Shots fired over LNP’s Coast snub
LABOR took an immediate shot at the LNP yesterday for ignoring the Gold Coast after the failed bid by Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek for the leadership.
Deb Frecklington yesterday emerged from an hour-long meeting between LNP MPs as party leader, with Tim Mander her deputy.
Gold Coast-based Labor Senator Murray Watt immediately tweeted that the ALP had recognised the Coast earlier in the day by appointing Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon to an outer ministry.
“LNP with 10 seats on the Gold Coast couldn’t elect one of them to a new leadership role. Still taking the Gold Coast for granted,” he said.
LNP frontbencher Ros Bates took an immediate swing at Senator Watts, rating him low on the charisma chart.
“Deb Frecklington is young, dynamic, a mother, a businesswoman,” the Mudgeeraba MP said. “She is not some union Labor hack like Murray Watt and Meaghan Scanlon.
“She will make her appointments to ensure all Queenslanders are represented.”
Some party figures believe failure by Mr Langbroek to lead the LNP again shows former leader Tim Nicholls remains a party powerbroker.
Mr Langbroek and the other contender, Mark Robinson, failed to sway enough MPs from the strong Nicholls
faction to beat the Nanango MP, who is the first female LNP leader in Queensland.
Ms Frecklington worked closely with Mr Nicholls when he was treasurer after being appointed assistant minister for finance in 2012. She was his deputy in Opposition from 2016.
Mr Langbroek was parliamentary leader and Opposition leader from 2009 to 2011.
The Frecklington camp said “the party room is confident they’ve picked the right team”.
Ms Frecklington entered the party room with Mr Mander and Ms Bates smiling at her side. After the victory, she said she and Mr Mander would immediately begin discussions about their new front bench, with appointments likely to be announced later this week.
“I was raised in a family where you didn’t just sit back, complain and expect others to create opportunities and solve problems. You get out and do something about it,” she said.
“Under Annastacia Palaszczuk, we have the second worst unemployment in the country. Labor can spin the figures as much as they like but until Queensland is number one, it just isn’t good enough.’’
Mr Langbroek was not available for comment.