QLD election results 2020: Follow the count, latest news live

Former LNP premier Campbell Newman says the party's actions - or lack thereof - following its election loss showed the leadership is yet to take responsibility for the disaster.

The Courier Mail’s live rolling coverage of the day after Queensland 2020 state election has concluded.

Among the top stories of the day (scroll down for more details):

• What disappointed Newman about LNP response
• LNP must do some deep soul searching: MP
• Albo blasts PM over border intervention
• LNP's Sunshine Coast stronghold ends
• Palaszczuk yet to talk to Jackie Trad
• The LNP seats on a knife's edge
• The promises Premier has to deliver

2020 QLD state election results 

 

Major parties

• LNP 0
• ALP 0

Others

• ONP 0
• UAP 0
• KAP 0
• OTH 0
• GRN 0

Called seats

47 seats or more for win, 85% called 0 in doubt.
Seats are called by our experts, ECQ official results

MORE ELECTION COVERAGE:

'LAZY' LNP KEPT FRECKLINGTON 'BECAUSE SHE'S A WOMAN'

HOW ONE NATION PROPELLED LABOR TO VICTORY

WILL DEB SURVIVE LNP BLOODLETTING?

Updates

5:46 pm February 9, 2025

Experienced Gold Coast MPs are predicting it could be days before the final vote is known in some close ballots.

The delay is due to the postal vote, and the number of people who chose to vote that way in this poll rather than face the crowds due to COVID-19.

Member for Coomera Michael Crandon told the Gold Coast Bulletin: "It is early days. They still have a lot of postals. There were over 13,000 postal votes.

"And they only counted about 5700, maybe 5750 of them because the others haven't arrived yet. So it is early days, we're hopeful obviously. 

"On the numbers I'm on the black, not the red. We will wait and see how things transpire over the next few days as the count continues."

On an unofficial indicative  count, taken before all preferences are counted, Mr Crandon was on 51.45 per cent of the vote and Labor's Chris Johnson on 48.55 per cent.

Other Coast seats which are undecided include Theodore, Burleigh and Currumbin.

Labor strategists believe they have the stronger chance in Currumbin.

– Paul Weston

5:28 pm November 1, 2020 Highlight

Goldy plays a waiting game

John O'Brien

Experienced Gold Coast MPs are predicting it could be days before the final vote is known in some close ballots.

The delay is due to the postal vote, and the number of people who chose to vote that way in this poll rather than face the crowds due to COVID-19.

Member for Coomera Michael Crandon told the Gold Coast Bulletin: "It is early days. They still have a lot of postals. There were over 13,000 postal votes.

"And they only counted about 5700, maybe 5750 of them because the others haven't arrived yet. So it is early days, we're hopeful obviously. 

"On the numbers I'm on the black, not the red. We will wait and see how things transpire over the next few days as the count continues."

On an unofficial indicative  count, taken before all preferences are counted, Mr Crandon was on 51.45 per cent of the vote and Labor's Chris Johnson on 48.55 per cent.

Other Coast seats which are undecided include Theodore, Burleigh and Currumbin.

Labor strategists believe they have the stronger chance in Currumbin.

– Paul Weston

3:46 pm November 1, 2020 Highlight

Newman calls for LNP leadership spill

John O'Brien

Former LNP premier Campbell Newman says it’s only “right and proper” that the party spill its leadership following last night’s drubbing.

Mr Newman, who led the state between 2012 and 2015, told The Courier-Mail he was surprised Ms Frecklington did not announce a spill last night.

"I would've thought that was the correct and proper thing, the decent thing, and frankly she and (Tim) Mander need to submit an application for renewal, if you like, to the party room,” he said.

Mr Newman said the only way he could see Ms Frecklington and Mr Mander continuing in their roles was if they were willing to publicly acknowledge that they got the election "terribly wrong".

"What I saw (on Saturday night) gave me no confidence that they're prepared to acknowledge that they had to take responsibility," Mr Newman said.

“I did not see from the leadership team assuming responsibility for this very disappointing result last night.

