Mike Horan

Interviewed by
Roger Scott & Danielle Miller
Apr 05 2011
Mike Horan
National Party member Mike Horan served as Health Minister in the Borbidge Government 1996-98, and was leader of the National Party from 2001-03. He influenced significant health reform in the state.
Biography
Time Summary Keywords
00:00:08 Mike Horan details his education at Mary Immaculate Catholic Primary School and St Laurence's College where he was school captain in 1962 and his unsuccessful years  studying veterinary science. He discusses moving to Taroom and then to Bundaberg to play rugby league and securing a contract to play for the Parramatta Rugby League Club.  Sport
00:02:01 Mike Horan discusses his parents including his mother's education at the University of Queensland and his father's career in the Queensland Police. He describes playing football for Parramatta and working on his own land in the Mary Valley near Gympie. He notes that difficult times in the 1970s forced him to return to playing football. floods 1974, Sport
00:06:30 Mike Horan describes work for the Gympie Turf Club to make money in the 1970s cattle crash, developing his skills of organising, managing and promoting. He notes some of the organisations he was part of and his role broadcasting on 4GY, contributing to his sense of community that would inform his political career. community organisations, media
00:08:01 Mike Horan describes his move to Toowoomba to run the Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland, due to opportunities for his children and a back injury sustained on the farm. He describes his work at the Toowoomba Royal Show and developing a new showgrounds venue.  Toowoomba
00:11:04 Mike Horan discusses his turn to politics and the difficulty of owning his dairy farm. He recalls being approached to run for the seat of Toowoomba by Clive Berghofer and joining the National Party. Clive Berghofer, Gough Whitlam, Toowoomba
00:17:10 Mike Horan describes the post-Fitzgerald political context and recalls his first day in parliament. He notes the importance of life experience to help him find his way as a member and compares that to many younger politicians today. induction
00:19:59 Mike Horan describes his role after the 1992 election as Shadow Health Minister. As Health Minister he describes revamping the project management team at Queensland Health. Health Department, relationship with public service
00:22:45 Mike Horan details his relationship with the public service when he was a Shadow Minister. He describes his relationship with Robert Stable, and the agreement they struck prior to the 1995 election of appointing him Director General. He outlines removing levels of bureaucracy when he became Health Minister, and the importance of Robert Stable. Health Department, Peter Beattie, Rob Stable
00:27:10 Mike Horan discusses his relationship with the public service when he was minister and the complex requirements of being both a minister and a member. He notes the importance of having a good director general as well as having a good relationship with them. He notes the importance of transitioning from being a shadow minister into a responsible minister. directors general, Health Department, relationship with public service, Rob Stable
00:34:18 Mike Horan discusses the appointments of directors general by the Borbidge Government and the continuing appointment of Robert Stable as Director General of Health. He talks about his negotiations with the AWU and the Nurses Union over wages. He notes how ministerial management style is changing. Borbidge Government 1996-98, directors general, Peter Beattie, Rob Stable, Santo Santoro, unions
00:37:24 Mike Horan discusses some of the successes he achieved while in Health. He notes his disappointment after losing the 1998 election. health, Health Department
00:40:19 Mike Horan discusses the relationships within the Borbidge Cabinet. He notes the good working relationship between Rob Borbidge and Joan Sheldon.  Borbidge Government 1996-98, Joan Sheldon, One Nation, Rob Borbidge
00:43:49 Mike Horan discusses the Memorandum of Understanding incident between Rob Borbidge and the Police Union. He notes the financial cost of this to some of his colleagues.  Memorandum of Understanding, police union, Rob Borbidge, Russell Cooper
00:46:34 Mike Horan discusses the One Nation Party in the 1998 election and the importance of gun laws and the Port Arthur massacre. He notes the high rate of gun ownership in his electorate. 1998 election, gun laws, One Nation, Port Arthur massacre, Toowoomba
00:52:46 Mike Horan discusses the One Nation Party and the influence of gun laws and Pauline Hanson's media attention. He discusses climate change and a carbon tax. He notes  the Connolly-Ryan Inquiry that effected the party going into the 1998 election. 1998 election, Connolly-Ryan Inquiry, gun laws, media, One Nation, Pauline Hanson
00:56:59 Mike Horan notes his disappointments and details the toll that working as Health Minister took on both his role as member for Toowoomba South and on his family. Health Department, Toowoomba, Townsville, work life balance
01:00:04 Mike Horan discusses the split within the National Party and the influence of One Nation. He describes his initial reluctance to challenge for the leadership and details the events of the 2001 Borbidge campaign. 2001 election, leadership, One Nation, Rob Borbidge, Shepherdson Inquiry
01:03:01 Mike Horan describes the coalition split after the 2001 election loss and the creation of the LNP.  Coalition, Liberal-National Party split, republic
01:06:48 Mike Horan discusses the rise of the LNP and notes that Lawrence Springborg was the key instigator after the 2006 election campaign. He outlines long standing issues beween the Liberals and Nationals. Bruce Flegg, Lawrence Springborg
01:10:23 Mike Horan discusses electoral redistributions and the disparity in many of the very large seats in Queensland. He outlines the difficulties in covering large electorates. electoral redistribution, Jeff Seeney, Vaughan Johnson
01:16:19 Mike Horan discusses his time at COAG negotiating the Medicare agreement and details the incentives that were offered to Queensland. COAG, health
01:19:09 Mike Horan discusses the challenge of decentralisation, the health budget and the need to have community input into the health system. health, Health Department, hospitals
01:27:37 Mike Horan outlines his approach to crises as Health Minister including bat virus, peanuts and the Mackay Hospital incident. Health Department, hospitals, Ken Hayward, media, ministerial advisers, Wendy Edmond
01:31:19 Mike Horan discusses the Smart State policy. He outlines his role in establishing the James Cook University medical school, and the larger question of training doctors in Australia. education, James Cook University, medical training, Smart State
01:37:49 Mike Horan outlines his strong belief in Queensland sport and the importance of sport in the community. He discusses the importance of funding elite sport and its contribution to the community. Sport, Vaughan Johnson
01:41:53 Mike Horan describes the major disappointments in his career especially spending so long in opposition. backbench
01:44:31 Mike Horan outlines his achievement from his time in Health, and leading the developments to create the Toowoomba showgrounds. Health Department, Toowoomba
01:46:27 Interview ends.
Position:
Politician, National
Bailiwick:
Health
Decade:
1990s, 2000s
Sound byte: 

Mike Horan

Biography

Mike Horan

National Party politician Mike Horan served as Health Minister in the Borbidge Government, and later as the leader of the Opposition.

Born on 1 July 1944 in Brisbane, Mike Horan attended St Laurence’s College and the University of Queensland. He studied veterinary science but spent more time on football. He moved to Taroom and Bundaberg playing football, and then landed a contract to play for Parramatta Eels Rugby League Club.

Horan soon moved back to Queensland and took up a dairy farm on the Mary River, near Gympie. He experienced the 1974 floods and the cattle crash of the 1970s. His search for another income during the crisis took him into managing horse races and radio broadcasting and even brought a return to football. After sustaining a back injury on the farm, Horan and his family moved to Toowoomba where he became the General Manager of the Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland and was responsible for developing the new showground site. He worked in this role for thirteen years.

In 1991, Clive Berghofer was forced to vacate his Toowoomba South seat when the Goss Government altered legislation on local government. Horan won National Party preselection and went on to win the seat in a by-election. Within five weeks of joining the National Party he became a Member of Parliament. The following year he became the Shadow Health Minister. When the Borbidge Government took power Horan became Health Minister. As minister he negotiated the Medicare reforms with the federal government.

Following the 1998 electoral defeat of the Borbidge Government, Horan became deputy leader and would serve in a series of shadow ministries. With the next electoral defeat Horan took over leadership of the National Party between 2001 and 2003. After a period of leadership of the National Party he returned to a series of shadow ministries. Horan did not stand in the 2012 election.

Copyright © The Centre for the Government of Queensland, the University of Queensland, 2011.

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Associated interviews: 
Joan Sheldon
Associated interviews: 
Lawrence Springborg
Associated interviews: 
Rob Borbidge