May 6, 2016
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington has been elected unopposed as Deputy Opposition Leader at Friday morning’s LNP Party Room meeting.
The new Opposition Leader will be former Newman Government Treasurer Tim Nicholls.
As expected, Member for Callide Jeff Seeney moved a motion calling for all executive positions to be vacated soon after the special Party Room meeting began at 11:00am.
Member for Everton Tim Mander, Member for Clayfield Tim Nicholls and Lawrence Springborg all put their names forward for the leadership role.
Mr Mander, who won Everton at the last State Election by a narrow margin, was knocked out in the first round of voting after receiving 10 votes.
Mr Springborg received 17 and Mr Nicholls 14, both short of the 21 votes needed to claim the top job.
In the second round, Mr Nicholls picked up eight of Mr Mander’s former votes, edging him over the line 22-19.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Mr Nicholls said he would be consulting with his colleagues over the next few days before announcing his Shadow Ministry.
Mrs Frecklington, who is the first woman to hold an executive position in the LNP, said she was looking forward to taking up the fight against the Labor Government.
“My priority is all about rural and regional Queensland,” she said.
“I’m really looking forward to just getting in and getting to work … I’m very proud to support rural and regional Queensland. This is a gi-normous State. There’s a lot to do and really just need to get rid of this Labor Government so we can get everyone back to work.”
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LNP president Gary Spence congratulated Mr Nicholls and Mrs Frecklington on their election.
“Tim Nicholls brings significant political experience to the position of Parliamentary leader and with the talented Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington as Deputy Leader, the LNP remains the party committed to representing all Queenslanders,” Mr Spence said.
“They will form an effective team holding an incompetent Labor Government to account and promoting LNP policies to unleash Queensland’s true potential in the lead-up to the next State election.
“The organisational wing of the LNP looks forward to working closely with the new leadership team.
“I also pay tribute to Lawrence Springborg and John-Paul Langbroek for their leadership since the 2015 State election.
“Lawrence is a man of immense integrity held in high regard by the LNP and with John-Paul, ensured the Parliamentary team remained a strong and united force exposing Labor’s many weaknesses following the disappointing election result.
“Both men have made valued contributions to our party and it is my hope that they continue to do so.”
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Mr Springborg and Mr Langbroek released a joint statement on Friday afternoon:
“It has been a great honour to lead the LNP to an election winning position.
“We are very confident Tim Nicholls and Deb Frecklington will deliver for Queenslanders at the next State Election with an LNP victory.
“When we were elected by our colleagues in 2015, the LNP at a Parliamentary and organisational level – along with over a million LNP supporters – were extremely despondent and disappointed following an inexcusable election loss after just one term in government.
“Together with the support of our members, our Parliamentary colleagues and Queenslanders themselves, we have built up the LNP and steered our party into an extremely strong electoral position against a Labor Government that is frozen at the wheel and unable to deliver economic confidence and the jobs that go with it.
“After just 18 months in Opposition, the LNP now consistently polls in an election-winning position and our membership and supporters across Queensland are fired up and ready to start delivering for Queensland again with an LNP government.
“The support of Queenslanders everywhere and the support of our rank and file members has been nothing short of inspiring; and we thank them for that.”
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The Electrical Trades Union, which campaigned loudly against the Newman Government ahead of the 2015 State Election, has greeted Mr Nicholls’ elevation coolly.
“Deciding the ridicule he was bombarded with at the 2015 State Election was not enough, the LNP party room have forced ‘Mr Strong Choices’, Tim Nicholls, to reluctantly lead them to the Opposition’s next election loss,” the union statement said.
The ETU described Mr Nicholls as the architect of the LNP’s unsuccessful asset sales campaign.
“It has been funny to watch the shambles that is the LNP unravel in the public eye over the past week, but make no mistake the LNP’s agenda of privatisation is deadly serious,” ETU secretary Peter Simpson said.
“It is in the LNP’s DNA to sell off private assets. That’s why no pledge from an LNP leader on asset sales can be trusted.”
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Good on you Deb, yet another politician from a long list in our local electorate to have your potential recognised.