Palaszczuk ‘ humbled’ by victory

Lower energy prices: Water security: Mount Isa to Townsville rail line: Townsville State Development Area: Townsville Entertainment and Exhibition Centre: Museum of Underwater Art: DriveIt NQ: Townsville Concert Hall: Defence Industries Development Agenda

resources and they need.”

Mr Harper, whose seat was threatened by One Nation, said it was important to keep the momentum up.

“We have much more work to do,” he said.

“In terms of continuing to deliver for Townsville there’s a funding that Powering North Queensland Plan $ 380m and $ 50m for solar thermal plant duplication $ 2.6m Nil $ 225m for Haughton pipeline for Mount Isa line

NQ Defence Board and Personnel Support Hub, Cooperative Research Centre Bid, Defence Jobs QLD Agency $ 3.1m for feasibility study number of projects I’m keen to continue on, especially DriveIt. It’s humbling to be returned as a second- term MP.”

Mr Harper said he had not given the prospect of the three MPs losing a thought.

“We’ve served an apprenticeship in Townsville,” he said. “It was about doing three Nil $ 10m $ 2m $ 21.3m $ 50m over five years $ 26m Nil $ 75m years of hard work in terms of establishing myself. The stamp I put on Thuringowa is my particular brand: the Harper way, if you like.

“We saw populist politics with One Nation.

“I was never going to let an 11th- hour candidate come in on the back of populist poli- Nil Nil tics. I was prepared to have a bit of a street battle on that and I do mean street battle: getting out there and connecting with the community.”

Ms Palaszczuk said her new cabinet would be sworn in on Tuesday after already having preliminary discussions about positions. Q U E E N S L A N D P r e m i e r Annastacia Palaszczuk says she now has a clear mandate to pursue her jobs and economic programs, after claiming majority government a fortnight after the state election.

All seats have now been declared by the Electoral Commission of Queensland, with Labor winning 48 – a two- seat majority in the new 93- seat parliament.

The LNP hung on to 39, Katter’s Australian Party picked up three, the Greens and One Nation one each, and independent Sandy Bolton won Noosa.

The win makes Ms Palaszczuk the most successful female politician in Australian history, having taken the party from just seven seats after the 2012 election to minority government in 2015, and now a second term with a majority.

The Premier said she was “humbled” by the trust Queenslanders had placed in her, and she planned on repaying it.

“It’s something I asked for and it’s something that has been delivered and I plan to work incredibly hard for the people of this great state,” she said. “I won’t let you down.”

There’s expected to be a major cabinet reshuffle in the wake of the election win, with Curtis Pitt expected to be moved from the Treasury portfolio, possibly to the Speaker’s role.

Ms Palaszczuk confirmed she was looking at “four senior economic ministers” as part of the reshuffle.

Meanwhile, the LNP Opposition faces a choice between generational change or an experienced pair of hands to lead it, after Tim Nicholls announced he was resigning.

His former deputy Deb Frecklington has announced she will contest the leadership, with Tim Mander her potential deputy.

Former LNP leader John Paul Langbroek has also put his hand up for the role, while Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan has indicated he will seek the deputy’s spot. It’s not clear if the two will contest as a team.