Nine more days to go

Dear ,

Eight years ago, shortly after Gary Johns and I sat next to each other at a function and discovered we both thought Queensland needed a centre-right think tank, one of the first people Gary introduced me to as a potential supporter was Keith DeLacy.

Like Gary, Keith was someone with Labor roots and an enlightenment philosophy, and I was very happy to have his support for our potential endeavour.

Keith is still a good supporter and that's one reason we are happy to host the launch of his memoir (jointly with the Brisbane Club) on Thursday November 18, in the club dining room at 12:00 pm. To book please email info@aip.asn.au.

The cover of Keith's book has a number of personal endorsements on it, and he was kind enough to ask me to give one. As a result I read the book closely. From a personal point of view I recognised themes that were also common to my family on my mother's side. Also from North Queensland, originally Cornish tin miners who spread out over the Tableland as farmers and south to Mt Isa, still in mining. Growing-up I heard stories of hard-work, not always successful entrepreneurialism, no-frills-say-what-you-think-honesty, and pure stubbornness.

You had to be a certain sort of person to live in North Queensland in the first half of the 20th Century. And even if you voted Labor, chances were you had the sort of world view made you a conservative, putting family, community, hard work and honesty ahead of fancies from those Southerners in Brisbane and beyond.

So in a lot of ways I can understand how Keith has ended-up where he has, and it's been a blessing to the state that he had a hand in its running as a member of the Goss government, and subsequently as a prominent businessman. We need more people of honesty and integrity who change their mind with the facts, when the facts change, and who are prepared to tell it as it is.

I'm looking forward to hearing Keith expand on his story, and hope you will be there to hear it to. Booking details are:

When:   Thursday November 18, 2021 at 12:00 pm
Where:  Main Dining Room, The Brisbane Club, 241 Adelaide Street, BRISBANE QLD 4000
(Discounted parking available at Post Office Square and MacArthur Central)
Price:     $120 (includes two course lunch and drinks)
Booking:To book email us at info@aip.asn.au

Regards,

GRAHAM YOUNG
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR