Australian, State and Local Politics

Punters backed LNP in Queensland with some money on the Labor Party

SportsBet was the big winner.

Political insiders tipped an overall LNP victory.

THE state election result has caught many by surprise, except for some prophetic punters.

Sportsbet reported more than 1,000 customers backed the ALP to win the hard fought battle, despite political insiders tipping an overall LNP victory.

“Several of those bets were in the thousands of dollars range,” Sportsbet’s Christian Jantzen said.

“The money ended up running 2:1 in favour of the LNP however there are some happy Labor supporters around,” he said.

According to Mr Janzten the biggest spenders tended to bet their bucks on the LNP.

“There were less than half as many bets placed on the LNP to win but twice as many dollars went on them,” Mr Jantzen said.

One punter would have to be crying into their cornflakes this morning though, after placing a whopping $25,000 on the LNP to win.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/big-spenders-backed-lnp-but-many-punters-to-cash-in-on-surprise-alp-victory/story-fnn8dlfs-1227204854792?from=public_rss

Liberals in disarray: Abbott hurting NSW Liberals:

How the Queensland election results will affect NSW election.

Mike Baird and Tony Abbott -
Positions looking shaky.

Sydney needs more rail lines and public transport, but to get that requires selling off some of our assets. But, following Queensland results, how will the upcoming NSW election be played out for Mike Baird?

Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott's missteps have begun eroding the party's standing in NSW, eight weeks before Premier Mike Baird faces the electorate and after a dramatic rout in Queensland.

A well-placed source has told Fairfax the party's primary vote in NSW lost two percentage points in the week after Mr Abbott's decision to grant a knighthood to Prince Philip, according to internal polling.

The re-election chances of the government of NSW Premier Mike Baird, left, are being eroded by the unpopularity of Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

The revelation comes as local Liberal party figures question the extent to which the electoral contagion which routed the Queensland Liberals will spread to NSW.

"This [Queensland] is the third state the federal government has influenced negatively," the source said in a pointed reference to Labor victories in South Australia, Victoria and Queensland.

"People are joking about speeding up the Lodge renovations," the source said.

Abbott is destined for the bottom of the sea.

The Liberal party's state director, Tony Nutt, declined to comment on Sunday.

Party figures are understood to be considering asking Mr Abbott to avoid campaigning at all in his home state ahead of the March 28 poll.

"You won't be seeing much of Tony Abbott in the NSW campaign, you can be sure of that," said the ABC's election analyst, Antony Green. "That's if he's still Prime Minister".

The state's new Labor leader, Luke Foley, said he had a new "spring in his step" following the results of the Queensland election.

He unveiled a new line of attack seeking to connect Mr Baird with his federal and Queensland counterparts and suggesting a state campaign that will focus on health, education and privatisation.

"Tony Abbott, Campbell Newman and Mike Baird are peas in a pod," he told reporters while unveiling new health policy. "Campbell Newman's agenda is Mike Baird's agenda: selling off the state's electricity assets combined with cuts to health and education.

"It may be that Mike Baird […] has a nicer smile, but their agenda is the same."

On a two-party preferred basis the swing against the Newman government appeared to be about 13.5 per cent. A uniform swing of this level across NSW this would leave the ALP one seat shy of the 24 it needs to claim power in its own right.

Mr Green noted that there was a long-observed tendency for the poor standing of a party in power in Canberra to "infect" the perception of its state-level counterpart. But he said the issue of privatisation could play out very differently in NSW.

Until latterly in its term, the Newman government had been trying to sell voters on a plan to use privatisation proceeds of $28 billion to pay down the state's debt.

But Mr Baird has promised to spend a projected $20 billion windfall from selling off half the state's "poles and wires" on new infrastructure.

"It's a bit different if you're offering voters something in exchange for the sale of assets, like a new [cross-harbour] tunnel," he said.

Mr Green nonetheless predicted a major swing against the NSW Coalition, of up to 10 per cent, in part as a correction to the 16.5 per cent swing it enjoyed at the last election.

"NSW will have a big swing," he said. "NSW had a more spectacular two party preferred result [than even Queensland last election].

"[But] the level of public anger toward the [Baird] government is nowhere near [levels in Queensland]."

As a then-ascendant Opposition Leader, Mr Abbott launched the 2011 campaign of NSW Liberal leader Barry O'Farrell.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/abbott-hurting-nsw-liberals-source-20150201-1339t6.html

Queensland Politics: Katter Party talks to government and opposition

Robbie Katter: Will he shirt-front the LNP?

ROB Katter is on his way to Brisbane and expects to hold talks with both sides of the political divide when he arrives.

