How election night 2015 unravelled
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Katter's Australian Party state leader Robbie Katter said his party had a list of priorities and would work with whichever leader was prepared to come to the table.
Mr Katter, the MP for Mount Isa, retained his electorate along with KAP Member for Dalrymple Shane Knuth, giving the party two seats in the parliament.
He said priorities included regional infrastructure projects including railroads, dams and roads.
"We'll have a look at what the government's priorities are and, in consultation with Peter Wellington, we'll discuss what we think are the best outcomes for our electorates and Queensland," Mr Katter told AAP.
The LNP had in the past treated the crossbench MPs with "contempt", Mr Katter said but he did not rule out backing the party in a hung parliament.
The former government had used its massive majority to deprive KAP of staff and force them into smaller offices, he said.
"They didn't need to do that, it was an act of extreme arrogance and an example of the way they behaved and conducted themselves throughout that parliament," he said.
"We're bigger people than that and we'll make decisions that are in the best interests of our electorate primarily, and in the best interests of Queensland.
Celebrations are well under way for Rob Katter as he revels in winning another term as the state member for Mount Isa.
Mr Katter and his band of followers and volunteers are celebrating an overwhelming and increased majority.
Mr Katter has declared victory in the seat with almost 50% of the vote.
There is a real possibility of Mr Katter and Shane Knuth, successful again the seat of Dalrymple, could hold the balance of power with some predictions showing Labor could win 44 seats.
LNP candidate John Wharton is likely to run a distant second in the race for the seat of Mount Isa.
Mr Wharton has exceeded many expectations as he was considered the third favourite for the seat behind Labor candidate Simon Tayler.
With 31 of the 50 booths counted, Mr Wharton has attracted 25.45% of the vote with 2748 votes.
Mr Tayler has scored 19.33% with 2087 votes.
In the preferred candidate vote, Mr Katter has secured 69.59% with 30.41% for Mr Wharton.
"I would just like to thank you all for your support and congratulate Rob Katter for his win," Mr Wharton said.
Queensland Premier Queensland Campbell Newman says his political career is over, after the LNP suffered devastating losses in Saturday's state election.
Mr Newman has stopped short of conceding defeat, but said he had lost his own seat of Ashgrove.
He said the outcome of the election might not be known tonight, "we might not know for some days".
"But I say this to Queenslanders: the LNP will offer either a strong and stable government or a very effective opposition in the years to come," he told the party faithful, with his wife Lisa by his side.
Mr Newman said he respected the verdict of Ashgrove voters, and Queenslanders should not expect to see him in public life again.
"My political career is over. It is over," he said, to chants from the party faithful of "no! no!"
"Tough, you're going to have to wear that one."
He thanked the people of Ashgrove for the privilege of being their local MP, and all Queensland voters who backed the LNP at the 2012 poll.
"I do thank all of you ... every voter," he said.
"It's been a great experience."
He said the tough decisions his government had made were necessary.
"And I do truly believe they have put Queenslander in a far better place," Mr Newman said.
The premier said he felt for his LNP colleagues who'd also lost their seats.
"When the history of this government is written, people should look long and hard at a political team who did the hard yards and didn't bitch and moan, they got on with the job because they knew they were doing the right thing for Queensland," he said.
"So to all those who lost their seats, I am sensationally proud of you. I just wish the community knew that you were all men and women of conviction and I wish you the very best in your future career."
He said the LNP members who were left standing would meet soon to decide on a new leader, and the party had many fine candidates to chose from.
"But that is a matter for them."
Mr Newman, with his wife Lisa by his side, said he was looking forward to resuming family life, after 13 years in politics, first as Brisbane lord mayor, then as premier.
"Thank you Queensland, it has been an honour, it has been a privilege.
Queensland's LNP government has suffered a battering at the hands of voters, with Premier Campbell Newman the most high-profile casualty of the night.
A final result is yet to be determined, but the LNP has lost dozens of the 73 seats it held and looks like losing government after just one term.
