wish that style of campaigning on anybody. But if Palaszczuk and her deputy Jackie Trad had their personal lives and backgrounds invaded with the same level of scrutiny and venom as the Newman family endured, the campaign might've played out differently."

Mr King recounts that for the first two weeks of the 2015 campaign, "Campbell and the LNP were clearly ahead", adding, "while it was widely accepted the LNP would lose a bunch of seats in a natural correction, there was never any suggestion it would lose government."

He points to the first "diversion" in the campaign as the January 23 people's forum, where Mr Newman linked funds from criminal motorcycle gangs to the Labor Party.

"When asked by the media the following day to provide evidence of his claim, Campbell told the reporters to 'Google it'," Mr King recounts.

"The media were taken aback at the suggestion they should do some research and fact-checking of their own, and duly ridiculed Campbell for his advice.

"His claim was based on a series of revelations about the unions over the past 12 months."

Mr King points to the examples of a CFMEU official "being outed as a member of the Rebels" and union-affiliated groups helping to fund a High Court challenge against the Newman Government VLAD laws as the research Mr Newman was indicating.

"On cue, the Labor Party and unions accused Campbell of 'gutter tactics' for making the claim at the Friday night debate," Mr King reports.

"The issue ran in the media for nearly 48 hours until Sunday, 25 January, when the reporters found another line of attack."

That refers to the now-infamous Australia Day press conference, which occurred on 26 January following an Ashgrove citizenship ceremony.

Mr King's take on Mr Newman's take of the morning media doorstop tells a story of a press pack's "group think".

"Sick and tired of answering questions about trivial matters at media conferences, Campbell wanted to talk about the economy and job creation. The reporters weren't interested. A debate on the future of the state's economy, the Budget and infrastructure funding would have to wait.

"When he refused to answer the media's questions about the politics of campaigning, including his prospects in Ashgrove – they mocked him. Campbell was insistent, telling the media pack – 'I'm answering the questions that Queenslanders are asking'.

"The media lacerated Campbell's 'refusal' to answer their questions, more than 30 in total. His performance in response to the questions was always going to generate the type of wrath and condemnation it received from the reporters.

"Taking on the groupthink approach of a media pack trapped in its own bubble was nigh on impossible at the best of times, let alone in the heat of an election campaign. With a sense of confected outrage, the reporters went to town on Campbell.

"...The contrast of images between the two leaders shown on that evening's TV news was stark. There was Campbell in a crisp white shirt and blue tie, facing a grilling in front of a dark background adorned with Australian flags. In the same news package, a smiling and relaxed Annastacia Palaszczuk was filmed playing barefoot cricket in the a park.

"Later that same day, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the awarding of a knighthood to Prince Phillip. The bizarre choice for the nation's highest honour crowded out all other issues when Campbell faced the media on Monday, 26 January, the day after the announcement. Campbell said he didn't agree with the 'captain's call' by Abbott and described it as a 'bolt out of the blue'.

"Another 24-hour news cycle was lost".

Outside of the factual error of the day – with the press conference Mr King refers to having taking place on 26 January – it remained memorable for how Mr Newman answered any question thrown at him with variations of "strong plan, strong team, jobs and the economy", including Mr Abbott's "captain call", the $18 million in election promises to Ashgrove, industrial relations and memorably, the weather, 34 times.

Sources within the LNP campaign team told Fairfax Media that Mr Newman returned to a hero's welcome following the press conference, with those within the team, and Mr Newman himself, believing he had successfully gazumped the media and forced it back on the message the party wanted to sell.

The next day proved a highpoint in the LNP campaign, which pushed its costings release forward, with internal polling showing voters had responded. But 48 hours out from the January 31 election, when Mr Newman decided to abandon the north Queensland seat blitz and return to Brisbane, it had slumped again.

On polling day, Mr King recounts a "strangely subdued" mood.

"As they [voters] filed into school halls and polling places, it was clear they wanted to send a message to the LNP Government," Mr King writes.

"The punters knew the LNP would win and they were sure a kick up the Government's proverbial rear wouldn't hurt. The trouble for Campbell and his Government was that too many voters thought that way and they all kicked in unison."

Mr Newman on the media, as quoted to Mr King

"I am particularly annoyed at the journalists who covered the state election campaign [2011-12] and our time in parliament. Very few of them are interested in what really has to be done. They are not interested in Government or reform or the reasons behind the decisions we made. They are only interested in the tactical, the here and now, they only ever look for short-term politics and gossip. And they have got a nerve to ridicule people like me who tried actually get things done. And they have always ridiculed and sneered. They have never actually given any benefit of the doubt or been prepared to see the big picture. Their position on every story is that we are idiots, or we're corrupt, or we are doing this out of self-interest. They have no way of divorcing themselves from their inherently negative bias."

Can Do: Campbell Newman and the Challenge of Reform is due to be launched next week.

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