THE Katter's Australian Party state leader was travelling to the city on Monday morning to meet with his colleague Shane Knuth.While he hadn't lined anything up, he said he was also open to having discussions with either Labor or the Liberal National Party in the wake of the cliffhanger election outcome.

Neither the ALP nor the LNP has yet secured the necessary 45 seats to form government.

The support of KAP and independent Peter Wellington may be needed to form a minority government.

"If someone wants to chat, we'll be happy to catch up with them," Mr Katter told 4BC radio.

"It's likely that we will probably talk to someone from either side of the fence."

Given the ongoing vote count, the Mount Isa MP conceded his party may not end up holding the balance of power.

"(But) all it takes is a scandal and a byelection," he quipped when asked about the narrow parliamentary numbers.

Mr Katter insisted KAP would be "colour blind" in any discussions with the major parties, despite a rocky relationship with the Newman LNP government.

"We're not going to hold a grudge," he said.

"We would hope there'd be a new leadership there because we certainly couldn't deal with that previous leadership team."

His comments come just an hour before LNP deputy leader Jeff Seeney is expected to step down from his position at a press conference.

It's believed Mr Seeney's resignation will help the wounded party clear the way for the election of new party leader after Campbell Newman lost his seat on Saturday.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/rob-katter-says-party-talks-likely/story-fnihsfrf-1227204750654?from=public_rss

Is this woman serious: Fiona Simpson wants to be LNP Leader

Sure fire way to keep the LNP in Opposition for 10 years.

Fiona Simpson - wants to be LNP Leader.

THE LNP "stuffed up" during its single term of government and needs a more consultative leader to help it rebuild after its devastating election loss, Queensland Speaker Fiona Simpson says.

MS Simpson said on Monday she "is interested" in taking the reins of the party after Premier Campbell Newman lost his seat and announced his resignation from politics.

However she said any new LNP leader would need to govern with a lighter touch to Mr Newman, who was labelled "arrogant" and a "bully" by critics during the election campaign.

"There has been a harsh leadership style, and what I will say rather than pointing the finger at individuals is that as a team we have stuffed up and we need to do things differently and we need to listen to people," Ms Simpson told ABC Radio.

"The reality is we are looking at a hung parliament (and) that needs someone who is consultative, who can make the decisions with the team but also negotiate with those who are on the crossbenches."

Ms Simpson alluded to the possibility of ditching the LNP's controversial long-term asset leases, believed to be the policy that brought about the party's downfall.

"We don't have a mandate for the Strong Choices plan ... because we don't have the numbers and so we have to do things differently."

Ms Simpson said she would be prepared to negotiate with Katter's Australian Party members Rob Katter and Shane Knuth in order to form government if needed.

"I do believe I've got the consultative skills, but now with the potential balance of power in their hands they will weigh that up (and) we need to listen to them about what they will put on the table," she said.

Mr Knuth, who was elected in the seat of Dalrymple, said he was prepared to talk, but only if asset leases were off the table and the LNP heavyweights of Tim Nicholls or Jeff Seeney were not involved,

"One of the most important things is that the asset leasing or sales is dead and buried," he told ABC Radio.

"We're happy to communicate but ... our position is if they're going to put up the same leadership team they're wasting their time."

Mr Seeney is expected to resign as LNP deputy leader on Monday morning, with the party then to find a new leader as soon as possible.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/fiona-simpson-wants-lnp-leadership/story-fnihsfrf-1227204752452?from=public_rss

Annastacia's ALP never forgot about Ipswich

By Paul Pisasale

Mayor Paul Pisasale

I'M LOOKING forward to working with Annastacia Palaszczuk if she becomes premier and her newly elected local team of Jennifer Howard and Jim Madden alongside Jo-Ann Miller who stood proud through the last term.

Annastacia never forgot about Ipswich in opposition and showed her support for the city by holding the Labor Party campaign launch here.

I'm hoping the first cabinet meeting of the new government will also be held in Ipswich.

Annastacia's dad Henry would be very feeling very proud today as he was the previous Member for Inala.

www.QT.com.au

2.2.15

Queensland election result bad news for Abbott says Shorten

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says Prime Minister Tony Abbott's failure to engage with Queenslanders during the election campaign was a factor.

Bill Shorten.

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has been quick to congratulate Queensland Labor for its shock showing in Queensland, and says it serves as a warning for Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

"While the final outcome is still not known, tonight's remarkable results happened against all odds," he said in a statement.

"This was truly a David and Goliath battle - and Annastacia Palaszczuk has brought Goliath to his knees."

Mr Shorten said the state Labor party - with just nine MPs - was up against an LNP with nearly "80 more seats in parliament" and "a war chest of funding for advertising".

He said the failure of Prime Minister Tony Abbott to make an appearance in Queensland during the campaign had backfired on the Newman government.

