The rejected face of the Queensland Liberal National Party was evident yet again when the newly elected leader of the LNP , Tim Nicholls, and the fresh new deputy leader, Nanango MP Deb Frecklington, fronted the media for the first time in Brisbane . Nicholls , the Treasurer in the Campbell Newman Government which suffered a crushing defeat at the last election , ousted Lawrence Springborg by a mere three votes in a second count , three votes behind Springborg in the first round.
At the short media conference , which Nicholls seemed keen to end as soon as possible , because he said he had a lot of work to do, Ms Frecklington , a Shadow Minister for Agriculture , Fisheries and Forestry, was able to say , between interruption from Nicholls , that she and her husband farm livestock and are also into chick peas, mung beans and other crops .
Elected unopposed , she had served as a lawyer in Kingaroy specialising in family and property law before going into politics and being elected in 2012 and 2015.
Then the interview was over before obvious , lengthy questions could be asked about the voting, the well known "festering boil" within the LNP . A follow up TV report indicated the two man postule on the Queensland political rump , Katter's Australia Party, who fancy themselves as king makers in Queensland , were not happy with the outcome as they had a deal with Springborg to form a minority government in the event of the ALP government being brought down, and did not like Nicholls when he was in charge of the state's kitty.
One of the reasons why the media conference was so short was not only because Nicholls had to sort out a shadow ministry before the Queensland parliament resumes on Monday, but Turnbull's nervous Coalition crew did not want a long session throwing light on the squabbles and ill feeling within the conservative ranks just as Malcolm is preparing to drive out to the GG (if the vice-regal flight does not get diverted due to bad weather ) and get him to fire the punt gun on a day which will herald the mother of all elections, aptly just happening to be Mothers' Day .
Indeed, Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison, flew into Brisbane soon after to spruik the Budget in the seat of Petrie and said the LNP spill had nothing to do with the looming national election , which does not ring true as Queensland is listed as one of the battlegrounds in the long election, the PM flying to Brisbane as soon as he gets Sir Peter's okay.
Indeed, Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison, flew into Brisbane soon after to spruik the Budget in the seat of Petrie and said the LNP spill had nothing to do with the looming national election , which does not ring true as Queensland is listed as one of the battlegrounds in the long election, the PM flying to Brisbane as soon as he gets Sir Peter's okay.
