Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just recently, Vaughan Gregory Johnson passed away, and I wanted to read the Vale to Vaughan as published by the Queensland Trucking Association on 24 January this year:

On Sunday, 22 January, we received the tragic news that a great friend and supporter of the road freight transport industry, Vaughan Johnson OAM had passed away. Vaughan was certainly character and on occasions could be controversial but was authentic in every way and enjoyed many friendships across the parliament and Queensland generally.

He was born on 20 July 1947 in Bourke, New South Wales, but before long his family had moved to Quilpie where he established his political career on the local council before winning the seat of Gregory in late 1989. Vaughan's first speech to parliament was on the 7 March 1990 where from the outset he set out his purpose to represent the best interests of country and regional Queensland.

When Rob Borbidge became Premier in 1996, Vaughan was appointed Minister for Transport and Main Roads on 26 February 1996 and he set about his ministerial task with great enthusiasm. A feature of his time as minister was the passage of legislation to adopt speed cameras in Queensland which was assented to on 9 December 1996. Vaughan's leadership and enthusiasm in road safety paved the way to launch the very successful Campaign 300 along with the Fatal 4 message which was a fully integrated campaign with the Queensland Police Service, media outlets, local government and many key stakeholders. These reforms had an extraordinary result for Queensland road safety as the road toll reduced from 385 in 1996 to 279 by 1998 the lowest toll in 35 years at the time.

In June 1998 Vaughan returned to the backbench after the Borbidge government lost the election and he undertook a number of roles over the years as the opposition spokesperson in several different portfolios. Other key achievements in his political career were being appointed the Deputy Leader of the Opposition from March 2001 to February 2003 and being the Government Whip during the Newman government. He retired from the Queensland parliament in 2015 and in 2020 he was awarded a medal of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day honours list.

On a personal level and as an industry we enjoyed a great friendship with Vaughan for almost 30 years. Many of us shared trips and social occasions where the subject was almost always centred around country Queensland. As a friend or as your boss (as a minister) or when briefing him on an industry issue he was unfailingly respectful and principled in his approach. He was a diligent and committed supporter who always made himself available and did his best as a champion of the bush. His word was a bond he would not break, was great company and he was as reliable as the sunrise to be persistent in any cause he pursued. What more could you ask for.

We are deeply saddened and pass on our thoughts and condolences to his family.

On a personal note, I knew Vaughan, and he was a man of fierce loyalties and of exceptional courage. He fought for his communities through his political career and later on. I considered him a friend. It was always a highlight to hear him speak. He would use fantastic expressions that are no longer heard much, like 'country so rich, if you planted a feather it would grow a chook'. He had a handshake that would crush most men's hands, and he was just a terrific person.

I recently spoke to Dick Wharton, who was the director-general of the Queensland transport department when Vaughan was the minister, and Dick said that he was just a great bloke. He was determined to build an outcome; in this case it was the M1. He worked on facts, not emotion. He would fix problems. He would ensure that the project was delivered for Queensland, but, if somebody had a genuine concern, Vaughan would listen and fix that as well.

There is also a rumour that abounds that the square Bundaberg Rum bottle was developed after feedback from Vaughan Johnson that the round ones would roll away from your swag. I don't know if that's true, but it is a mark of the kind of man that he was. He was practical. He persevered. He was a great champion of the bush. At his funeral service, where his children spoke so well, over a thousand people turned out to pay tribute to a truly great Queenslander. Vale, Vaughan Johnson. (Time expired)