"While Campbell Newman tried to hide Tony Abbott, the prime minister was front and centre every day of this campaign," he said.

"Tony Abbott and his ministers refused to talk to Queenslanders - and the Liberal National Party has paid the price tonight."

Mr Shorten spent 11 days on the Queensland campaign trail.

Meanwhile, former Labor prime ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd have tweeted their congratulations to Ms Palaszczuk.

"Congratulations to Annastacia and the Labor team on a hard fought, courageous campaign. You can rightly be proud of your efforts. JG," Ms Gillard said.

While Mr Rudd tweeted: "Annastacia Palaszczuk, against all the odds, and despite all the detractors over the last three years, has delivered a stunning result in Qld".

Premier Newman lost his own seat of Ashgrove and declared his political career over.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/01/31/qld-result-bad-news-abbott-shorten

For whom the bell tolls: It tolls for thee, Tony Abbott

As the vultures hover over Capital Hill in Canberra, Prime Minister Tony Abbott's worst fears are likely to be fulfilled - sooner or later.

Good advice for Tony Abbott.

Perhaps much sooner than expected.

When the Liberal Party is one the warpath, it shows as much mercy as an African lion towards its cornered prey.

Tony Abbott is a clone of Campbell Newman who believed he was always right, perfecting the Gough Whitlam "Crash or crash through" mantra.

Tony Abbott showed how out of touch he really is with the people of Australia last week when he announced he was giving an Australian Knighthood to the Greek-born husband of the Queen of England.

As far as political stupidity goes, that would take the cake.

Say goodnight Tony.

When the Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals' Leader Warren Truss comes out backing you and saying there is no threat, you know you are in real trouble.

Tony Abbott cannot survive - either at the end of the sharpened knives of his Liberal colleagues or when the people of Australia cast judgment on him and his battle-weary comrades next year at ballot boxes across the nation.

Election Sequel: Jeff Seeney quits as deputy LNP leader

The man once described by Clive Palmer as "the lucerne farmer from Monto" is quitting as Queensland's Deputy Premier.

Annastacia Palaszczuk -
new Queensland Premier.

DEPUTY Premier Jeff Seeney will withdraw from the LNP’s leadership this morning, paving the way for the party to conduct a smooth transition from the Campbell Newman era.

The Courier-Mail can reveal senior LNP figures held a secret meeting late yesterday afternoon to hammer out a leadership deal to avoid a contest descending into open warfare.

Mr Seeney, Infrastructure and Planning Minister in the Newman government, will resign as deputy LNP leader after working as one of the defeated premier’s chief lieutenants for the past three years.

However, sources scotched speculation he would retire, confirming Mr Seeney would remain in parliament after securing his seat of Callide in Saturday’s wipeout.

Details of the leadership transition were still being hammered out last night, with the contenders silent about their prospects.

Newman government Treasurer Tim Nicholls, Health Minister Lawrence Springborg and Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek were all considered options.

Some LNP figures were also pushing for new blood in the LNP’s upper echelons with Transport Minister Scott Emerson and assistant minister Deb Frecklington long-odds options.

Abbott says Federal Govt will take heed of Qld election results

PM Tony Abbott.

Mr Nicholls had been talked up during the election campaign as the frontrunner to replace Mr Newman.

But LNP figures believe Mr Nicholls should not be involved, given his integral role in the ill-fated Newman era and as the salesman of asset sales.

Mr Springborg and Mr Langbroek are the two other leader and deputy options and both have support in the LNP party room.

The LNP was resigned to defeat on Saturday night but hopes were raised of potentially forming a minority government with Katter’s Australian Party’s two MPs after several seats fell in their favour.

Campbell Newman announces his political career is over.

Campbell Newman quits.

The LNP now looks likely to secure 42 seats at most, a loss of 31 and one short of the number needed to be in a position to begin proper negotiations with KAP.

Senior figures believe that Labor is not ready to govern and could be reduced to a one-term administration if the LNP could sustain stable leadership.

Mr Newman and his staff are being blamed for the election defeat with some LNP insiders angry that several of the premier’s closest advisers appeared to be in high spirits during the party’s sombre post-election get-together.

Early yesterday, LNP president Bruce McIver, who was a driving force in the push to have Mr Newman become premier, announced an “external review” into the party’s downfall.

He took aim at Prime Minister Tony Abbott for announcing Prince Philip’s knighthood during the election campaign. “I would have rathered that Wally Lewis got the gong,” Mr McIver said.

He indicated the LNP might consider an untried leader and dumping policies, in a sign that the highly unpopular proposed asset sales might be axed.

“I think what we’ll be looking for will be some fresh ideas, fresh start, fresh leadership team,’’ he said.

