The Liberal National Party’s victory in the Queensland election has set the stage for the coalition to repeat the feat in the next federal election, the opposition leader says.
After nine years of Labor government, the LNP recorded a narrow victory in the Sunshine State, with leader David Crisafulli sworn in as the state’s premier on Monday morning.
While the recount is still underway, the LNP is on track to win at least 48 seats in state parliament, with 47 needed for a majority.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the result represented a repudiation of the federal government ahead of the next election, due in May.
“The lesson is that if you treat people with contempt, if you run up huge debt, mismanage the economy, create a cost of living crisis, you can expect the electorate to punish you,” he told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.
“That’s exactly what happened in Queensland, I think it’s what’s going to happen at the federal level too, because the prime minister has promised a lot to Australians and hasn’t delivered at all.”
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said Saturday’s result represented a repudiation of the federal government ahead of the next election.
While the LNP was predicted to record a landslide victory, Labor regained ground as the formal campaign progressed.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said Labor would pay attention to the results of the party’s defeat ahead of the federal election.
“Saturday night’s result was decisive, but it was not unexpected, and there are lessons for us,” he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
“Queenslanders are a pragmatic, practical people, and the Albanian government is a pragmatic, practical government, but we will review the lessons from Saturday night.”
The Federal Labor Party is looking to make up ground in Queensland in the next federal election, and the government only has five of the state’s 30 electorates.
Dr Chalmers said it was not surprising there had been a change of government as Labor had been in power in the Sunshine State for nine years and the cost of living dominated the debate.
“We understand that people are doing wrong and they express it at the polls, which is their right,” he said.
“We’ve tried to make a series of well-informed economic decisions, make the right economic decisions for the right reasons, because I think if you do that, politics will take care of itself.”
Queensland senator and Labor Minister Murray Watt said the time factor was against Labor.
“What (former Prime Minister Steven Miles) and the Labor Party were after was a fourth term and obviously every election you win, the next one becomes much more difficult,” he told ABC Radio.
David Crisafulli to be sworn in as Prime Minister by Queensland Governor Jeannette Young on Monday
Ousted Prime Minister Steven Miles has signaled he will remain in the ring as opposition leader, if Labor allows him to. Meanwhile, he says he’s heading to the pub for an XXXX
The Greens fell behind in the elections and won only one seat in the state parliament.
Greens leader Adam Bandt said the federal government needed to take responsibility for Queensland Labor’s loss.
“If it’s all about what’s happening at federal level, then clearly (Prime Minister Anthony Albanese) bears some responsibility for the fact that the Labor Party has just lost government,” he told ABC Radio.
“If Labor adopts the Greens’ policies and implements them they will be popular, but if Labor spends its time and money fighting the Greens then the LNP wins.”
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the Greens’ setback in the state election was due to perceptions about the party at the federal level.
“They were shocked when (Greens MP) Max Chandler-Mather stood up, defending the CFMEU criminal elements in the back of the lorry with a megaphone instead of voting for housing,” he told Broadcast’s Sunrise programme. Seven.
“People look at that and say, ‘these people aren’t serious about progress.'” It’s just about opposition. “It’s just about making a point.”