Liberal National Party leader Deb Frecklington intends to remain in the job following the Queensland election loss.
Frecklington conceded defeat on Saturday night as Labor’s Annastacia Palaszczuk was confident of securing majority government.
“Queenslanders have made their decision, and I thank each and every one of them for voting and for upholding our democracy,” the opposition leader told a function of LNP faithful in Brisbane late on Saturday.
“This decision is respected by the Liberal National Party. And I am so proud of the campaign that we have fought.”
The LNP looked likely to retain at least 32 seats in the 93-seat parliament. In the last parliament, the opposition had 38 seats.
“I will continue to play my part in the Liberal National Party and I will continue as the leader of this great party,” Frecklington said.
“The LNP is going to continue to hold the Palaszczuk government to account.
“We will speak up for those who have been forgotten and left behind. We’re going to fight for the families of this great state because families mean more than anything.”
The LNP copped flack from within its own stable.
Former LNP premier Campbell Newman reprimanded his own party, saying COVID-19 was not an excuse for their failure to win a majority.
“The LNP primary vote was 36 percent a year ago. We had a problem prior to the pandemic,” he tweeted.
Deputy opposition leader Tim Mander defended the LNP’s performance in a “tough election.”
“I’m not going to take any advice off Campbell Newman that’s for sure,” he said.
“No doubt it’s a very disappointing result for us. We were very hopeful about a number of those seats that it looks like we’re not going to win.”
Mander refused to lay any blame at the feet of Frecklington.
“I have absolutely zero criticism of Deb. She’s done a great job under the circumstances,” he told ABC TV.
“She’s been full of energy. She’s got better as the campaign went on. There'll be a lot of learning from this. The last thing I’m thinking about is those type of issues.”
“We have to go away now and lick our wounds,” Mander said.
Frecklington was sure to retain her seat of Nanango.
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