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Former Queensland premier and long-time conservative politician Mike Ahern has died, aged 81.

Queensland-based federal Nationals leader David Littleproud said the party had “lost one of its greatest” and the state, and country, had benefited from his leadership.

Former Queensland premier Mike Ahern with his then deputy, Bill Gunn, in 1987.Credit: Mike Larder

“It’s difficult to describe all that Mike Ahern achieved and stood for, but integrity is what Mike Ahern embodied in all that he did during his time in public office,” Littleproud said.

John Mickel, the former Labor speaker of the Queensland parliament, said Ahern came into the state political arena as the youngest Country Party member by almost 20 years and the first to be university-educated.

Ahern served under premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen – Mickel said they repeatedly clashed over ideology – and became his successor amid the ructions caused by the Fitzgerald Inquiry into official corruption.

After Ahern vowed to implement the recommendations “lock, stock and barrel”, his government was swept from office by the Labor Party and leader Wayne Goss.

“Ahern was the first premier of the modern era to be made premier by the party but never face an election,” said Mickel, an adjunct associate professor at QUT.

Mickel was trade minister in the Beattie government when Ahern had the role of special representative for Africa, the Middle East and India.

“It was a role he was very successful in and helped open many doors for Queensland in these markets,” he said.

Ahern was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia in 2007 and in 2010 was a recipient of the Queensland Greats Awards.

In 2020, after Labor won another state election under leader Annastacia Palaszczuk, Ahern attributed the latest victory to the pandemic, saying “COVID-19 came, it was a pandemic, everyone was scared”.

Nine Network’s Today show reporter Christine Ahern reacts to a surprise reunion with her parents Mike and Andrea Ahern after she arrived on a flight from Melbourne to report on the easing of Queensland’s border restrictions in December 2021.Credit: Getty Images

But Ahern was adamant the Liberal National Party could still win the next election in 2024.

Queensland Opposition leader David Crisafulli said Ahern “was a giant of Queensland and history will show he always put people ahead of politics”.

“Mike Ahern let the sun shine in on government more than three decades ago [and] the decisions he made laid the foundations for integrity in government,” Crisafulli said.

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