ABC Antony Green Campbell Newman says on the current figures, the LNP has little hope of picking up the 45 seats needed to form a majority government in the 89-seat parliament.
"The Labor Party can make majority government. The second most obvious case is a minority Labor government. Then there is potential of a minority LNP government," he said.
"But there doesn't seem to be any chance of majority LNP government out of these numbers."
Few commentators saw the result coming, with most tipping Mr Newman would lose his seat of Ashgrove but that the LNP would narrowly hang on to power.
But voters have vented their fury at the ballot box, and delivered a swing against the LNP that's even bigger than the swing that cost Labor office three years ago.
Former Queensland premier Peter Beattie said the Labor party, led by Annastacia Palaszczuk - one of the seven survivors of the 2012 disaster - should win after just one term in the wilderness.
"I can't see the Labor party losing it from here," Mr Beattie told the Nine Network.
"This is going to be a boilover. This is extraordinary."
Former deputy prime minister Wayne Swan wasn't prepared to call the election, but described the unfolding results as "an electoral earthquake".
"We have seen the biggest majority in Australian history eroded right back. There is an electoral earthquake happening," Mr Swan told the ABC.
The Labor party went into Saturday's election with nine seats, after winning back two seats in the byelection, while the LNP held 73.
One party needs to win 45 seats to form a majority government.
Newman government ministers David Crisafulli and Scott Emerson acknowledged they had made mistakes, but argued the hard decisions had to be made.
"Just because it's politically difficult doesn't mean you shouldn't reform," Mr Crisafulli, who is in danger losing his seat of Mundingburra, told the Nine Network.
"That doesn't mean we didn't make mistakes.
"We haven't taken people on the journey. In many ways we've just gone in and fixed problems and then told people why they needed to be fixed after."
Treasurer Tim Nicholls, who is now a contender to take over as LNP leader, agreed their failure to communicate was the issue.
"I think the concern from our side tonight is that, having done the right thing, having put in place a policy about fixing up the state we found when we came in in 2012, we obviously haven't communicated that well enough to the public,"
"We will have to, I think, concentrate more on how we communicate that message
The ABC's Antony Green said the computer was predicting a Labor majority government, but he was being cautious.
"We have 79 of the 89 seats we are giving away to one side or the other and the Labor Party is closer to majority than the LNP. I'm predicting Labor to win 46 seats, which would be majority government," he said.
"It's got all my knowledge and programming built into it and is predicting a Labor government but I am just cautious because these numbers are hard.
"You need to start to look at these seat by seat and there is all the postals to come and pre-polls."
Mr Green said it the LNP could not form a majority on the current figures.
"The Labor Party can make majority government. The second most obvious case is a minority Labor government. Then there is potential of a minority LNP government," he said.
"But there doesn't seem to be any chance of majority LNP government out of these numbers."
Rob Katter has increased his majority by almost 10 per cent and declared victory in the seat if Mount Isa.
"I'm happy to declare victory in Mount Isa with an increased majority," he said.
"Thanks to all who put their trust in me and KAP for another term," Mr Katter said.
Half of the 50 polling booths in the Mount Isa electorate have been counted with 4,711 votes (49.11%).
Now will he hold the balance the power? The likelihood of a hung parliament appears increasingly likely.
Mr Katter is the unofficial leader an informal coalition of Katter's Australian Party candidates and independents who could hold the balance of power in the LNP fails fails to win majority goverment with the required 45 votes.
Queensland Premier Campbell Newman is about to concede defeat in the seat of Ashgrove.
"I've just been informed that I believe the premier has called Kate Jones to officially inform her that he will be conceding," Treasurer Tim Nicholls told ABC TV.
"I think he does accept the will of the people of Ashgrove and I think that is a sign of great maturity."
Mr Newman won the seat from Labor's Ms Jones at the 2012 election.
Labor looks set to return to government in Queensland, former premier Peter Beattie says.
"I can't see the Labor party losing it from here," Mr Beattie told the Nine Network.
