Queensland election: Annastacia Palaszczuk claims victory, confident of winning majority

Queensland Labor may be on track to take as many as 51 seats in a major win for Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk waves as she celebrates her state election victory on Saturday night. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Annastacia Palaszczuk has led her Labor government to victory in the Queensland election and is eyeing an increased parliamentary majority.

Labor has 47 guaranteed seats to retain majority government but could win as many as 51 seats if the undecideds go its way.

The Liberal National Party is on 35 seats and faces the humiliating prospect of emerging with fewer than the 38 it took into the campaign.

The Greens are guaranteed two seats and are challenging for an additional two at the potential expense of the ALP.

Trad the big casualty

Former deputy premier Jackie Trad was the big-name casualty of the election after the Greens’ Amy MacMahon defeated her in inner-city South Brisbane.

The nearby Labor seats of McConnel and Cooper could also go to the Greens, depending how postal and early votes pan out.

Among the undecideds, Labor is in the hunt in the Gold Coast-based seat of Coomera, Nicklin on the Sunshine Coast hinterland and Hervey Bay on the Fraser Coast.

On current counting, Labor has lifted its statewide primary vote to 39.6 per cent on a 4.2 swing, but this could change as pre-poll votes historically favour the LNP.

One Nation’s vote collapsed, with the Hanson party’s vote down six per cent on 2017.

Surprisingly, the LNP did not capitalise on this in regional Queensland where it had hoped to make up ground on Labor.

‘Ready to get back to work’

Claiming victory, Ms Palaszczuk thanked the people of Queensland, promising to “roll up her sleeves” to get back to work “as quickly as possible for you” with a majority Labor government.

Palaszczuk said her team was ready to get back to work, and said she was “confident” of winning a majority Labor government.

“It has not been an easy year for many, many people,” she told the party faithful at Labor’s election night party at the Blue Fin Fishing Club, in Ms Palaszczuk’s electorate of Inala.

“It’s been tough not being able to see your family and friends in other states, or even around the world, as we’ve been in the midst of a global pandemic.

“But here in Queensland we’ve all stood strong and united … and if we continue to work together, we’ll continue to stay strong.”

Ms Palaszczuk said she knew there were many people who had voted Labor for the very first time and said she would return that respect.

Frecklington to stay on

Deb Frecklington conceded defeat but says she will not stand down as the leader of the Liberal National Party.

She congratulated Annastacia Palaszczuk on her victory and said the LNP would hold the government to account in opposition.

“I will continue to play my part in the LNP and I will continue as the leader of this great party,” Ms Frecklington said.

The Opposition Leader said the LNP would continue to fight for “every minute of the next four years”.

“Queensland still needs a plan,” Ms Frecklington said.