Queensland’s incoming premier, David Crisafulli, and his deputy, Jarrod Bleijie, will be sworn in as an interim cabinet of two so the LNP can “get cracking” with governing, the party’s leader says.
“We’ve got to get to work,” Crisafulli said on Sunday after securing majority government.
The outgoing premier, Steven Miles, told reporters he hoped to remain leader of Queensland Labor and hold the new government to account as opposition leader.
Crisafulli was scheduled to be sworn in as the state’s 41st premier by the governor, Jeannette Young, on Monday.
He said on Sunday that he wanted to establish a “generational government” – discussing his hope to lead the party to its first back-to-back wins since 1986.
“Government allows you to shape the kind of state that you want for your kids,” Crisafulli said.
“It’s important that we are a good government and that we do what we say we are going to do and we don’t do what we said we wouldn’t do.”
Miles conceded on Sunday morning – first by phone and then formally at Government House over tea with Young.
Steven Miles conceded on Sunday morning, first by phone and then at the governor’s house over tea with the governor, Janette Young.
He has led Labor since his predecessor, Annastacia Palaszczuk, resigned as premier in December 2023.
Miles said he wanted to remain party leader and it was “unlikely” he would be challenged by his deputy, Cameron Dick, in the leadership spill generated automatically after Saturday’s loss.
The election result was “much better than expected – but clearly nowhere near sufficient for a Labor victory,” Miles said.
“I’m very proud of the campaign I ran and the government that I have led these last 10 months. But at the end of the day, clearly, Queenslanders for some time, have wanted to see a change of government.
“You’ve seen the polls pretty consistently for a long time now, they predicted a very, very bad result. The fact that many MPs have held their seats, it’s a credit to them, but also I’m going to give credit to the campaign that we ran.”
Crisafulli repeated his pledge to legislate “making Queensland safer” laws before the end of the year. The controversial controversial “adult time for adult crime” policy would increase sentences for youth offenders – including a mandatory life sentence for murderers.
Critics say the changes will put more pressure on our already maxed-out youth detention centres and send more children to adult watch houses.
During the campaign, the LNP repeatedly promised to appoint all 19 members of its shadow cabinet to their assigned portfolios in government.
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Crisafulli wouldn’t commit to that on Sunday, telling reporters he needed to talk to his MPs first. There was speculation he could expand the cabinet to allow newcomers a place in the leadership team.
The LNP has already sacked the director-general of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Mike Kaiser, who was a former Labor MP. He will be replaced by the public service commissioner, David Mackie, on an interim basis.
In opposition, the party promised it wouldn’t change abortion laws or back nuclear power. It vowed to meet Queensland’s legislated emissions target of 75% by 2035.
“We’ve always said that the target that matters is net zero by 2050,” Crisafulli said on Sunday
“Now the midway points are important stepping stones but the figure that really matters is net zero by 2050 and we’ve consistently said that.”
The premier-elect had a 20-minute phone call with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese on Sunday morning, where he made a pitch for additional funding for infrastructure projects and the Olympics.
Labor won 52 seats at the 2020 election during the Covid-19 pandemic.
On current projections, the party looked certain to hold at least 29 seats, with the LNP forming majority government with at least 48 seats. Katter’s Australian Party would hold at least three and the Greens and an independent one each, the ABC predicted.
Labor struggled in regional Queensland but held most seats in the state’s south-east. The ALP likely won back a seat from the Greens – the minor party’s first defeat for a sitting member at a general election.
There are 12 seats in doubt, including Gaven, Labor’s only electorate on the Gold Coast. Incumbent Meaghan Scanlon is regarded by many as a potential future leader.