The Liberal National Party’s victory in the Queensland election has laid the foundation for the coalition to repeat the feat at the next federal election, the Opposition Leader says.
After nine years in a Labor government, the LNP secured a narrow victory in the Sunshine State, with leader David Crisafulli being sworn in as the state’s premier on Monday morning.
With the count still ongoing, the LNP is on course to win at least 48 seats in state parliament, of which 47 are needed for a majority.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the result represented a rejection of the federal government ahead of the next election, due in May.
“The lessons are that if you treat people with contempt, if you incur enormous debt, if you mismanage the economy, if you create a cost-of-living crisis, you can expect voters to punish you,” he told reporters in Melbourne. Monday.
“That’s exactly what happened in Queensland, I think it’s going to happen at the federal level as well because the Prime Minister has promised a lot for Australians and delivered nothing.”
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Saturday’s result marked a rejection of the federal government ahead of the next election
While the LNP was expected to score a landslide victory, Labor regained ground as the formal campaign progressed.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said Labor would take into account the results of the party’s defeat ahead of the federal election.
“Saturday night’s outcome was decisive, but it was not unexpected, and there are lessons for us,” he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
“Queenslanders are pragmatic and practical people, and the Albanian government is a pragmatic and practical government, but we will go through the lessons of Saturday night.”
Federal Labor is looking to regain ground in Queensland at the next federal election, with the government holding just five of the state’s 30 electorates.
Dr. Chalmers said it was not surprising that there had been a change of government, with Labor in power in the Sunshine State for nine years dominating the debate over the cost of living.
“We understand that people are having a hard time, and they are expressing that at the ballot box, which is their right,” he said.
“We’ve tried to make a series of informed economic decisions, make the right economic decisions for the right reasons, because I believe if you do that, politics will take care of itself.”
Queensland Senator and Employment Minister Murray Watt said the time factor was against Labor.
“What (former Prime Minister Steven Miles) and Labor were looking for was a fourth term, and it’s clear that every election you win, the next one becomes much more difficult,” he told ABC Radio.
David Crisafulli will be sworn in as Prime Minister by Queensland Governor Jeannette Young on Monday
Ousted Prime Minister Steven Miles has indicated he will remain in the ring as opposition leader – if Labor lets him. In the meantime, he says he’s going to the pub for an XXXX
The Greens suffered in the election, claiming only one seat in the state parliament.
Greens leader Adam Bandt said the federal government had to take responsibility for Queensland Labor’s loss.
“If it was all about what’s happening federally, then Prime Minister Anthony Albanese clearly has some responsibility for the fact that Labor has now just lost government,” he told ABC Radio.
‘If Labor adopts and implements the Greens’ policies, it is popular, but if Labor spends its time and money fighting the Greens, then the LNP wins.’
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the Greens’ decline in state elections stemmed from perceptions about the party federally.
“They were shocked when Max Chandler-Mather stood up and defended the criminal elements of the CFMEU from the back of the truck with a megaphone instead of voting for housing,” she told Seven’s Sunrise programme.
“People look at it and say, ‘These people aren’t serious about making progress. They are only about opposition. It’s just about making a point.’