Labor factions crunch numbers for new-look ministry

Townsville MP Scott Stewart is likely to be elevated into the third-term Palaszczuk ministry after staring down a concerted LNP campaign for his once-marginal seat.

Labor candidate for Thuringowa Scott Stewart. Picture: Matt Taylor

Townsville MP Scott Stewart is likely to be elevated into the third-term Palaszczuk ministry after staring down a concerted Liberal National Party campaign for his once-marginal regional seat.

As counting continues after the weekend election, Labor’s factions are doing the numbers to ­select the new ministerial line-up, due to be announced next week.

Labor is certain to increase its majority in the 93-seat parliament to at least 50 MPs, with counting still too close to call in the regional seats of Bundaberg and Nicklin, both of which have long been held by the LNP.

In Bundaberg, LNP incumbent David Batt has a lead of just four votes over Labor’s Tom Smith, and in Nicklin, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, Labor candidate Robert Skelton is ahead by 56 votes over the LNP’s Marty Hunt.

The LNP is on track to hold at least 34 seats, with the Greens on two, Katter’s Australian Party with three, One Nation with just one seat, and one independent.

With a high proportion of pre-poll votes, counting is expected to continue next week.

On Sunday, Annastacia Palaszczuk said she would announce and swear in a fresh frontbench once the Queensland election count had been finalised, committing only to keeping her Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles and Treasurer Cameron Dick in their current roles.

The Premier will need to find replacements for three ­retiring ministers from her former 18-member cabinet: former state ­development minister Kate Jones (Old Guard faction), mines minister Anthony Lynham (Right) and communities minister Coralee O’Rourke (Left).

The defeat of former deputy premier and treasurer Jackie Trad — who lost her seat of South Brisbane to the Greens — has also stripped Labor of experience.

While the factions choose who ends up in cabinet, depending on the breakdown of the caucus, Ms Palaszczuk selects who is given which portfolio.

A senior government MP told The Australian that Mr Stewart, a member of the Right faction, was likely to be elevated to the frontbench, possibly with second-term MP Meaghan Scanlon.

In the previous parliament, the dominant Left faction had 23 MPs, the Right had 16, and the small Old Guard had eight, with Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders factionally unaligned.