Leadership result at odds with Toowoomba

TOOWOOMBA residents did not want Scott Morrison to be elected as Australia’s new Prime Minister.

In a poll of The Chronicle’s Facebook users on Friday morning, only four of the 274 respondents wanted Mr Morrison in the top job.

Toowoomba’s preferred leader of the Liberal Party was Julie Bishop, who received 145 votes.

Malcolm Turnbull came in second with 65 votes and Peter Dutton came in third with 60 votes.

Mr Morrison defeated Mr Dutton in the party room vote yesterday, 45 votes to 40.

Ms Bishop was eliminated in the first round of voting, and Mr Turnbull, true to his word, did not stand.

In a second poll conducted on Friday afternoon after Scott Morrison was named the new Liberal Party leader, and thus Prime Minister of Australia, Toowoomba residents revealed they would prefer him to remain as Prime Minister after the next election when compared to Labor leader Bill Shorten.

Out of the 265 votes received, 54 per cent said they supported Scott Morrison, while 46 per cent said they supported Bill Shorten.

University of Southern Queensland political commentator John Cole said it was not known what kind of impact a Scott Morrison Prime Ministership would have on regional Queensland.

“There are potentially positives in it, but he is going to have to establish credibility very quickly and get out of Canberra and into the regions, seeing people first hand,” Mr Cole said.

“He’ll have to get out and about a bit more than he has in the past.

“Though Treasurer isn’t necessarily a job that gives a politician the opportunity to get much time outside of Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne.”

Mr Cole said he hoped Groom MP John McVeigh would be able to retain the Regional Development portfolio, despite a push from the National Party to take it.