"This is going to be a boilover. This is extraordinary."
The Labor party went into Saturday's election with just nine seats, while the LNP held 73 in the 89 seat parliament.
Premier Campbell Newman looks certain to have lost his own seat of Ashgrove and a significant number of seats have been regained by Labor, including the bellwether seats of Greenslopes and Barron Creek, and Stretton, Sunnybank.
According to the Nine Network, the ALP is likely to win the LNP seats of Waterford, Ipswich, Kallangur, Capalaba, Bulimba, Lytton, Pine Rivers, and Everton - held by Housing Minister Tim Mander.
"I think enough bellwether seats have been won by Labor to say they are going to win."
It's also looks like picking up Gladstone, vacated by the retirement of long-time independent Liz Cunningham.
Former deputy prime minister Wayne Swan wasn't prepared to call the election, but described the unfolding results as "an electoral earthquake".
"We have seen the biggest majority in Australian history eroded right back. There is an electoral earthquake happening," Mr Swan told the ABC.
"We don't know whether Labor has won but we know 30-odd seats have been gained by the ALP and lost by the LNP in one term."
At 7.45pm, the ABC computer had the LNP on 35 seats, the ALP on 40 and others on three, with 11 still in doubt.
One party needs to win 45 seats to form government.
More than 20 percent of the 50 polling booths have been counted for the seat of Mount Isa with Rob Katter appearing safe to lead the electorate for another term. With 11 eleven booths recorded, the state member and Katter's Australian Party candidate has secured almost 50% of the vote with 47.33% (1403 votes).
Labor candidate Simon Tayler (19.39%, 631 votes) was expected to be the clear runner-up but it appears the LNP's candidate John Wharton (26.92%, 876 votes) is more popular.
Queensland Premier Campbell Newman is in real danger of losing his own seat of Ashgrove.
Early figure show the ALP's Kate Jones is on 48 per cent, while Mr Newman is on 38 per cent.
"If I look at the two-party preferred swing that's going on, 12.3 per cent which is twice what's needed," ABC election analyst Antony Green said.
"That's looking very bad for Campbell Newman on those first figures."
Across, the state Mr Green says swing is sitting at nine per cent, but he's not seeing any consistent pattern across the state.
Labor needs a uniform swing of just over 12 per cent to win back government it lost at the 2012 election.
The ALP needs to win a total of 36 extra seats to secure government.
"Those numbers are not encouraging, they do tell the story of Ashgrove," Treasurer Tim Nicholls told the ABC)
Federal Labor MP and former deputy prime minister Wayne Swan says Mr Newman was gone.
"Ashgrove is lost and it has been lost with a massive swing considering the amount of money and resources devoted to it,"
"This has been a referendum on LNP leadership and the leadership battle is now on within the LNP to to see who will lead the party."
"The question is how big is the swing."
Mr Green said with 7.3 per cent of the vote counted, the swing was about 10 per cent overall.
"The swing is not big enough to change government ... but on the numbers we're seeing it's close enough to put the LNP in a great deal of difficulty," he said.
"Just at the moment, this is a very close election. It's not clear, we're going to have to wait for for counting in individual seats."
Almost 10% of the polling booths have been counted for the seat of Mount Isa, with 243 counted. Results from the four initial booths show state member for Mount Isa and Katter's Australia Party candidate has started strongly with 56.25% of the vote. The LNP's John Wharton (69 votes) has attacted 28.75% and Labor's Simon Tayler (32 votes) 13.33% of the vote.
Katter's Australian Party is ahead in two seats considered safe with state member for Mount Isa Rob Katter and Shane Knuth (Dalrymple) forging to early leads. Shane Paulger in Gympie, considered an outsider for the seat, is in second spot after early counts with more than 20% of the vote.