“We’ll be looking at all those issues to make sure that we start today to re-engage with the Queensland people.”

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland-state-election-2015/jeff-seeney-to-quit-as-deputy-lnp-leader/story-fnr8vuu5-1227204345867

Deputy PM living in cuckoo land: Abbott has full team support saysTruss

Nationals leader Warren Truss
says he has no doubt Tony
Abbott has the support
of his colleagues.

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss says he has no doubt Tony Abbott has the support of his colleagues and is working hard to listen to public concerns.

THE prime minister's leadership is under mounting pressure as he prepares to deliver a major policy speech at the National Press Club on Monday.He is widely expected to reveal the fate of his "signature policy" for full-salary paid parental leave.

Mr Truss is among a number of senior government figures rallying to Mr Abbott's support after the Queensland election, poor recent opinion polls and his widely-criticised move to confer a knighthood on Prince Philip.

"I've got no doubt that Tony Abbott enjoys the support of his colleagues," Mr Truss told ABC radio on Monday.

In a bid to show he's listening to his backbench, Mr Abbott is reportedly instituting a number of internal changes to improve consultation with colleagues.

Cabinet will meet once a month instead of quarterly, while a new backbench policy advisory group will be established, the ABC reports.

Asked whether colleagues privately held different views about Mr Abbott's leadership, Mr Truss suggested his "patriotic" response was to work hard to earn the respect of the Australian people.

"There will have to be changes of direction and we'll have to work very hard to take the people of Australia with us," he said.

Queensland MP Ewen Jones says Mr Abbott will have to demonstrate he cares and is listening.

"That he gets what he's on about; that he's putting the government on the front foot, that we don't make mistakes, we don't make stupid errors," he told the ABC.

Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie said Mr Abbott should accept blame for the LNP's disastrous results in the Queensland election.

"As soon as Tony Abbott admits that, the sooner we can move on and the sooner someone can take over his leadership."

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop joined Mr Truss in backing the prime minister.

"Tony Abbott does have my support," she told reporters in Sydney.

Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Mr Abbott had the experience and personnel to claw his way back in the polls.

"He's not finished," he told ABC radio.

"Yes, our backs are against the wall but yes, we can get back from here."

The coalition would not resort to ALP tactics, he said.

"We're a lot better than the Labor party, we don't treat leaders like a game of pass the parcel.

"The Liberal party has never tossed its own prime minister in its first term ever since its foundation and I don't think we should start today."

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/abbott-looks-to-restart-year-with-speech/story-fnihsfrf-1227204498228?from=public_rss

Abbott backflips on his signature policy for women

How much longer will the Liberal Party put up with this buffoon?

Tony Abbott - Most divisive
Prime Minister in 40 years.

Tony Abbott has taken his signature paid parental leave scheme off the table, Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has confirmed.

THE prime minister is expected to announce the decision in a major policy speech at the National Press Club on Monday."The PPL, we've taken [it] off the table," Mr Frydenberg told ABC radio on Monday.

"He will say that it's off the table because the prime minister understands that what is desirable is not always doable."

The scheme would have paid new mothers their full salary for six months, capped at an annual income of $100,000.

It will be replaced with a revamped families package.

"There will be an emphasis on child care and how we can build and boost female workforce participation," Mr Frydenberg said.

It was too difficult to proceed with Mr Abbott's "signature" parental leave policy given the tight budgetary environment.

"The prime minister recognises that he has to be pragmatic about it," the assistant treasurer said.

He batted away criticism of the decision, saying Mr Abbott had consulted colleagues extensively and taken into account the Productivity Commission's report into child care.

"You can't criticise him for taking leadership on this issue even though he said at the last election that we're going to introduce the PPL."

Queensland MP Ewen Jones said he knew many women who would be deeply disappointed by the decision.

"But it was too hard a sell, and it has to go," he said.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/abbott-scraps-paid-parental-leave-scheme/story-fnihsfrf-1227204548923?from=public_rss

Hanson is beaten in Lockyer owing to ALP preferences

Pauline Hanson

The Labor Party has done One Nation's Pauline Hanson over again.

The seat of Lockyer has been delivered to sitting LNP candidate Ian Rickuss and the preferences of Labor's Steve Leese have played a decisive factor.

At the latest count last night, Mr Rickuss had 33.66% of the primary vote, Ms Hanson had 27.31% and Mr Leese a telling 24.93%.

As Labor preferenced the LNP above One Nation, their preferences have flowed to Mr Rickuss and pushed him well into the lead.

The vote of Katter's Australian Party candidate David Neuendorf collapsed to 7.31%, a massive 16.5% swing against him from 2012. Mr Rickuss had a swing of more than18% against him.

But the key figure here is the more than 7% swing to Labor after a strong campaign by Mr Leese.

