LNP concedes defeat in Queensland election, Nicholls resigns

Queensland Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls has finally conceded defeat in the state election nearly a fortnight after polls closed.

File image of Queensland Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls

File image of Queensland Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls Source: AAP

Tim Nicholls has finally conceded defeat in the Queensland election and stood down as Liberal National Party leader, nearly a fortnight after polls closed.

Mr Nicholls called Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Friday morning to officially concede defeat.

The Premier is expected to visit Governor Paul De Jersey to declare she can form a government this afternoon.
However, a spokesman for the premier said Ms Palaszczuk will wait until the Electoral Commission of Queensland officially declared Labor has won the 47 seats needed to form a majority before making the trip.

With the vote count tight across most of the state, the LNP said it would only concede once it had no chance of claiming victory.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk
File image: Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (AAP) Source: AAP
But with the ECQ set to declare the winners of the final handful of seats in state parliament today, the LNP now admits it has no path to victory.

It's on track to pick up 39 seats to Labor's 48, which would give Labor a slim two-seat majority.

Mr Nicholls will also stand down as LNP leader, with a party room meeting to be held next Tuesday to determine who will lead the LNP into the future.

In a statement released on Friday, Mr Nicholls said he was "proud" of the campaign his team had run, but it hadn't got them over the line.

"While the result is disappointing for the thousands of LNP supporters, the MPs who did not hold their seats and the candidates who were not elected, everybody should be proud of the campaign we ran," Mr Nicholls wrote.

"I pay homage to each and every volunteer who helped our campaign and to those who stood on polling booths, delivering our positive message until the end."

It's not known whether Mr Nicholls will resign from parliament entirely, although in the statement he thanked the people of his electorate of Clayfield "for re-electing me for my fifth term."

Mr Nicholls' deputy, Deb Frecklington, along with Tim Mander, John Paul Langbroek and newly-re-elected David Crisafulli are all in the mix as a possible replacement.

Ms Palaszczuk has been working on her cabinet line up while she waits for the vote count to conclude.

Treasurer Curtis Pitt is expected to be on the chopping block and could be offered the Speaker's role.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad is expected to take over as Treasurer, with Health Minister Cameron Dick also expected to take on an economic portfolio.


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3 min read
Published 8 December 2017 11:30am
Updated 8 December 2017 1:59pm

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