"And if they're not prepared to acknowledge what went wrong and that they're responsible and actually set out a plan for how they can rebuild, then they shouldn't be there."

He said there were a number of candidates within the party room who could become the leader, but suggested it was an issue for them to work out.

– Jack McKay

2:56 pm November 1, 2020

Gladstone incumbent celebrates after toughest campaign yet

John Farmer

Labor's ‘red shirt army’ of Glenn Butcher supporters gathered at the Gladstone Yacht Club to celebrate the incumbent member being elected for the third straight time.
The Regional Development and Manufacturing Minister acknowledged the Queensland Election 2020 campaign was his toughest yet.

After 80.48 per-cent (27,032) of the votes were counted, Mr Butcher had received 17,106 (65.25 per-cent) before preferences were distributed.
Just before 10pm, Mr Butcher declared victory in front of family, friends and volunteers, receiving raucous cheers and applause.
Volunteer Shelly Holzeimer thanked volunteers for the wonderful support she had received from her ‘Labor family’ during the campaign.

When chants of ‘shoey’ erupted from the crowd, she proceeded to remove her shoes and fill one with beer, before drinking every drop, which saw the crowd's excitement reach fever-pitch.
Mr Butcher thanked every person involved in his campaign for their tireless efforts and vowed to work hard for Gladstone and Queensland to ensure a better future for everyone.

– Rodney Stevens

2:17 pm November 1, 2020 Highlight

LNP must do some deep soul searching: MP

John Farmer

The LNP will need to do “some deep soul searching” Burdekin MP Dale Last has said, as the party reels from its surprising failure to make headway in the north.

Mr Last, whose electorate sits south of Townsville and stretches out to Clermont, said the election was a “must win” for the LNP.

“Our messaging is not working, and we need to be taking stock of the fact that we’ve lost this election and we are staring down the barrel of four years in opposition,” he said.

“We need a fresh look at where we are heading and go from there.”

Mr Last is set to be returned for his third term in government after a resounding swing toward him in the geographically expansive seat.

As of Sunday afternoon, he had secured 42 per cent of the primary vote compared to Labor candidate Mike Brunker’s 31.4 per cent and the Katter’s Australian Party’s 14.5 per cent.

For the first time, Mr Last picked up more votes than Labor at the polling booth in Collinsville, where most of the community is connected to the mining and resources industry.

“The result last night was so humbling,” he said.

“The constituents who live in the Burdekin electorate recognised that I had been working for the electorate the entire term, and hadn’t just popped up in the last month.”

Mr Last, who in 2017 had to wait 10 days to find out if he had been re-elected, said the first two beers on election night “didn’t touch the sides”. 

– Madura McCormack

1:38 pm November 1, 2020 Highlight

Albanese accuses LNP of helping Greens to oust Trad

John Farmer

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has blasted Scott Morrison for intervening on the border issue, saying it "backfired" on the LNP, while refusing to answer if Jackie Trad will make the jump into federal politics.

Mr Albanese also accused the LNP of working with the Greens to push the former Treasurer out of her inner city seat.

It follows Ms Trad's spectacular ousting from South Brisbane overnight, in what is the biggest scalp of the 2020 election.

"The Liberal National Party gave preferences to the Greens Party, they ran a smear campaign against Jackie Trad that was backed up by the Greens Party," Mr Albanese said.

"The only reason why a seat changed hands in South Brisbane is because the Liberal and National Party chose to put a Green in Parliament, rather than someone representing a mainstream political party."

But when asked what future Ms Trad had in the federal scene, the Labor leader refused to address the issue.

Mr Albanese instead paid tribute to Ms Trad's career.

"Jackie Trad was a very effective minister, she made an enormous difference to Queenslanders," he said.

"She made an enormous difference to Queensland on social policy, on infrastructure, on environmental policy in terms of land clearing."

Mr Albanese said last night's overall victory by Annastacia Palaszczuk was "an incredibly positive result for the Labor Party."

"There's nothing wrong with the Labor brand in Queensland," he said.

And he was scornful of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's campaigning in the state.

