COFFEE-LOVER NICHOLLS KEEN TO PROVE HE’S NO HAS-BEAN
SURFERS Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek is the punters’ favourite to become the next leader of the LNP.
But that’s news to the current party leader, Tim Nicholls, who yesterday brought two of his would-be rivals for coffee at Southport’s Catalina café.
Although leadership speculation is brewing, which also includes newly minted Broadwater MP David Crisafulli, the three sat around a table bantering about the weather, the “beautiful Goldie” and election results.
Betting agency Sportsbet earlier this week slashed the odds of Mr Langbroek becoming the next LNP leader
from $17 to just $2.50 while Mr Nicholls was sitting at $7.
Sportsbet’s Christian Jantzen said Mr Langbroek was the punters’ preferred leader.
“When we set the odds Langbroek was seen as an outsider but he is the punters’ preferred choice,” he said.
Despite the speculation, Mr Nicholls insisted he led a “united team” and that with the election not yet over, he has “not conceded anything”.
“There are still a lot of votes to be counted,” he said. “We are still in the hunt.” Labor has been tipped to win the necessary 47 seats to govern in its own right, but Mr Nicholls said he remained hopeful of being able to form government. “If the cards fall that way, we will deliver in spades for the people of the Gold Coast and people of Queensland,” he said.