LNP in disarray as Queensland speaker puts hand up to lead after election rout

Queensland speaker Fiona Simpson’s public desire to claim the Liberal National party’s leadership has thrown the party’s hope of a “smooth transition” into disarray.



The outgoing deputy premier, Jeff Seeney, stood down from his role on Monday, declaring an LNP party room meeting on Tuesday morning would decide on a fresh leadership team to either negotiate to try to form a minority government or lead from the opposition benches.



But there is confusion over whether the meeting will go ahead because Simpson later said Seeney had no authority to call the meeting.



The premier, Campbell Newman, who lost his seat but is still acting in his role as caretaker, also appeared to overrule his deputy by tweeting two hours after his announcement that: “The @LNPQLD party room will be held when the outcome in seats still undecided is clear.”



Seeney, who threw his support behind the treasurer, Tim Nicholls, and the health minister, Lawrence Springborg, said the private party room meeting would avoid the sort of divisive leadership contest the Liberal National party struggled with before Newman led the party to its 2012 landslide victory.



“What I don’t want to see is some sort of disunity, some sort of leadership battle, so I have been working to try and make sure that we have a smooth transition to a fresh, new leadership team,” Seeney said.



But any hope of that was shortlived. Simpson took to airwaves and then held a press conference almost immediately after Seeney’s and said: “I’d love the job.”



Simpson, buoyed by recent polls that have put her as favourite to lead the LNP, says the party has to admit it had “stuffed up” and steer clear of the confrontational leadership style typical of the Newman government.



She indicated she probably would not attend a party room meeting even if there was one.

“This shouldn’t be about deals in small rooms and I think people are sick of that on both sides of politics,” Simpson said.

“Why I’m talking [publicly] is because people are saying to me, ‘This is the sort of leadership we want.’



“And I may not have the support of the party room [but] I know I’ve got support of the broader poll in the electorate.”



Seeney also acknowledged the LNP government’s unpopular leadership style, saying it may have arisen because Newman, who went directly from Brisbane’s lord mayor to Queensland’s premier, brought staff with him who were not used to the consultative nature of the state tier.



Nevertheless, he said the LNP’s $37bn asset-leasing plan was dead because the party had not been given a mandate.



Seeney had insisted on Monday morning he had the authority to call the party room meeting, saying he was the most senior elected LNP MP, given Newman had lost his seat.



But after Newman’s comments, a spokeswoman for Seeney said the meeting appeared to have been cancelled and directed the media to the premier’s office for confirmation. Comment has been sought.

Labor is on track to form a minority government with the help of Katter’s Australian party and independents, but it may also be able to govern in its own right with three key seats still too close to call.