Two polling booths have returned results for the seat of Mount Isa with Rob Katter streaking to an expected early lead. Ninety-one votes (89 formal, two informal) have been recorded with the state member for Mount Isa and Katter's Australia Party candidate already scoring more than 50% of total votes with 46 votes (51.69%). The LNP's John Wharton is in second with 25 votes and Labor's Simon Tayler has 15 votes. One Nation's Scott Sheard (two) and Greens' candidate Marcus Foth (one), as expected, are not in the early race.
The results from the first polling booth in the Mount Isa electorate show state member and Katter's Austraian Party candidate Rob Katter remains popular to retain his seat. Only 42 votes were recorded from the small polling booth, but the incumbent Mr Katter garnered more than 70% with 29 votes.
Simon Tayler attracted six votes with the LNP's John Wharton with four. Greens' candidate Marcus Foth and One Nation candidate recorded one vote each.
Polling booths have closed across Queensland.
Queensland's LNP government led by Campbell Newman is in real trouble, according to a Galaxy exit poll for the Nine Network.
The exit poll of 17 electorates is showing a swing against the Liberal National Party of 16.8 per cent.
Labor needs a universal swing just over 12 per cent to snatch back government.
The LNP has 73 seats in the 89 seat parliament, Labor has nine, while the Katter Australia Party has three and there are four independents
Queensland Parliament: 89 seats
Number of seats held by the LNP, Labor, Independents, and Katter's Australian Party before the 2015 election.
Before the election was called, the numbers were:
Liberal National Party: 73 seats
Labor: 9 seats
Independent: 4 seats
Katter's Australian Party: 3 seats
THOUSANDS of jobs hinge on the extension of the Glencore Mount Isa Mines copper smelter - and it is one of the hot topics ahead of the results of tonight's election
Early exit polls suggest Queenslanders could wake up to a Labor government, a concern for the potential extension of the smelter until 2020.
Labor can’t be trusted to extend the life of Mount Isa’s Copper Smelter, says State Member and Katter's Australian Party Candidate for Mount Isa, Rob Katter.
“No matter what the well-meaning Labor candidate may say, people must remember that the environmental concessions made to extend the life of the copper smelter, will not be guaranteed under Labor,” Mr Katter said.
No matter what the well-meaning Labor candidate may say, people must remember that the environmental concessions made to extend the life of the copper smelter, will not be guaranteed under Labor
- State member and KAP candidate for Mount Isa Rob Katter
He urged people in Mount Isa city to remember it was Labor that brought in the environmental legislation that threatened to curtail the life of the CopperSmelter.
“Labor put your jobs in jeopardy; don’t trust them again with such an important issue.
“As far as I’m concerned they’re a death knell to the city and a death knell to the country, with their live export ban.
“They’re not to be trusted and they don’t deserve the vote of people in the North West,” Mr Katter said.
Labor candidate for Mount Isa Simon Tayler said the party was dedicated to the extension of Mount Isa’s copper smelter regardless of the election result.
“Unlike Campbell Newman and the LNP, the Labor Party will not threaten the electorate based on who gets voted in,” he said.
“Labor is a party of jobs and, as such, regardless of whether I win your vote [tomorrow] or not, Labor is about honouring our commitments.”
Labor is a party of jobs and, as such, regardless of whether I win your vote [tomorrow] or not, Labor is about honouring our commitments.
- Labor candidate for Mount Isa Simon Tayler
Mr Tayler said the four-year extension of the smelter and the refinery in Townsville was “bigger than party politics” – a view he claimed before the election date was set.
Early exit polling suggests Queensland will wake up with a new government.
A Galaxy poll, commissioned by Nine News, indicates a state-wide swing of 16.8 per cent, which result in a change of government if correct.
Premier Campbell Newman would receive a crushing defeat at the hands of Kate Jones in Ashgrove, with the poll handing Ms Jones 56 per cent of the vote after preferences.
The Galaxy numbers had the ALP leading the LNP by just one percentage point (39 per cent to 38 per cent) on first preferences, with a strong preference flow delivering 54 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote to Labor.
The Liberal National Party will pull pamphlets alleging Katter's Australian Party has sealed preference deals with Labor and the Greens ahead of tomorrow's election.
