Rob Borbidge warns LNP it’s not home and hosed yet
The only LNP leader beside Campbell Newman to win an election in the past 35 years has reminded the party of a previous poll it thought it had in the bag.
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Former Nationals premier Rob Borbidge has warned the LNP against complacency as Labor plans a full-scale assault in the final five days of Queensland’s election campaign.
Mr Borbidge, who along with Campbell Newman are Queensland’s only two conservative premiers in the past 35 years, told The Courier-Mail the election was not over.
Polling has consistently indicated the LNP is on track to defeat Labor on Saturday, with the latest YouGov poll indicating a 55-45 per cent two-party-preferred vote.
“We just can’t be complacent, I mean all the signs are good but a lot can happen,” Mr Borbidge said.
“I well remember 1995, we got 54 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote, and we lost by one seat.
“We’ve just got to keep working and get that message across that the only way you change things is to change the government.”
Labor and the unions are expected to scale up their attacks on the LNP in the final days of the campaign.
Mr Borbidge, the state’s 35th premier serving between 1996 and 1998, praised Mr Crisafulli’s “incredibly disciplined campaign”.
“The team have been incredibly united, the organisation under Lawrence (Springborg) has been very, very effective,” he said.
“I think that we’re doing everything right.
“It’s just a matter of having numbers on the day and it’s never over till it’s over.”
Asked what would happen if the party again fell short, Mr Borbidge said: “Well, that’s a debate for another day.”
While polls indicate and LNP victory, Labor has taken comfort in the rising popularity of Premier Steven Miles compared to Mr Crisafulli.
Party sources also believe the LNP’s struggle to put to bed the issue of abortion is resonating among Queenslanders.
Mr Crisafulli has insisted there will be no change to abortion laws under his government, but has declined to say whether Liberal National MPs will be granted a conscience vote if the matter is brought before Parliament.
The LNP leader claims he is still the underdog, with the LNP winning just one of the last 12 general elections.
The 1998 defeat of Mr Borbidge’s National Party by Peter Beattie’s minority Labor government would keep the conservatives out of office until 2012.
Originally published as Rob Borbidge warns LNP it’s not home and hosed yet
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