Nicholls set to nick off as smell of blood wafts in the air after the Queensland election
Queensland LNP leader Tim Nicholls is in some deep doo-doo. The Australian, yesterday:
Nicholls’ position as leader is in jeopardy following a statewide swing against the party ... Deputy leader Deb Frecklington, frontbencher Tim Mander and former Newman government minister David Crisafulli have been touted as possible future leaders.
Nicholls’ predecessor seems to suggest a partyroom coup is the answer. Campbell Newman writes for The Australian, yesterday:
There are many things that the LNP will need to do to rebuild. Putting in place strong leadership ...
What would a strong leader do, Campbell? The Courier Mail online, last Saturday night:
Former premier turned Sky News presenter Campbell Newman blamed the LNP’s poor showing at yesterday’s election on the party’s failure to defend his era.
The LNP does have some serious problems with Newman’s era ... The Australian, January 31, 2015:
Newman has been ousted from his Brisbane seat of Ashgrove with Labor on the verge of a historic victory just three years after suffering the worst election defeat in Australian history.
At least Newman was governing. The swing away from the LNP this time is just as bad and it has been sitting pretty in opposition. The Australian, yesterday:
LNP swing in 2015: -8.3 per cent ... LNP swing in 2017: -8 per cent ...
Just look at the Sky News People’s Forum a few weeks ago. Tim’s a dud. Sky News online, November 17:
Ms (Annastacia) Palaszczuk was declared the resounding winner by those in attendance, with 60 per cent saying they would be voting for the Premier ... Mr Nicholls on 12 per cent and (One Nation Queensland leader Steve) Dickson on 10 per cent were beaten by the Undecided cohort of 18 per cent.
Nicholls isn’t the only one facing a spill because of this election. Nationals MP George Christensen on Facebook, yesterday:
I’m sorry that we in the LNP have let you down ... I think a lot of that starts with the Turnbull government, its leadership and its policy direction.
Elsewhere, former US president George HW Bush hits a historical milestone. A tweet from Fox News, yesterday:
George HW Bush Now Longest Living President.
Barrie Cassidy smells a right-wing conspiracy. The Insiders compere responds to Fox News’s story on Twitter, yesterday:
Fox News kills Jimmy Carter. They really don’t like Democrats.
Carter was president before Papa Bush but is he older? Wikipedia’s list of the longest living US presidents, yesterday :
Jimmy Carter ... born on October 1, 1924 ... 93 years, 56 days.
Barrie doesn’t seem to understand how time works. Fox News online, yesterday:
Bush, 93 years and 166 days old, outlasted the previous oldest president, Gerald Ford, who passed away at 93 and 165 days old. Ronald Reagan also died at 93.
Barrie as bad at understanding the past as he is at predicting the future. Cassidy on Twitter, November 8 last year:
(Donald) Trump cannot win. The nightmare is over.