By JONATHON HOWARD
A POLITICAL power struggle is threatening to disrupt the Queensland political landscape as Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk makes a play for leadership through the Governor of Queensland and re-elected member for Southern Downs Lawrence Springborg calls for more time after he was appointed the new leader of the Queensland LNP.
As of Tuesday, 10 February, the Labor party held 42 seats and the LNP held 39, with the seats of Ferny Grove and Maryborough yet to be determined.
To lead the Queensland Parliament, a government requires 45 seats and the decisions of five seats were yet to be determined, pending counting.
Independent Tony Wellington has publicly backed Labor and the seat of Maryborough looks likely to lean towards Labor.
Ferny Grove has come under increasing pressure for a by-election following the removal of the Palmer United candidate.
Mr Springborg is leading the push, urging Labor to wait until the situation in Ferny Grove, where the Palmer candidate was found to have had an undischarged bankruptcy and was therefore ineligible to stand, was resolved. The Palmer candidate received almost 985 votes.
Mr Springborg has also criticised the Labor leader for attempting to snatch the leadership position in what he said was a path towards a minority government.
Speaking with the Free Times, Mr Springborg said he felt honoured and privileged to take on the leadership role of the Queensland LNP.
“I feel very grateful and appreciative of the support I had to be re-elected and let me just say that whether I am the leader of the Queensland LNP or not, it changes nothing, I put the Southern Downs first,” he said.
Mr Springborg said Queensland politics was undergoing an “extraordinary time” and knowing who would form government and lead Queensland was uncertain.
“None of the major parties holds enough seats,” he said on Monday 9 February.
“Clearly, there is no majority party and the seat of Ferny Grove needs to be determined,” he said.
Labor managed to get support from independent Tony Wellington and both Mr Springborg and Ms Palaszczuk were yet to respond to the two Katter Australia Party members Rob Katter and Shane Knuth who have outlined 28 policy demands for either the LNP or Labor to agree to in order to secure their votes.
The Katter Party policies include areas such as easing to bat culling restrictions in populated areas and the abolition of public servant sackings. They have called for a commission of inquiry into government corruption, statutory marketing for milk and sugar, and a total of six road projects.
The LNP looked likely to win 42 seats, and would need to secure Ferny Grove in a by-election and the support of the two KAP MPs to win power.
Ms Palaszczuk was expected to apply to the Queensland Governor Paul de Jersey to take leadership on Wednesday 11 February.
