Queensland election 2015: Anna Bligh breaks silence on LNP bloodbath

FORMER Premier Anna Bligh, ousted by Campbell Newman in the 2012 landslide, has broken her silence on the LNPs own electoral bloodbath.

Supplied Editorial anna Bligh & James McMurdo

FORMER premier Anna Bligh – ousted by Campbell Newman in the 2012 landslide – has broken her silence on the LNP’s own electoral bloodbath.

While the LNP’s slide from a massive majority to facing a return to Opposition after only one term caught many pundits by surprise, Ms Bligh said she was not one of those.

“There is nothing about this result or what’s happened to Campbell Newman that surprises me,” she told the ABC during an event yesterday in Sydney, where she now lives.

The 2012 election battle between Ms Bligh and Mr Newman which ended with Labor reduced to only seven seats out of 89 electorates was hard fought – and at times bitter.

During the campaign, Mr Newman was forced to reject questions raised by Ms Bligh about his integrity. She repeatedly accused him of official wrongdoing during his seven years as Brisbane Lord Mayor.

Anna Bligh: not surprised.

The CMC eventually ruled – late in the campaign – that Mr Newman had no case to answer over the allegations.

But even then, Ms Bligh refused to apologise.

She quit politics the day after the election – accepting full responsibility for Labor’s historic loss.

Ms Bligh has backed her successor Annastacia Palaszczuk, who is now shaping to be premier.

“What Annastacia will bring back to Queensland is a sense of accountability, transparency, she’ll be a great listener and a very good performer,” Ms Bligh said.

“I think we’ve seen a Government with a big majority is not necessarily good government. Queensland voted against it and I know Annastacia’s heard that message loud and clear.”

Ms Bligh largely kept out of the latest campaign and did not attend the Labor launch, saying she was unable to due to work commitments.

Ms Palaszczuk said she would have welcomed Ms Bligh back as she was a good premier and “everyone remembers what Anna did during the floods”.