"This government has all its priorities wrong," Mr Albanese said.

"Scott Morrison's visit to Queensland … really backfired. One of the things we saw was Labor's vote lift when Scott Morrison visited places like Townsville and Cairns," he said.

"Queenslanders didn't appreciate Scott Morrison coming into Queensland and telling them they should just open up their borders."

– Thomas Morgan

1:26 pm November 1, 2020 Highlight

LNP's Sunshine Coast stronghold ends

John Farmer

The LNP’s stronghold on the Sunshine Coast has come to an end, with Labor set to pick up as many as four seats in the Queensland parliament.

The ALP has declared victory in Caloundra and Pumicestone, while Nicklin hangs in the balance.

LNP MP Andrew Powell is clinging on to his seat of Glass House, but only 50 per cent of the votes have been counted.

At the other end of the coast, independent Sandy Bolton has been returned as the member for Noosa.

Griffith University political expert Dr Paul Williams said while the Sunshine Coast was traditionally an LNP bastion, he wasn’t overly surprised by Saturday’s result.

“It’s not Gregory or Warrego,” he told NCA NewsWire on Sunday. “It’s not unmoveable.”

Dr Williams said it was not unknown for Labor to make inroads in the tourist destination, referring to when it secured the seat of Noosa in 2001.

“When the Labor tide is coming in it can also come in on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast,” he said.

– Shae McDonald

5:46 pm February 9, 2025

Annastacia Palaszczuk is yet to speak to her former deputy Jackie Trad, who’s been ousted from her seat of South Brisbane but thanked her for her work. 

During her first press conference as the re-elected Premier, Ms Palaszczuk said politics takes a huge toll on families and that she planned to speak to Ms Trad later today. 

She said a very nasty campaign had been run against Ms Trad, when asked why Labor lost support in the inner-city seat. 

"I think it was a very nasty campaign," she said.

“At the end of the day Deb Frecklington has delivered a green member to the parliament,” she said. 

She said she didn’t know who would fill the three Cabinet spots, vacated by Coralee O’Rourke, Kate Jones and Anthony Lynham, while claiming she wouldn’t be taking advice from unions. 

“We’ll be getting down to business tomorrow, I’ve already contacted the deputy premier and treasurer,” she said. 

“We’ll be hitting the ground running tomorrow morning.”

She said her government would start work on the budget straight away, however appeared to back away from Treasurer Cameron Dick’s promise to hold the long-awaited budget the week beginning November 30. 

“That’s our intention. We said that there would be a week of the swearing in of the parliament and the following week would be the budget so we’re working towards that,” she said. 

Estimate hearings will also be held this year. 

Asked what her first priority of the economic plan was, the Premier said the government had a budget to deliver. 

“We will now be meeting with key director-generals tomorrow to start the hard work and the fast work that needs to happen on delivering a budget,” she said. 

Ms Palaszczuk said she was "absolutely humbled" by the people of Queensland, after winning yesterday's election.

Fronting the media this morning Ms Palaszczuk looked relaxed and said she celebrated her win with a glass of wine.

"I might've had a glass of wine," she said of her celebration.

Ms Palaszczuk said she would be a premier for all of Queensland.

“It doesn’t matter where you live in which part of our magnificent state, I will be there for you through the good times and the bad,” she said. 

While delivering the news of one new case of COVID-19 in the state – that of a person already in hotel quarantine, Ms Palaszczuk addressed her response to the pandemic.

"It’s about looking after Queenslanders and making sure they're safe," she said.

"I will always stand up for what is right … what I believe is right and I listen to the health advice.

She said her team would look to now adopt their key economic recover plan, and referenced England's lockdown and the "huge effect" their second lockdown would have on their economy.

12:28 pm November 1, 2020 Highlight

Palaszczuk yet to talk to Jackie Trad

Joanne Glover

Annastacia Palaszczuk is yet to speak to her former deputy Jackie Trad, who’s been ousted from her seat of South Brisbane but thanked her for her work. 

