Qld politics: LNP leader David Crisafulli won’t be drawn on gender quotas

Ahead of this weekend’s LNP state convention, Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has refused to be drawn on a hot-button issue.

State Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has sidestepped whether there should be female quotas in Queensland Parliament, saying it was up to party members to determine.

And Mr Crisafulli said he wouldn’t stand in the way of raising money to fund hospitals and housing when pressed on whether he backed the Labor Government’s coal royalties hike.

In a broad-ranging interview a year after the LNP underwent major reform in the wake of tumultuous infighting, the Opposition Leader said the party could hold on to its inner-city seats and pick up others in the bush if it focused on the economy, service delivery and transparency and if there was an energised, grassroots campaign.

He said winning seats wasn’t about being “further left or further right”.

“I think part of the success, whether or not teals or the Greens, part of that success was good old fashioned campaigning,” he said.

“And I point to what we achieved in Callide (by-election) as an example of what good old-fashioned campaigning means.

“I understand the demographics of that seat, but in the end that was a 6 per cent swing to the youngest member of Parliament so people embrace the following; a young fresh face, truckloads of people knocking on doors, people waving on the side of the road, handwritten letters.”

Both the LNP and Labor will need to tackle a surge in Greens support at the 2024 state election after losing seats to the minor party at the May federal election.

David Crisafulli at the party’s state convention yesterday. Picture: David Clark

Mr Crisafulli wouldn’t say whether he wanted female quotas in Queensland, instead saying, “We are a grassroots party and how we get to where we need to get to I’ll let the members debate.

“I want to see … at least seven of those (14 seats LNP needs for a majority government) to be women.”

Asked whether he had received a commitment from the party that at least seven women would be preselected in those seats, Mr Crisafulli said he had made his position clear.

The Opposition Leader also would not say whether he supported the coal royalties increase, instead slamming Treasurer Cameron Dick for breaking an election promise that there would be no new or increased taxes.

“We are in the biggest health crisis, and the government says this is their only funding strategy to fix it and … I’m not going to stand between what they believe is a solution to fix a health and housing crisis, but I’m going to point out what it’s done to our reputation,” he said.

It comes as regional federal Liberal National MPs are pushing for a reversal of the royalties hike to be debated at the party’s state convention on Saturday.

Mr Crisafulli said since the party’s reform last year, the Opposition had had “clear air” to prosecute the government which he attributed to not only party president Lawrence Springborg’s leadership but state executive and the party room.

“There has not been a leak out of state executive or party room,” he said.

“There’s been no antagonism.”