Qld: Sir Joh powered by Sparkes

AAP General News (Australia)
08-07-2006
Qld: Sir Joh powered by Sparkes

By Steve Connolly

BRISBANE, Aug 7 AAP - He was the power behind Sir Joh.

Sir Robert Sparkes, who died last night on the Gold Coast aged 77, was the long time
state president and key strategist of the National Party when it dominated Queensland
politics.

Described as a "mogul" and a "puppeteer with a government on a string", Sir Robert
ran the one-time Country Party in Queensland from 1970 to 1990.

During that time he formed a strong political partnership with Joh Bjelke-Petersen
- the state premier from 1968 to 1987.

Sir Robert, knighted in 1979 for services to local government, was regarded as having
one of the finest political brains in Queensland history.

Although a ruthless operator, he also worked to make the Nationals more progressive
on social policy issues including condom vending machines and the introduction of sex
education in schools.

Former Queensland premier and Nationals leader Rob Borbidge said Sir Robert and Sir
Joh, who died last year aged 94, were "an odd couple" in many respects.

"One tended to balance the other out and they fought frequently," Mr Borbidge said
on ABC radio today.

"They differed on policy issues from time to time. Bob Sparkes was far more moderate
in terms of social policy than Sir Joh ever was.

"But having said that they were able for most of the time to work together and became
a very formidable team.

"One bounced off the other and it was quite an impressive outfit at its peak.

"His strategy had a lot to do with the big (election) wins Sir Joh was able to deliver
during the 1980s and he played a pivotal role in both state and national politics for
a long, long time."

Sir Robert would later say Sir Joh had a "schizophrenic" personality and that his moods
could swing from "quietly spoken modest sort of bloke" to "raving, roaring bull".

In the late 1980s the political partnership with Sir Joh turned sour when the premier
pushed towards the federal arena during the ill-fated Joh for PM campaign, which Sir Robert
opposed.

Sir Robert helped orchestrate a leadership coup by Mike Ahern which led to Sir Joh's
downfall in 1987 and less than two years later he plotted Mr Ahern's demise as Labor returned
to power.

But within a year of the election of the Goss Labor government, Sir Robert announced
he would quit as party president.

Starting his political career in local government during the early 1950s, Sir Robert
was also mayor of the Wambo Shire, centred on Dalby in southern Queensland, for 32 years.

Both sides of politics today paid tribute to Sir Robert following his death at a Gold
Coast nursing home.

"Sir Robert Sparkes was probably one of the smartest political tacticians of my generation
and one of the more significant men in my political time," Premier Peter Beattie said.

"I wasn't beyond looking at his tactics over the years.

"He was very, very clever and that's the sort of thing the National Party misses these
days - that sort of genuine commitment to policy and to rural Queensland. It's certainly
the end of that era."

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said Sir Robert was a man of wisdom, vision and
achievement.

Mr Springborg said Sir Robert had been a major architect behind the modernisation of
the Nationals, including changing the name from the Country Party, and lauded his partnership
with Sir Joh.

"Together they listened to the ordinary person and together they acted and campaigned
on the values and goals of ordinary Queenslanders. That is a recipe for success."

Sir Robert, who ran a cattle and grain property at Jandowae near Dalby, battled Parkinson's
disease in his final years. His wife Lady June Sparkes died in 1999. The couple had two
sons.

AAP sc/apm/sd

KEYWORD: SPARKES OBIT (AAP BACKGROUNDER)

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