During her first press conference as the re-elected Premier, Ms Palaszczuk said politics takes a huge toll on families and that she planned to speak to Ms Trad later today. 

She said a very nasty campaign had been run against Ms Trad, when asked why Labor lost support in the inner-city seat. 

"I think it was a very nasty campaign," she said.

“At the end of the day Deb Frecklington has delivered a green member to the parliament,” she said. 

She said she didn’t know who would fill the three Cabinet spots, vacated by Coralee O’Rourke, Kate Jones and Anthony Lynham, while claiming she wouldn’t be taking advice from unions. 

“We’ll be getting down to business tomorrow, I’ve already contacted the deputy premier and treasurer,” she said. 

“We’ll be hitting the ground running tomorrow morning.”

She said her government would start work on the budget straight away, however appeared to back away from Treasurer Cameron Dick’s promise to hold the long-awaited budget the week beginning November 30. 

“That’s our intention. We said that there would be a week of the swearing in of the parliament and the following week would be the budget so we’re working towards that,” she said. 

Estimate hearings will also be held this year. 

Asked what her first priority of the economic plan was, the Premier said the government had a budget to deliver. 

“We will now be meeting with key director-generals tomorrow to start the hard work and the fast work that needs to happen on delivering a budget,” she said. 

Ms Palaszczuk said she was "absolutely humbled" by the people of Queensland, after winning yesterday's election.

Fronting the media this morning Ms Palaszczuk looked relaxed and said she celebrated her win with a glass of wine.

"I might've had a glass of wine," she said of her celebration.

Ms Palaszczuk said she would be a premier for all of Queensland.

“It doesn’t matter where you live in which part of our magnificent state, I will be there for you through the good times and the bad,” she said. 

While delivering the news of one new case of COVID-19 in the state – that of a person already in hotel quarantine, Ms Palaszczuk addressed her response to the pandemic.

"It’s about looking after Queenslanders and making sure they're safe," she said.

"I will always stand up for what is right … what I believe is right and I listen to the health advice.

She said her team would look to now adopt their key economic recover plan, and referenced England's lockdown and the "huge effect" their second lockdown would have on their economy.

5:46 pm February 9, 2025

All eyes will be on about eight undecided seats when vote counting in the Queensland state election resumes on Sunday morning.

But the result is already clear, with Labor to be reinstated for a third straight term.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk claimed victory on Saturday night after easily surpassing the 47 seats required to form government.

The Electoral Commission Queensland will resume counting on Sunday morning and the LNP could wind up with fewer seats in the next parliament than the last.

Ms Palaszczuk’s red army declared victory in 50 seats on Saturday night, with about two-thirds of the primary votes counted.

Several of the seats in doubt are in southeast Queensland, including Burleigh, Coomera and Currumbin.

The LNP is ahead in all three seats on the Gold Coast although Labor has made gains in each electorate.

Labor had a 3.6 per cent increase in its primary vote in Burleigh, according to the ABC, which was the largest increase of the three undecided seats on the Gold Coast.

The issue of border closures loomed large on the Gold Coast, where a number of tourism businesses were forced to close or did it tough with little-to-no interstate or international visitors for months on end.

Re-opening the border was one of the LNP’s catchcries.

Labor has made inroads on the LNP in the Brisbane seat of Chatsworth, where the LNP are currently leading.

A similar situation is afoot in the electorate of Glass House.

Labor leads in the undecided seat of Bundaberg, where its primary vote improved by 5.3 per cent; Hervey Bay, where it grew by 12.3 per cent; and Nicklin with a 5.5 per cent swing.

Among the biggest results of the night was former deputy premier Jackie Trad being booted out of Queensland’s parliament.

The Greens claimed victory in Ms Trad’s South Brisbane inner-city seat.

Greens candidate Amy MacMahon pocketed 38.5 per cent of the vote compared to Ms Trad’s 34.7 per cent and the LNP’s Clem Grehan’s 22.5 per cent, with more than half the votes counted.

The seat had traditionally been a Labor stronghold having only conceded two election losses since 1950.

– Darren Cartwright