Brisbane council election: Quirk to govern 'as if we have a one-seat majority'

A "humbled" Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, fresh from the Liberal National Party's record-breaking re-election, has promised to govern as if he had a Brisbane City Council majority of just one.

All sitting LNP councillors were returned to the council chamber, which, in addition to the party's victory in the previously Labor-held Northgate ward, delivered the Quirk administration 19 of the council's 26 wards.

The net result of Labor's $1.44 million war chest was the possible net loss of two wards – one to the LNP and the other to the Greens – and an ultimately futile 10 per cent swing against the Lord Mayor.

Even that swing, Cr Quirk said, was not likely to have been a result of Labor's campaign.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk with some of his successful LNP team thank motorists at Kangaroo Point after being re-elected.Credit: Cameron Atfield

"We were never going maintain in percentage terms the level that we saw in 2012," he said.

"That was an aberration and we are back to what we might call natural levels of percentages, but in the end it's a representation in council and we've come through this election with an increased majority."

The polls leading up to the election, both public and private, told a very different story.

Galaxy polling commissioned by News Corp had Cr Quirk and Labor's Rod Harding neck-and-neck in the week leading up to the election, while internal Labor polling suggested a Harding victory with an LNP majority in the wards.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, pictured with his wife, Anne, led the LNP to a record Brisbane City Council victory on Saturday.Credit: Glenn Hunt

But, as the old saying went, only one poll that mattered and that was Saturday's, which delivered a record majority for the LNP.

Cr Quirk, whose personal majority was at about 58.8 per cent based on Sunday morning's counting, said he was confident before the booths opened that the pre-election polling had been off.

"The last two days – and I was out there doing a 48-hour blitz of this city – I could feel something very positive in the shopping centres of our city," he said.

"It did feel a lot better on the ground than some of the polls that had been published were indicating and, in the end, people see through all of the goings-on in campaigns.

"They look at it in terms of how they see people and how they see the direction of the city and that's what's happened on this occasion."

The newly re-elected Lord Mayor also took aim at Labor's campaign, which he had accused of being negative throughout the election period.

"There's a real message in it for the negative style of campaigning that Labor has adopted," Cr Quirk said.

"They need to have a rethink, but I'm not going to say anything more than that. I'm not a commentator and I don't want to be a commentator."

In response to that criticism, Mr Harding said on Sunday Labor had run a "positive" campaign and he wished Cr Quirk well.

"When you're in public office, you've got to be open to scrutiny and legitimate questions were asked and that's how it should be in a democracy," he said.

With a record majority in City Hall, Cr Quirk said he would ensure his team kept their feet firmly on the ground.

"We will govern as if we have just a one-seat majority and I've always taken that attitude," he said.

"We do what's in the best interests of people and not everyone will agree with the directions we take and the decisions we make – you can't please everybody when you govern – but we do always, with the best interests of people in mind."

As for whether Cr Quirk would contest the 2020 election, the Lord Mayor said he would take a wait-and-see approach.

"We take it one day at a time and we still haven't had the declaration of results from this one, so let's get through this one first," he said.

Note: This article was updated on Sunday afternoon to include comment from defeated Labor lord mayoral candidate Rod Harding.

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