It's Not a Pumpkin Scone

The annual release of Queensland government Cabinet minutes under the 30-year rule is always a treat for me.

It's done in early December each year, but embargoed until January 1. The story ban is not an issue, because it gives journalists time to compile their retro "blast from the past" stories for release on New Year's Day, and because the State Archives always put on a killer morning tea after the media conference.

So because of my acceptance of a scone-with-cream bribe, I cannot tell you about all of the juicy details of government goings-on in 1979. I cannot tell you whether or not infamous "Minister for Everything" Russ Hinze was up to anything dodgy. You'll just have to take a guess.

Anyway, Public Works Minister Rob Schwarten, who's a bit of a history buff and does the announcement every year, was talking about various bits and bobs when he mentioned a particular bumper sticker that could sometimes be seen on the cars during the later years of the Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen era (Administration? Regime? Brown-paper bag gerrymandering dictatorship?).

He refused to say what it was in the conference, only that it was too rude. But later, over that delicious spread of crustless wholewheat chicken-and-mayo sandwiches and blueberry muffins, Schwarto leaned over to a few of us journos and said softly:

"Flo has one, Joh IS one."

Sure beats "My Karma Ran Over Your Dogma".