More than 80% of Labor voters follow their party's how-to-vote cards, so Mr Leese's preferences shut Ms Hanson out. It was a similar story in the 1998 federal election in Blair where Labor preferences cruelled her.

Election expert Cr Paul Tully said it was clear "Ian Rickuss has retained his seat with Labor Party preferences".

"That has put Rickuss several thousand votes ahead of Pauline Hanson," he said.

In a bizarre twist, the Electoral Commission Queensland made a mess of the preference allocations and last night was doing a recount.

As reported by the QT website, the error was detected by Cr Tully after he noted the ECQ site had the two-party preferred count as a contest between Mr Rickuss and fourth placed Mr Neuendorf when it should have been between Mr Rickuss and the second placed Ms Hanson.

Cr Tully sent out a tweet about the error and the ECQ pulled the incorrect preference allocation off its site.

www.QT.com.au

2.2.15

Patricia Petersen to quit politics after conceding defeat

Patricia Petersen

Patricia Petersen insists she has run in her last political campaign.

After conceding she would not win the seat of Ipswich in today's state election, the flamboyant Independent candidate told the QT she would not be running for office in future.

Ms Petersen has contested numerous state, council and federal elections over the past decade.

"But I am hanging my hat up after this," she said. "I have promised my partner I will not do this again."

Ms Petersen said she had worked hard for the people of Ipswich but said that family considerations would take priority in the future.

http://www.qt.com.au/news/patrica-petersen-quit-politics-after-conceding-def/2529386/

Queensland Poll: What if Labor gets to 44 seats - Will Peter Wellington become Speaker?

Peter Wellington - Could become
the next Speaker of the
Queensland Parliament

If the ALP gets to 44 seats - with the increasingly-likely scenario that it wins the seat of Maryborough from the LNP - it will still fall one seat short of the 45 seats it needs to form a majority government.

The Independent Member for Nicklin Peter Wellington - an honest and respected Member of the Queensland Parliament - has said he would support a minority Labor government but not a minority LNP government.

Annastacia Palaszczuk said she would not being doing any deals with minority candidates to form a Labor government.

But she did not rule out supporting an Independent to be the next Speaker of the Queensland Parliament.

Peter Wellington is a former solicitor, Maroochy Shire Councillor and Independent Member for Nicklin for the past 17 years.

He would make an impressive and impartial Speaker of the Queensland Parliament and would ensure Labor could form stable government for the next 3 years, without compromising Premier Palaszczuk's pre-election "no deals" promise.

Jo-Ann Miller set to return with big margin in Bundamba

Bundamba MP Jo-Ann Miller.

BUNDAMBA MP Jo-Ann Miller could well be in seventh heaven early tonight if the pundits and bookies are right.

Sportsbet yesterday had Ms Miller at the short odds of $1.01 to win her seat for the seventh time, with her main rival, the LNP's Stephen Fenton, listed at $12.

Mr Fenton has been a minor player in this election campaign, a rather extraordinary development considering Ms Miller holds the seat on a margin of just 1.8%.

A letter to the editor in today's QT by Betty Bork of Dinmore summed up the situation when she said "information to our letterboxes has only come from Jo-Ann Miller".

Ms Bork had some questions for the other candidates: "What is your name?

"How can I consider you when you haven't put any effort into giving Jo-Ann a run for her money?"

For the record, the other candidates are Ava Greenwood (Greens) and Luke Harris (Family First).

The LNP appears to have conceded that Ms Miller is unbeatable.

Ms Miller is a formidable opponent no doubt, but the LNP did not endorse their candidate until a day before the cut-off for entries with the Electoral Commission Queensland.

Election analyst Cr Paul Tully said Ms Miller's vote would return to the status quo after the aberration of the 22.4% swing against her in the 2012 election.

"I think she will poll over 70% on a two-party preferred basis and it will become one of Labor's safest seats in Queensland," Cr Tully said.

"If you look at her vote in 2009, it was 71%, two-party preferred. In 2006 it was 74% .In 2004 it was 74%."

Ms Miller entered parliament when she won a Bundamba by-election in 2000 where she polled 71% of the vote.

A year later, she was also dominant with 80.9%.

Griffith University political analyst Dr Paul Williams said Ms Miller was "a survivor", and would no doubt wear as "a badge of honour" her survival, with just seven Labor MPs, the purge of 2012.

"She is the coalminer's daughter who won her by-election the same day Mike Kaiser, the boilermaker's son, won in Woodridge," Mr Williams said.

http://www.qt.com.au/news/miller-set-to-return-with-big-margin/2528722/

Queensland Election: Count continues in 5 key seats as Labor inches closer to victory

AS Labor celebrates one of the biggest swings in Australia political history that swept premier Campbell Newman and his first-term government from power, the results are still out for some seats in Queensland.

