Deb Frecklington reveals ‘must win’ seats key to LNP victory in 2020 election

Deb Frecklington has named a list of “must win” seats the LNP needs to claim if it wants to win government at the October 2020 poll, revealing preselection will open on Monday to find new candidates.

DEB Frecklington has named a list of “must win” seats the LNP needs to claim if it wants to win government at the October 2020 poll, revealing preselection will open on Monday to find new candidates.

“There are only 477 days to go until polling day and we will be ready,” she told the party faithful during her keynote speech to the LNP convention this morning.

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LNP Leader Deb Frecklington.

The seats include Maiwar, Aspley, Redlands, Mansfield and Gaven — all southeast Queensland seats the party lost in its drubbing at the 2017 State poll.

The marginal North Queensland seat of Whitsunday — currently held by former LNP MP Jason Costigan — is also on the list, as are Townsville, Mundingburra, Barron River, Mirani and Maryborough.

“We will have to beat Labor, the Greens, One Nation and independent to take those seats,” Ms Frecklington said.

“Our goal is the return of a majority LNP Government on October 31, 2020.

“There will be no deals with other parties. No compromises.”

Ms Frecklington said nominations would also open in seats held by the party, like Chatsworth and Clayfield, where MPs Steve Minnikin and Tim Nicholls could face challenges following their decision to use their conscience vote to support abortion decriminalisation during last year’s historic parliamentary debate.

Meanwhile, the party has created a new membership category to ensure property developers can still be part of the LNP amid Labor’s donation ban.

The “diamond membership” was signed off by the party’s State Council this morning ahead of its three-day convention in Brisbane.

It comes after former president Gary Spence failed in his bid to overturn the developer donation ban in the High Court earlier this year.

Without this membership, LNP members who are property developers risk breaking the law if they pay to attend party functions as those payments are considered a donation.

Acting president David Hutchinson — who is set to be elected president at this weekend — said the new membership class would allow registration without payment to the state convention, and all meetings of state council, as well as free admission to gala dinners and other functions.

Like benefits will be afforded to their spouses.

“For those wondering what this is all about, this is a class of membership that’s allowed under current state legislation that effectively prohibits property developers from participating in our party,” he said.

Originally published as Deb Frecklington reveals ‘must win’ seats key to LNP victory in 2020 election