A NEGATIVE advertising blitz aimed at Labor was canned during the election by the LNP because of fears it would remind voters about Campbell Newman’s overly-aggressive style.

The Courier-Mail can reveal the LNP’s election post-mortem team was briefed this week by party strategists about the decision and the perfect storm they faced trying to get a toxic leader re-elected.

It comes as Mr Newman’s replacement as LNP leader, Lawrence Springborg, celebrated his birthday yesterday by briefing the party room about the perils of a hung parliament as they discussed shadow portfolio positions.

Headed by former party leaders Rob Borbidge and Joan Sheldon, the LNP review team was told most Queenslanders did not believe a Labor victory was possible so were geared to protest against the Newman government.

“Voters’ refusal to believe Labor could win government, coupled with a widespread personal dislike of Campbell Newman, created an impossible predicament,” one senior campaign source said. The meeting was told while the central campaign theme about “strong team” was effective, it was overshadowed by opinion about the former premier, whose popularity nosedived sharply throughout the campaign.

“His net favourability fell dramatically in the final week of the election campaign,” a source said.

media_camera Former LNP leaders Joan Sheldon and Rob Borbidge at the official LNP State Election campaign launch at the Brisbane Convention Centre in January.

The tipping point came during The Courier-Mail’s People’s Forum before the final week of the election where Mr Newman claimed Labor’s campaign may have been bankrolled by outlaw bikie gangs.

Amid an “intense public dislike” of Mr Newman’s aggressive style, there were fears planned negative advertising aimed at Labor’s record in office might backfire.

“Even if we did run more of those, we knew they wouldn’t be particularly effective because only two in every five voters were taking the prospect of a Labor government seriously,” the source said.

Post-election polling by the LNP showed only 24 per cent of people believed their vote was a positive endorsement of Labor while 15 per cent of minor party voters regretted their decision.

“The most prominent use of minor parties in the LNP’s communications was to warn that they would be in a position of power given a hung parliament outcome,” the source said. “And this is exactly what happened.”