Counting in five seats will determine if Labor wins majority government in Queensland.

Counting was still underway in many seats across the state, with Labor projected to win 43 of the 45 seats it needs to form government in the 89-seat parliament.

The LNP held 39 seats, Katter’s Australia Party held two and independent Peter Wellington retained his seat.

Labor only needs to win two more seats to form majority government in the Sunshine State.

One of those seats is increasingly likely to be Maryborough where Labor’s Bruce Saunders was leading leading the LNP’s Anne Maddern by about 1200 votes.

Labor has a distinct chance of picking up Whitsunday as well where the LNP’s Jason Costigan was a mere 84 votes ahead Bronwyn Taha.

Less than 1000 votes were also separating Labor and LNP in Mansfield, in Brisbane’s south, and Glass House in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

The seat of Gaven on the Gold Coast is increasingly likely to be retained by the LNP, where the party was ahead of Labor by over 2000 votes on Sunday afternoon.

The Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) says it has directed more staff to the five seats to speed up the counts and find out the overall result more quickly.

“The ECQ is aware that it’s crucial to determine the outcome in those marginal seats quickly so the wheels of government can begin to turn again,” an spokesman told AAP.

Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk told the party faithful she was “very hopeful” of forming government.

Votes that were cast on Saturday, as well as pre-poll and postal votes, would continue to be counted on Sunday night and Monday morning.

The official deadline for postal votes is 10 days after the election, but the wait for a victor is unlikely to drag out that long.

If Labor claims victory, it will be an extraordinary comeback after the party was written off three years ago.

The decimated LNP has already lost its leader, Campbell Newman, who announced his retirement from politics on Saturday night when he was ousted from his Ashgrove electorate.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland-state-election-2015/queensland-election-2015-rolling-coverage-of-queensland-election-2015/story-fnr8vuu5-1227203907480?from=public_rss

Tully tipping a hung parliament in nailbiter Queensland poll finish

Paul Tully -
tipping close vote

ELECTION analyst Paul Tully is tipping the likelihood of a hung parliament after all the votes are counted in today's state election.

Cr Tully correctly predicted Labor would win seven seats in 2012 but said today's election "has become tighter and more-difficult to predict" and there were "six key things at play" in deciding the result.

He said Premier Campbell Newman may have overplayed his hand by suing Alan Jones for defamation.

"It reeks of the days of the Joh era with stopper writs and legal threats," he said.

"The LNP 'Just Vote 1' strategy may backfire in several key seats, giving the edge to the ALP in those seats.

Cr Tully said the LNP/Liberals had become "the laughing stock of Australia with the decision of Prime Minister Abbott to give a knighthood to the Greek-born husband of the Queen of England".

"That stupidity might cost the LNP 1 to 2% percent of the vote in Queensland," he said.

"Campbell Newman made unproven allegations (on bikie gang donations) against Labor and then said it was up to the ALP to disprove the allegations - a strange understanding of the law, politics and fair play.

"Annastacia Palaszczuk and the ALP have run a very professional grass roots campaign with brilliant electioneering which will 'bring home in the bacon' in must-win seats like Brisbane Central, Mount Coot-tha, Ipswich and Ipswich West.

"The latest polling shows both major parties neck and neck."

Cr Tully said he had the ALP on a reasonably comfortable 37 seats "with a reasonable likelihood of winning another four" for a total of 41.

"The LNP would be left with 44 seats, one seat short of an absolute majority in the parliament.

"There are likely to be two Katter Party MPs and two independents.

"As a party must win 45 seats to gain an absolute majority out of 89 seats, I predict the likelihood of a hung parliament."

http://www.qt.com.au/news/tully-tipping-a-hung-parliament-in-nailbiter/2528535/

Tony Abbott my be finished: Disaster poll and shock Queensland result fuel leadership rumblings

Tony Abbott - Job on the brink

Abbott has lessons to learn from Queensland poll

Tony Abbott - Not happy

Is the clock ticking for Abbott’s leadership?

CAN Prime Minister Tony Abbott come back from this popularity slump?

As his personal approval rating nosedives to 27 per cent, the situation places Liberal party members between a rock and a hard place.

Changing leaders is a big risk: Should they stick with the man Australia loves to hate, or take the same risk the ALP took prior to the last election and change leaders? That choice didn’t pay off for the ALP.

On the surface, it appears the front bench is standing tall behind its leader.

Today both Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop reaffirmed their support for the PM, both uttering the same phrase on separate occasions: “The Prime Minster has my support.”

Attorney-General George Brandis has also recently defended his boss.

“A few anonymous voices and a couple of people who have been prepared to put their head up do not constitute a basis to unsettle a prime ministership.”