Bob Katter launched a formal injunction on Friday over the "Ready for Chaos?" cards.
He said voters would be misled by allegations that his party had struck a deal to "call the daily shots for a Palaszczuk Labor Government".
But that injunction has been withdrawn after lawyers for the LNP agreed to stop publishing the pamphlets, KAP president Shane Paulger said on Friday evening.
"The Katter's Australian Party has achieved (the) desired result," he said.
"We have withdrawn our application.
The LNP lost a second last-minute legal bid this morning against its political rivals in Queensland.
But it has had one small victory, successfully barring an independent from handing out how-to-vote cards in Redlands.
The party issued a statement on Saturday morning saying the LNP was seeking a court injunction to prevent the ALP using certain material at polling booths.
The white, purple and black signs tell voters to remember to "number every square" and don't carry any clear ALP insignia.
This statement is "misleading electors in relation to the way of voting at the election", according to the LNP.
The colour scheme and overall look of the signs also made them look like an official directive, a party spokesperson explained.
But the Supreme Court disagreed and said the signs were unlikely to deceive voters.
The party also launched a legal attack against activist group GetUp in relation to how-to-vote cards the group had been handing out.
The cards directs voters how best to fill out their ballots to protect the Great Barrier Reef, a GetUp statement said.
The court also knocked back this application, finding there was "no serious question to be tried".
GetUp's Queensland campaign manager Tristan Douglas had said the move was a "cynical ploy to silence critics" and smacked of desperation.
But the LNP did manage to stop Redlands independent Sheena Hewlett doling out her published material.
"So the LNP went to court this morning and stopped my how to votes from being handed out. Nothing like bullying the Independent," she posted on her official Facebook page.
That bid was successful because Ms Hewlett hadn't registered her material by the Wednesday deadline, an LNP spokesperson said.
The LNP has adopted a "Just Vote 1" slogan for this state election.
Bob Katter predicts minor parties will have a major role to play in Queensland's next state parliament.
The federal MP was in Townsville to lodge his own ballot and talk with voters on Saturday morning.
He predicted a close election would deliver a hung parliament, handing the minor parties the balance of power and a "major role" in the next state parliament.
Mr Katter dismissed earlier statements from both Labor and LNP ruling out doing deals with their smaller counterparts to secure power.
"(They) would sell their grandmothers into white slavery (to secure government)," he said.
The Katter's Australian Party has put up candidates in 11 seats this election.
Of those, the party currently holds two: Rob Katter in the Mount Isa electorate and Shane Knuth in Dalrymple.
Despite these seats being rated either safe or very safe for KAP, the party's federal leader said there were no sure bets for polling day.
"I wouldn't be counting our chickens before they hatch," he told AAP.
"But everywhere we've put someone up, we think we have a chance."
The margins of the seats the KAP is contesting are mostly double digits and range up to 25.5 per cent.
The party's best chance could be in the marginal Cape York seat of Cook, which the LNP hold by just 3.4 per cent.
According to Mr Katter, Lockyer and Gympie could also yield wins for KAP.
The LNP's plan to lease state-owned assets was the main reason for voter discontent with the Newman government, he said.
"It's completely mad," he said of the scheme.
"I don't know what we're going to be left owning."
But despite Labor campaigning against asset sales, he didn't endorse Annastacia Palaszczuk as a worthy of the state's top job.
Asked if the Labor leader deserved to become the next Queensland premier, he said: "Absolutely not."
Mr Katter returned to Brisbane on Saturday afternoon to take part in an election night television panel.
PALMER UNITED PARTY
Clive Palmer's party didn't exist at the 2012 election, only coming into being after Campbell Newman's LNP rebuffed the billionaire. Palmer himself won the federal seat of Fairfax at the 2013 election, while Glenn Lazarus is PUP's Queensland senator. PUP was expected to run in all 89 seats, but has only 50 candidates. Would be a surprise if they picked up any of them. PUP could join the other dinosaurs at Palmer's Sunshine Coast theme park.
