Queensland election results 2017: Push to replace PM after local result

THE push to replace Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull with a conservative leader is gaining momentum after One Nation’s strong result in regional Queensland.

Plans may be afoot to oust Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Picture: Britta Campion/The Australian

THE push to replace Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull with a conservative leader is gaining momentum after One Nation’s strong result in regional Queensland.

But a move against the Prime Minister will only come after the results of by-elections in NSW are known in mid-December.

The LNP’s primary vote fell below 20 per cent in 13 seats, sparking fears the party was losing its rusted-on voters, while Labor retained theirs.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Picture: Britta Campion /The Australian

Many Coalition MPs have grown weary of a “dangerous” One Nation and say the LNP needs to reconnect with its voters or risk losing power.

While some agitators started to point the finger at the Turnbull Government for “losing its way”, most Federal Government MPs rallied around the PM.

Regional MPs say the result is a warning sign that must be heeded. Several Coalition MPs yesterday said the problem was caused by the Government talking about issues that did not matter to voters and focusing on internal leadership disputes.

Dawson MP George Christensen took direct aim at Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, apologising to LNP voters who had turned to One Nation, saying the party needed to stand up more for conservative values.

But Attorney-General George Brandis rejected suggestions the Queensland result could spell trouble federally.

“This election was fought exclusively on state issues,” he said.

While One Nation did not steal seats from the LNP, looking set to win Mirani from Labor, its high primary vote has the LNP worried in central and north Queensland.

In some regions it picked up 20 to 30 per cent of the vote, but the preferences were being split between the two major parties.

Queensland senator and Resources Minister Matt Canavan said the Nationals would be running a separate campaign in the state, rather than a single LNP one.

“I think what will be different ... at a federal level we have a separate Nationals party room, we’ll have a separate Nationals campaign,” he told the ABC.

But Queensland Labor senator Anthony Chisholm said the National Party remained under threat from One Nation.

“They don’t know whether to appease them or fight them,” he said.

Originally published as Queensland election results 2017: Push to replace PM after local result