Category Archives: Liberal National party

Four Davids and two Nigels: can Crisafulli deliver a modern and inclusive cabinet? | Ben Smee

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As Queensland’s new premier prepares to announce his frontbench, he may struggle to incorporate women and multicultural MPs into the LNP lineup

David Crisafulli will be breaking a promise either way. He said he’d keep his old opposition frontbench in place after the election. He also promised to lead a forward-thinking, modern-looking government.

It’s unlikely he can do both.

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Labor lost Queensland election partly because it was obsessed with the Greens, Chandler-Mather says

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Greens housing spokesperson argues that lesson for federal Labor is if PM spends next six months fighting party ‘he’s going to hand the keys to Peter Dutton’

The Greens’ federal housing spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather, says the Queensland election result shows federal Labor needs to drop its “deep hostility” to the minor party – or risk losing next year’s national poll.

The Liberal National party’s victory at the weekend – its first majority in almost a decade – relied upon gains from Labor in regional areas, including heartland seats in central and north Queensland.

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Labor accuses Peter Dutton of trying to ‘force nuclear energy on Queenslanders’

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Nationals MP Keith Pitt claims Coalition would have mandate if it won federal election despite opposition to nuclear power from state’s incoming LNP government

A senior federal Labor minister has accused Peter Dutton of trying to “force nuclear energy on Queenslanders” following the LNP’s state election win after which a Coalition MP claimed the federal party would forge ahead with its power plan.

The federal Nationals MP for Hinkler, Keith Pitt, on Sunday said the Coalition would have a mandate to press ahead with its nuclear policy if Dutton won the next election.

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Crisafulli makes first speech as premier-elect; trucks deliver food aid to western NSW after power outages – as it happened

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The LNP leader again thanked unsuccessful candidates from both sides before declaring he would get to work quickly. This blog has now closed

A look at ‘incredibly expressive and very flirtatious’ Maratus spiders

Australian Maratus spiders, which measure 3-5mm, are known as “peacock spiders” because of the extravagant colourings they display during courtship rituals and combat.

They’re incredibly expressive and very flirtatious. The male wants to get all the attention of the female, like birds of paradise.

That’s not talking about net zero. That’s talking about actual emissions reductions as a total.

So what’s the proposal? Are you intending to wipe out the cattle herd, are you going to reduce traffic by 75%?

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David Crisafulli claims LNP victory in Queensland election ending Labor’s decade-long reign

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Outgoing premier Steven Miles concedes he cannot form majority government despite a last-minute vote surge

David Crisafulli has claimed victory for the Liberal National party in the Queensland election after a campaign that focused heavily on a series of hardline crime promises.

The election marks the end of Labor’s decade-long reign in Queensland and is only the second time the Liberal or National parties have won a state poll since 1989.

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David Crisafulli has narrowly won the Queensland election but the real fight has only just begun

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With a very narrow majority to protect, Crisafulli will have no wriggle room to tolerate internal dissent – and that’s already begun

David Crisafulli will almost certainly cobble together enough seats to become Queensland’s new premier. He now looks set to become only the second Liberal or National to win a state election since 1989.

And yet election night doesn’t feel euphoric for the LNP.

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David Crisafulli backtracks on promise to resign if crime victim numbers do not fall under an LNP government

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Opposition leader adds caveat to campaign vow on eve of Queensland election day as polls tighten

The Queensland Liberal National party leader, David Crisafulli, has walked back his campaign promise to resign if crime victim numbers do not reduce under a government led by him, claiming on Friday that he was referring to per capita rates, and not the overall number of victims.

The qualification, on the eve of the state election, comes as polls suggest the opposition has squandered a huge polling lead at the beginning of the month, and is in now danger of not winning enough seats to form a majority government.

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LNP cabinet ministers will be booted to the backbench if they miss key targets. Will it backfire on David Crisafulli?

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Experts warn that setting KPIs could create perverse incentives rather than improving outcomes

If the Liberal National party wins power in Queensland at the weekend’s election as many expect, its cabinet ministers will be assigned targets – and face consequences if they fail to meet the grade.

The opposition leader, David Crisafulli, again confirmed on Thursday that each minister in a government he leads will be issued a public key performance indicator – a “KPI” – contained within their ministerial charter letter.

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Unearthed: the interview that reveals answer to abortion question David Crisafulli has dodged more than 132 times

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Exclusive: Queensland LNP leader faced questions at leaders’ debate after saying in 2023 he would allow MPs a conscience vote on changes to legislation

Queensland’s opposition leader, David Crisafulli, told a live audience last year “I don’t believe in late-term abortions” and promised MPs a conscience vote on the issue – answering questions he has refused to respond to more than 132 times during the state election campaign.

The Liberal National party leader has been dogged by the issue for weeks, refusing to declare his hand on a bill which will be introduced by Katter’s Australian party next parliament, including whether he would vote for it or grant other MPs a conscience vote.