KATTER AUSTRALIA PARTY
The creation of well-known maverick MP Bob Katter - a former National party minister in the Bjelke-Petersen government who later made the move to Canberra. The KAP has two MPs in this Queensland parliament. Robert Katter continues the political family dynasty started by his grandfather Bob, with two colleagues - Shane Knuth (Dalrymple) and former LNP MP for Condamine, Ray Hopper, who jumped the fence after the 2012 election. Some believe KAP is a flash in the pan.
ONE NATION
Pauline Hanson rides yet again. The One Nation party co-founder who became a headline maker when she won a federal seat after being dumped by the Liberal party is standing for the very safe LNP seat of Lockyer. It's unlikely she'll win on what will be her ninth election campaign as a federal or state candidate in Queensland or NSW. None of the other 10 One Nation candidates is expected to make an impact either.
THE GREENS
The Greens are standing candidates in all 89 seats. But they are unlikely to pick up any. The Greens won their first ever seat in a state parliament at the Victorian election in November but Brisbane isn't inner-Melbourne. Their impact is likely to come more through preferences towards Labor than actual victories.
FAMILY FIRST PARTY
Don't expect any of its 21 candidates to have any impact.
CENTRAL State School has been a popular spot for Mount Isa candidates - and it appears that's where four of them will finish their last hours of campaigning on election day.
Despite nine polling booths across Mount Isa, the ALP's Simon Tayler, KAP's Rob Katter, LNP's John Wharton and One Nation's Scott Sheard were at the school at 8am this morning, along with volunteers offering how-to-vote cards to the line-up of voters.
And that trend continued this afternoon as the candidates took their opportunity to campaign for late votes before the 6pm cut-off. Four of the candidates were at the school at 4pm, although Greens' candidate Dr Marcus Foth was in place of Mr Sheard.
Mr Wharton had the support of Cloncurry's acting mayor Bob McDonald who was encouraging voters to support their LNP candidate.
Mr Sheard said he managed to find volunteers to support him at all polling booths in Mount Isa.
"Hopefully we win," the One Nation candidate said.
Polling booths close at 6pm but the Electoral Commission of Queensland has already crunched some numbers:
2.9 million voters
428 candidates
Seven parties – Liberal National Party, Labor, Greens, Palmer United Party, Katter Australian Party, Family First, One Nation.
89 electorates
Most populated: Barron River (34,792 voters)
Least populated: Mount Isa (19,225 voters)
Biggest: Mount Isa (570,502 square kms)
Smallest: South Brisbane (17 square kms)
The Liberal National Party has lost a second last-minute legal bid against its political rivals in Queensland.
But it has had one small victory, successfully barring an independent from handing out how-to-vote cards in Redlands.
The party issued a statement on Saturday morning saying the LNP was seeking a court injunction to prevent the ALP using certain material at polling booths.
The white, purple and black signs tell voters to remember to "number every square" and don't carry any clear ALP insignia.
This statement is "misleading electors in relation to the way of voting at the election", according to the LNP.
The colour scheme and overall look of the signs also made them look like an official directive, a party spokesperson explained.
But the Supreme Court disagreed and said the signs were unlikely to deceive voters.
The party also launched a legal attack against activist group GetUp in relation to how-to-vote cards the group had been handing out.
The cards directs voters how best to fill out their ballots to protect the Great Barrier Reef, a GetUp statement said.
The court also knocked back this application, finding there was "no serious question to be tried".
GetUp's Queensland campaign manager Tristan Douglas had said the move was a "cynical ploy to silence critics" and smacked of desperation.
But the LNP did manage to stop Redlands independent Sheena Hewlett doling out her published material.
"So the LNP went to court this morning and stopped my how to votes from being handed out. Nothing like bullying the Independent," she posted on her official Facebook page.
That bid was successful because Ms Hewlett hadn't registered her material by the Wednesday deadline, an LNP spokesperson said.
The LNP has adopted a "Just Vote 1" slogan for this state election