“We are going to see from here on a prime minister who already is very consultative being even more consultative,” he stated this week.

Supporting the PM.
Attorney-General George Brandis.

But the rumblings have become louder from backbenchers who fear their future after the next election.

“We can’t continue as we are. We are getting bad feedback,” said Liberal back bencher Jane Prentice, looking at the federal impact of the Queensland election wipe-out on Saturday night.

After conceding there were lessons to be learned from Queensland’s bloodbath election, there is talk Tony Abbott could have as little as a week to turn things around.

“The Liberal brand is toxic mainly due to Tony Abbott,” Independent Senator Nick Xenophon toldABC News on Sunday.

“I think Tony Abbott has until the end of this week to turn things around,” Xenophon said.

The Leader of the
Opposition, Bill Shorten.

Greens leader Christine Milne.

And those in opposition have also been quick to jump in on leadership speculation in the past week.

“If they think it’s the salesman, not what they’re selling, they will have learned nothing. It’s the arrogance which really frustrates people.” Opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten said.

“This government made a hue and cry about Labor changing leaders from Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd and now they’re doing the exact same debate in even a quicker time.”

Greens leader Christine Milne was quick to blame the party, not the man.

“It’s not just Tony Abbott, it’s the Abbott government policies that are the problem. They have to reject the cruel and arrogant way they have been leaning on the poor.”

One federal MP has predicted the government would face a similar fate to Campbell Newman’s first-term government and another government minister is reported to have warned: “Abbott is finished”.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/abbott-on-the-brink-disaster-poll-and-shock-queensland-result-fuel-leadership-rumblings/story-fnihslxi-1227203975614

Poll Blunder: ECQ's election count for Lockyer removed owing to error

Lockyer's election candidates are Clare Rudkin,
Ian Rickuss, Steve Leese, David Neuendorf
and Pauline Hanson.

UPDATE, 11AM: The Electoral Commission Queensland (ECQ) is in the process of fixing the error and has now taken down the two-party preferred vote from their site.

EARLIER: The Count in the seat of Lockyer was stuffed up by the Electoral Commission Queensland (ECQ) on their website earlier today, Cr Paul Tully says.

This morning the ECQ site had the two-party preferred count as a contest between the LNP's Ian Rickuss and Katter's Australian Party (KAP) candidate David Neuendorf when it should have been between the LNP and One Nation's Pauline Hanson.

Mr Rickuss had polled 33.06% of the primary vote with Ms Hanson in second spot on 27.6% of the primary vote after 71.76% of the count.

Mr Neuendorf had only 7.51% of the primary vote and was well behind.

Cr Paul Tully, one of Queensland's leading election experts, sent ABC election analyst Antony Green a message to alert him to the error.

"The ECQ has got the two-party preferred figure entirely wrong in Lockyer," Cr Tully said.

"They have the final contest as being between the LNP and KAP when it is really between the LNP and One Nation parties.

"To show how stupid their mistake is, in the two party preferred final figure they have got Ian Rickuss on 7130 votes, when he actually received 7809 primary votes."

http://www.qt.com.au/news/ecqs-election-count-lockyer-incorrect-says-tully/2529447/

Poll Update: 399 votes could determine the outcome of the election: Tully

Paul Tully - Predicts 399 votes
could determine the outcome
of the election.

ELECTION expert Cr Paul Tully says that fewer than 400 votes could determine the outcome of what has been an historic state election.

Cr Tully, who tipped a hung parliament in his pre-election preview in the QT, said the current state of play had Labor on 43 seats, the LNP with 40, KAP on two and the independent Peter Wellington home in Nicklin.

Mansfield, Maryborough and Whitsunday remain in doubt.

"The LNP cannot win the election in its own right," Cr Tully said.

"If they win all three seats which are in doubt and the Katter's Australian Party sided with them, which Bob Katter said on Channel 7 last night that he would not do, this would give the LNP 45 seats on the floor of the House - a real hung parliament.

"The independent Peter Wellington has publicly said he will not support a minority LNP government.

"If two or three of the doubtful seats go to Labor, that would give the ALP a majority government with either 45 or 46 seats.

"If Labor wins only one of the doubtful seats, it could form government with 44 seats and presumably Peter Wellington as speaker."

The latest official two-candidate preferred margins in the three seats according to the Electoral Commission Queensland show the ALP ahead by 25 votes in Mansfield, the ALP 685 votes ahead in Maryborough and the LNP ahead by 84 votes in Whitsunday.

Cr Tully said 50 % of these margins, plus one, was enough to swing the vote the other way.

"Based on the current margins, it would require 13 votes to reverse the current trend in Mansfield, 343 votes in Maryborough and 43 votes in Maryborough, a total of 399," he said.

