Broadwater MP David Crisafulli named LNP leader

LNP leader David Crisafulli has vowed to refocus his party on the economy as it knuckles down for another four years in Opposition.

IT’s the economy stupid.

That’s what new LNP leader David Crisafulli has vowed to refocus his party on as it knuckles down for another four years in Opposition.

The Gold Coast-based MP was elected unopposed to replace outgoing leader Deb Frecklington at Thursday’s first partyroom meeting since the October 31 electoral drubbing.

Frontbencher David Janeksi won the deputy leader role after a four-way contest with colleagues Dale Last, Steve Minnikin and Christian Rowan

Addressing the partyroom, Mr Crisafulli tried to boost his team’s spirits ahead of what he described as a “long journey”.

“We are smaller in number but the fire burns,” he said.

“If something is good, I will be the first one to say we support it and we’ll back that.

“But by the same token, if something is wrong, I will be prepared to call it as such and will do it in a forceful manner.

“I won’t compromise my values. I am a conviction politician.

“I will stand before you and I will take the tough questions, but I will always do it true to my value set.”

Broadwater MP and LNP leadership contender David Crisafulli

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He brushed off questions about how he would differentiate himself from his service in the Newman Government, saying if that was Labor’s only cause for re-election in 2024, then they did not deserve to win.

Ms Frecklington, along with former deputy leader Tim Mander both stood down at the meeting after leading the LNP to its third successive electoral defeat to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

The LNP’s new-look frontbench will be put together in coming days and is tipped to feature at least three Gold Coast MPs, with John-Paul Langbroek, Ros Bates and Sam O’Connor all mentioned by party figures as prospective shadow cabinet members.

Mr Crisafulli’s election came as Ms Palaszczuk and her new Cabinet were sworn in by Governor Paul de Jersey.

Among them was Gold Coast MP Meaghan Scanlon, 27, who has been appointed Environment Minister.

Outside Government House, Ms Palaszczuk insisted she had no fear of the new LNP leader.

“No not really, I mean they can put up whoever they want, I don’t really care,” she said.

“Let me go through, there has been Campbell Newman, Lawrence Springborg, Tim Nicholls, Deb Frecklington, that’s a matter for them.”

Mr Crisafulli has spent the past week since announcing his candidacy conferring with his colleagues, asking for support and pitching his plan for returning the LNP to electoral competitiveness for the October 2024 poll.

By the time of the next election, the LNP will have been in Opposition for just short of a decade after the end of the Newman government in January 2015.

Mr Crisafulli is yet to reveal his plan to rebuild the LNP but said in a statement announcing his candidacy that he could “offer the discipline to hold the government to account and the energy to start the four-year task of preparing the LNP for government in 2024”.

“Our party, our supporters and those who chose not to support us this time around deserve nothing less,” he said last week.