The changes mean the LNP now holds 75 seats in the 89-seat Parliament, down from the 78 it won it its landslide victory in March but still a massive majority. Labor still has seven seats, Katter's Australian Party has seen its representation increase from two to three, and the number of independents has doubled from two to four. LNP president Bruce McIver said he was disappointed by the resignations as the MPs “sought the endorsement of local party members at preselection and then carried our party’s flag into the state election”. “Deeply disappointing is that the people of their electorates voted overwhelmingly for a change of government in Queensland – and for a strong voice in that new LNP government – and they have now been denied that representation,” Mr McIver said in a statement issued on Thursday evening. Parliamentary rules mean individual MPs can quit a party and continue to serve as an independent, or switch to a different party, without facing a by-election.

But Mr McIver said the LNP would move quickly to preselect a strong LNP candidate for each of these electorates “as soon as practicable ahead of the next state election”. Dr Douglas argued he was best suited to serve his Gold Coast electorate as an independent. ‘‘It is with great sadness I tender my resignation,’’ Dr Douglas said on Thursday afternoon. Dr Douglas said the public did not want to see a ‘‘blunder-through method’’ of governance. ‘‘There are better ways of running government than this approach,’’ he said.

Dr Douglas, who this week engaged in a war of words with senior Newman government figures over his removal from the ethics committee chairmanship, had emerged from a party room meeting on Wednesday night saying he wanted to remain an LNP member and would ‘‘probably die one’’. Government MPs, at the party room meeting, had already voted to request the LNP disendorse Mr Judge for alleged disloyalty. "It's my responsibility to represent my electorate and, sadly, I do not believe this government is fulfilling its election promises," Mr Judge told Parliament on Thursday afternoon. Mr Judge said he had supported the policies the LNP took to the election and he acknowledged the volunteers who helped his campaign. In a speech sometimes punctuated by heckling from LNP MPs, Mr Judge said the government had not lived up to pledges to govern with grace and humility.

“The public service were informed they had nothing to fear. We all know that that’s not true,” he said. “These two basic pledges have been brought into question time and time again.” Mr Judge said he acknowledged that state debt levels had to be addressed, but this needed to be done in a way that was respectful to people. He expressed concern for the plight of public servants with young families and mortgages to pay, saying the government had caused them turmoil and stress. Mr Judge said debate should be respectful.

“I simply cannot serve with people who lack respect and want to yell abuse across the chamber,” Mr Judge said, in a reference to parliamentary interjections from his former colleagues. Mr Judge attacked both major parties over broken election promises. He pointed to Premier Campbell Newman’s assurances that public servants had nothing to fear, Prime Minister Julia Gillard no carbon tax promise, and former premier Anna Bligh’s asset sales pledge. Mr Judge said he was greatly saddened by the turn of events and noted that there were people he respected greatly across the political spectrum, including MPs for Katter’s Australian Party and independents. Several Labor MPs came over to shake Mr Judge’s hand after the speech. Mr Judge was moved to a seat next to the Labor opposition on Tuesday, a day after Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney announced the MP would be banned from party room meetings until he pledged 100 per cent loyalty.

This morning, Fairfax Media revealed Mr Judge several months ago confronted a staffer in a Newman government minister's office over an email, sent from an anonymous Gmail account, that warned Mr Judge he was being watched. The employee subsequently resigned. Mr Newman insisted the LNP government was getting on with the job of governing, despite being let down by several members. “The men and women of the LNP team, apart from a couple of people who had their personal issues, are strong and united,” he told reporters two hours before the resignations were confirmed. “They're the ones who feel that certain people have let down their team and constituents.” After Mr Judge and Dr Douglas announced their resignations, Mr Palmer held his second media conference of the day. Mr Palmer has raised the prospect of forming a new political force called the United Australia Party.

‘‘I think you’ll see things happening in the coming weeks,’’ he said, arguing the chances of the new party being formed were "more than 50 per cent". Mr Palmer said voters were ‘‘disgusted’’ at the Newman government’s behaviour. ‘‘What we’re seeing in the electorate is a great amount of concern for the civil liberties of Queenslanders and their right to be able to express their point of view,’’ he said. Mr Palmer said he wouldn’t get rid of his business interests if he set up a party, but either way he’s not interested in becoming premier. ‘‘I’m a reluctant warrior, I don’t really want to get involved in politics,’’ he said.

Loading ‘‘I think I’m too fat to be premier, you want to have a nice tanned guy as premier to promote the tourist industry.’’ - with AAP