"So, just 399 votes could ultimately determine the outcome of the 2015 election when it goes down to the wire with all postal and absentee votes in."

http://www.qt.com.au/news/400-votes-could-determine-outcome-election/2529481/

Fast food shock: McDonald's sales worst in 10 years

Huge competition in the US and the global
trend towards healthier eating have
hurt McDonald's sales.

Sales at McDonald's fast food outlets have recorded their worst results in over 10 years.

Global sales at the fast food giant dropped 2.5 per cent in June and July.

Not since March 2003, when global sales plunged 3.7 per cent in consecutive months, has the world's biggest restaurant chain suffered such losses.

Shenzhen McDonalds, China: Sales have been hit hard
after a McDonald's supplier was accused
of repackaging old meat.

Australia is part of McDonald's Asia Pacifc Middle East and Africa operation, which was the worst performing sector in the second quarter of 2014. Its sales declined 7.3 per cent.

After similarly disappointing first quarter results, Australia was singled out as a poor performing market in April.

McDonald's chief executive Don Thompson described the Japanese and Australian markets as weak.

"Looking forward, McDonald's is focused on stabilising key priority markets including the US, Germany, Australia and Japan," he said.

A spokesperson for McDonald's in Australia said: "Despite a challenging environment the Australian business is still strong and growing as we continue to offer our customers top quality food and great value."

The disappointing global results in June and July come on the back of food scares in Asia, huge competition in the US and the global trend towards healthier eating.

It has been a horror couple of months for the multinational.

In July, McDonald's came under fire after it emerged that its workers in China were repackaging expired meat, prompting food safety concerns.

McDonald's subsequently stopped using the supplies from the OSI plant in Shanghai, preventing many of its Asian restaurants from serving marquee sections of its menu, including Chicken McNuggets and Big Macs.

Then on July 31, McDonald's was ordered to pay damages of $27 million after claims of relaxed security led to the deaths of two Texan teenagers.

One of the American victims, Denton Ward, 18, was beaten to death by a mob at a McDonald's in Texas in 2012.

His partner, Lauren Crisp, 18, was killed in a car accident as she tried to get Mr Ward to hospital.

The families of both the victims sued McDonald's, claiming that the chain did not protect the teenagers at its franchise in College Station, Texas.

The Texas state court jury awarded Ward's family $US16 million and Crisp's family $US11 million.

A McDonald's spokeswoman said that they will appeal against the decision.

“We respectfully disagree with the jury’s verdict,” she told Bloomberg.

In Australia, McDonald's has come under criticism from health groups for its home delivery service, which is part of its strategy to stabilise the Australian market.

Queensland's Australian Medical Association president Dr Shaun Rudd said he was concerned about easier access to junk food.

"I think unfortunately they'll sell more food and that means there's going to be more burgers and more fries eaten by the population there, and they are already extremely overweight."

Despite these concerns the rollout of home-delivery in some suburbs across Australia has been a commercial success, with McDonald's planning on extending the service.

"Our customers have often said they like the idea of Macca’s delivery so we’re currently trialling it in a number of our restaurants," a McDonald's statement said.

"We will look to extend the service once these trials are completed."

The chain has also come under fire, along with its competitors, for advertising to children.

A Cancer Council study found that a loophole in the advertising code, allowed them to advertise higher-calorie adults meals to children.

“Our study found foods like KFC’s Mint Choc Krusher and McDonald’s Chicken 'n’ Cheese Burger, which aren’t children’s meals, can still be advertised to children," the Cancer Council study revealed.

Meanwhile, some of McDonald's competitors are reaping the rewards of its troubles.

Burger King Worldwide posted its third consecutive report of sales growth in the US and Canada.

While investors and analysts have pointed to the success of US-based stores such as Chipotle Mexican Grill and In-N-Out Burger for adopting a limited menu over the "all in one" approach of McDonald's.

McDonald's has more over 35,600 restaurants around the world, 19 per cent of which are owned by the company.

By 2016, the chain is seeking to franchise a further 1500 of its company-owned stores, primarily outside the US market.

Shares of the Illinois-based McDonald’s dropped 21 cents to $US93.10 at the close of trade on Wall Street on Friday.

Food scares in Asia: Huge competition in the US and the global trend towards healthier eating have

Sales at McDonald's fast food outlets have recorded their worst results in over 10 years.

Global sales at the fast food giant dropped 2.5 per cent in June and July.

Not since March 2003, when global sales plunged 3.7 per cent in consecutive months, has the world's biggest restaurant chain suffered such losses. Australia is part of McDonald's Asia Pacifc Middle East and Africa operation, which was the worst performing sector in the second quarter of 2014. Its sales declined 7.3 per cent.