Former ref calls time on Springborg

A former Queensland treasurer and a former NRL referee will challenge Lawrence Springborg’s ‘old guard’.

Queensland LNP contender Tim Mander. ‘Steady-as-she-goes won’t win us government.’ Picture: Jono Searle.

Liberal National Party leadership contender Tim Mander is leading a backbench revolt against Queensland Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg’s “old guard”, hitting the phones yesterday to shore up support for ­tomorrow’s partyroom spill.

The Australian can reveal the former NRL referee, who quit the frontbench last night declaring his challenge, is promising disgruntled backbenchers he will transform the LNP and shift veteran MPs out of shadow cabinet.

Former Treasurer Tim Nicholls will challenge for the LNP leadership at tomorrow’s emergency partyroom meeting, after officially advising his leader Lawrence Springborg of his intentions.

“I will be offering my colleagues the values of hard work, experience, proven parliamentary and media performance, policy depth and the ability to campaign throughout the state from a secure base,” Mr Nicholls said in a statement.

He said it had become clear over the “last few days” that a substantial number of his colleagues wanted a chance to “clear the air” on the issue of the LNP leadership.”

“While this is not of my making, I have had many approaches over the past four days from colleagues, party members and our other supporters urging me to consider nominating for the leadership,” Mr Nicholls said.

Supporters of Mr Nicholls believe Mr Mander does not yet have the numbers and the three-way contest will be a “near run thing”.

Country lawyer Deb Frecklington is firming as the most likely candidate for deputy leader if a spill motion put forward by ex-deputy premier Jeff Seeney succeeds at tomorrow’s emergency meeting.

Current deputy leader John-Paul Langbroek is understood to have leadership ambitions but would contest only if Mr Springborg did not nominate.

Mr Springborg yesterday tried to grab control of the spiralling situation, bringing forward the LNP partyroom’s meeting from Monday. His camp is confident he will hold on to the leadership, but as his rivals do their own numbers, the dynamics may shift.

Mr Mander was directly ­ringing his colleagues yesterday, distancing himself from the ­numbers men behind his failed ­February leadership coup, backbenchers Steve Minnikin and Steve Dickson.

In advance of tomorrow’s vote, Mr Mander told colleagues he had quit his shadow education role to run for leader, bringing with him a “fresh approach”.

“Everywhere I go, right throughout Queensland, the general public and party members tell me the LNP needs fresh faces, for a fresh start with new ideas. Steady-as-she-goes won’t win us government,” Mr Mander said.

Working in Mr Springborg’s favour is the strong support of the two Katter’s Australian Party crossbenchers, despite their vote with Labor on the return of compulsory preferential voting stoking the renewed leadership tensions.

Robbie Katter told The Aus­tralian the KAP had a written agreement with the LNP — to help it form government if the ­opportunity arose — but it was signed by Mr Springborg.

“Perhaps there is a risk that all bets are off if he’s not there anymore,” Mr Katter said.

“We’ve had a strong relationship with Lawrence Springborg; with him in charge, we were able to achieve great outcomes.”

Mr Springborg won the leadership ballot following last January’s thumping rout of the Newman LNP government only after promising he had a special relationship with the KAP.

Mr Katter would not express a preference for either Mr Mander or Mr Nicholls, but it’s likely both men would find it more difficult to negotiate with the KAP than Mr Springborg does.

Backbench MPs said some of their constituents had urged them to remove Mr Springborg and replace him with a “fresh face” to lead the party to the next election.

“Mander holds his seat with a low margin, Tim Nicholls has a high margin,” one MP said. “One is tainted, the other is a fresh face. One is inexperienced, the other experienced. By today, Tim Nicholls must show his hand, and that may change the outcome because he would likely carry with him some from shadow cabinet.

“We need renewal in the party, we need fresh faces.”

Another MP said Mr Mander was too inexperienced. “Many in the LNP are concerned he is not election-ready and is politically naive.”

If Mr Nicholls puts up his hand, he will be attacked for his role as salesman of the Newman government’s Strong Choices privatisation program.

Another backbencher said Mr Mander would appeal to Queenslanders as an everyman, a skill the MP said Mr Nicholls did not have.

“Mander could walk into a pub and talk to anyone,” he said.

Those close to Mr Nicholls said he was considering his ­position. It is possible he might allow Mr Mander to mount a failed leadership challenge and bide his time for another bid closer to the next election, due next year.

In a text message to all MPs, Mr Springborg challenged those undermining him to “raise those issues” with their colleagues ­directly at the meeting. “I look forward to your attendance and look forward to your ongoing support,” he wrote.