43 minutes to raise more doubts? Can do

LUCKY there was still some love in the room by the time Campbell Newman got through with the LNP campaign launch yesterday.

LNP launch at the Brisbane Convention Centre .Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott listens to Campbell Newman

LUCKY there was still some love in the room by the time Campbell Newman got through with the LNP campaign launch yesterday.

A 43-minute speech? It tested the patience of even the most faithful who had packed the Great Hall of the Brisbane convention centre for their man, Can-Do, to fill in some of the blanks about what he will actually do if he becomes the next premier of Queensland.

They were all there in Sunday best: Joe Hockey, Christopher Pyne and, of course, Tony Abbott, dressed like feds.

Santo Santoro worked the crowd as in the good old days, before that misunderstanding over his share dealings cost him his place in John Howard's ministry and the Senate.

John Paul Langbroek was perhaps trying not to remember that this would have been his day except for Mr Newman's decision to switch from Brisbane City Hall to state politics a year ago and elbow him aside as LNP leader.

Warren Truss, the droll federal Nationals leader, impressed as warm-up man and delivered the line of the day: "Labor couldn't deliver a pizza on a moonlit night".

His boss, the federal Opposition Leader, came out swinging at Julia Gillard and Anna Bligh and had the blue T-shirted Young Libs on their feet.

Then it was time for Mr Newman. He entered to the strains of the "Can Do" anthem. This is a rejigged version of the song he used as mayor which, believe it or not, is catching on as a dance remix in nightclubs. His wife, Lisa, bopped at his side, trailed by their teenage daughters, Rebecca and Sarah.

Mr Newman began speaking at 11.45am. One staffer said the speech was timed to last 30 minutes. He went on until 12.28pm.

Mr Newman talked about Labor wasting money, Labor piling on debt, Labor bungling the health department payroll and underfunding schools.

At the end of it all, we learned that Mr Newman would spend $1 billion on upgrading the Bruce Highway to Cairns -- provided the feds come on board.

He will direct an undisclosed proportion of the state's mineral tax take into a "royalties for the regions program" - an imported idea from Western Australia that includes $170m over four years for a community building fund.

As for the flood security and "roads to resources" elements of the program, Mr Newman's message was watch this space: "There will be lots more to say about these . . . over the next three weeks."

He said an LNP government would treat public servants with respect and "hold ministers" to account, without detailing how. Repeat child sex offenders would be subject to something called a "two strikes" regime.

Lucky there's time left in the campaign because on yesterday's performance, Mr Newman gave rise to more questions than answers about what he would do in government.