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LNP leader launches Queensland election campaign with promise of mandatory isolation for child offenders who assault guards

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David Crisafulli pledges minimum isolation periods for youths who attack staff despite evidence of dangers of solitary confinement

The Liberal National party leader, David Crisafulli, has promised to introduce “mandatory isolation periods” for children who assault workers in youth detention, as the Queensland opposition formally launched its state election campaign on Sunday.

Speaking to a crowd of LNP candidates and party faithful in Ipswich, Crisafulli focused much of his remarks on what he has dubbed the state’s “youth crime crisis”.

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‘We’re not going to do deals’: Queensland premier favours LNP rule over Labor governing with minor parties

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Steven Miles says he would prefer Crisafulli minority government over horse-trading if he fails to win absolute majority at October election

The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, says he would rather see a minority LNP government in power after the 26 October state election than horse-trade with independents and minor parties.

In an interview with Guardian Australia, Miles says he wants a majority in his own right, ruling out any sort of supply and confidence agreement with One Nation, the Katter party, the Greens or independents.

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Steven Miles bats away accusations of pinching policies from Greens ahead of Queensland polls opening

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State premier announces free state primary school lunches at campaign launch after revealing plan for state-owned health clinics

Premier Steven Miles has warded off allegations of plagiarism from the Greens for a signature free school lunch policy announced at Sunday’s election campaign launch.

The Labor leader promised a free lunch for every Queensland state primary school student, the day before polls open in the state’s election. It came just a day after he unveiled a policy of state-owned, privately run GP clinics.

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Crisafulli wedged on abortion as Katter party flags vote to criminalise terminations

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Exclusive: Robbie Katter says he will immediately sponsor a bill to amend the current legislation if the LNP is elected this month

The Queensland crossbencher Robbie Katter says he will consider forcing a vote to recriminalise abortion if the Liberal National party wins government at this month’s state election.

Katter says he will table legislation to wind back current laws with one option a “clean repeal” of Labor’s 2018 Termination of Pregnancy Act, a move that would return abortion to the 1899 criminal code.

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A bizarre game of political chicken? How Queensland lurched to the right on law and order

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Labor’s cave-ins on youth justice over the past two years were meant to neutralise the opposition’s attacks – but they appear to have merely emboldened the LNP

Has the Queensland election campaign become a bizarre game of political chicken?

The economic debate has veered sharply to the left. The Liberal National party’s “small target” plan has involved adopting many of Labor’s policies, including cheap public transport fees and other cost-of-living handouts.

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David Crisafulli has sold the Queensland public on a crime crisis. It could prove to be his downfall

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Opposition leader creates political timebomb with election pledge to resign if crime victim numbers do not fall under an LNP government

David Crisafulli’s task in Thursday’s Queensland election debate was to avoid shooting himself in the foot.

He just about managed that. But the Liberal National party leader’s pledge – that if he wins government he would resign in four years’ time if crime victim numbers have not reduced – might be the equivalent of putting a political timebomb under the premier’s desk.

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Ben Smee is Guardian Australia’s Queensland state correspondent

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Queensland LNP leader David Crisafulli says he would quit after a term if crime target not met

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Crisafulli tells TV debate that if he became premier and could not reduce the number of victims of crime he would stand down

David Crisafulli would step down after one term as premier if he could not meet an ambitious crime target within four years, he said during the first of three televised debates with Labor’s Steven Miles ahead of the Queensland election.

The opposition LNP leader, who is well ahead of Miles in the polls, used the debate in Brisbane on Thursday night to repeat a promise to reduce the number of victims of crime in Queensland below 289,657, which he said was the highest in the country.

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Five things you should know about the Queensland election

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The sunshine state is heading to the polls on 26 October. Can Labor cling to power or will there be an LNP landslide?

Queenslanders will go to the polls on 26 October. Here are five things you should know.

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Australia urged to show ‘true climate leadership’ as Pacific Islands Forum begins – as it happened

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Investigations under way after alleged theft of non-fuctional guns from museum

An investigation is under way after a museum in Lithgow, in the NSW Central Tablelands, was allegedly broken into overnight.

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‘Harrowing’ footage sparks calls for Queensland government to remove children from police watch houses

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Exclusive: Labor MP Jonty Bush among those speaking out about state’s youth justice policies after Guardian Australia investigation

Queensland’s most prominent victims’ rights groups say the state government must remove children from police watch houses after the release of confronting footage showing the “brutal” treatment of children in the adult holding cells.

The videos, published after a year-long investigation by Guardian Australia and SBS The Feed, showed young people locked in “freezing” isolation cells, becoming panicked and struggling to breathe.

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Queensland state MP Darren Zanow to retire after dementia-causing brain disease diagnosis

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Ipswich West’s LNP representative informed of his microvascular ischemic disease the day he was sworn in

A 52-year-old Queensland MP has announced his resignation from state parliament after being diagnosed with a brain disease that leads to early-onset rapid developing dementia.

Ipswich West LNP MP, Darren Zanow, has announced his imminent retirement after he was diagnosed with microvascular ischemic disease.

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