By Professor David Myers, Director of CQU Press ...

Last night on the beautiful sandstone verandah of the President's room of Parliament House, Deputy Premier Terry Mackenroth launched the new CQU Press title, Diving off the Ironing Board by former Queensland Minister for Local Government, Di McCauley. What was especially notable about the evening was the amiable cooperation between Queensland's two leading parties, the Labor Party and the National Party. Di was elected to the Joh Bjelke-Petersen team and became a minister in Mike Ahern's National Party Government. But she had the knack of making friends throughout Parliament and her book was not only launched by the Labor Party's Deputy Premier, it was enthusiastically attended by five current Labor Ministers, including: Hon Robert Schwarten, Hon Henry Paluszczuk and the Hon Tony McGrady. The book shows how a forthright country woman handled a male-dominated parliament and prospered. It is full of anecdotes and inside stories of how Queensland was really governed behind the scenes.

Photo left: Hon Robert Schwarten, Hon Di McCauley, Professor David Myers and Hon Terry Mackenroth.

Photo right: Professor David Myers, Hon Di McCauley and Hon Terry Mackenroth.