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Liberal National Party of Queensland facts for kids

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Liberal National Party
Liberal National Party of Queensland
Abbreviation LNP
Leader David Crisafulli
Deputy Leader Jarrod Bleijie
President Lawrence Springborg
Vice President Amanda Cooper
Joshua Auld
Founded 26 July 2008; 16 years ago (26 July 2008)
Merger of
  • Liberal
  • National
Headquarters Albion, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Youth wing Young LNP
Membership (2022) Decrease11,000
Ideology
Political position Centre-right to right-wing
National affiliation Liberal–National Coalition
Colours      Light blue
Legislative Assembly
35 / 93
House of Representatives
21 / 30
(Queensland seats)
Senate
5 / 12
(Queensland seats)
Brisbane City Council
20 / 27

The Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP) is a major political party in Queensland, Australia. It was formed in 2008. This happened when two other parties, the Liberal Party and the National Party, joined together in Queensland.

In most other parts of Australia, these two parties are still separate. They often work together as a Coalition. The LNP is connected to both the Liberal Party of Australia and the National Party of Australia.

The LNP first ran in an election in 2009 but lost. Then, in the 2012 election, they won by a lot! They got 78 out of 89 seats. This was a record win in the Queensland parliament (which means it has only one main group of lawmakers). Campbell Newman became the first LNP Premier of Queensland (like a state governor). However, his government lost the next election in 2015 to the Labor Party.

How the LNP Was Formed

Why Parties Merged in Queensland

Since the 1970s, the Liberal and National parties in Queensland often competed against each other for votes. At the national level, these two parties usually work together. The Liberal Party is generally stronger in cities, and the National Party is stronger in country areas. This helps them win more seats together than the Australian Labor Party.

Queensland is a bit different from other Australian states. A large part of its population lives in regional cities, not just the capital city, Brisbane. Because of this, the National Party was often stronger in Queensland than the Liberal Party. This meant the National Party had more seats and was the main partner in their group.

Over time, the way elections worked in Queensland changed. It became harder for the Liberal and National parties to win enough seats if they ran separately. They realised that if they kept competing, the Labor Party would often win.

Early Attempts to Join Forces

The LNP's creation wasn't the first time these types of parties tried to merge in Queensland.

  • In 1925, two parties, the Nationalist Party and the Country Party, joined to form the Country and Progressive National Party. They won an election in 1929 but split up a few years later.
  • In 1941, the United Australia Party and Country Party also tried to merge as the Country-National Organisation. This merger only lasted until 1944.

In the 1970s, the National Party (then called the Country Party) started running candidates in city areas, directly competing with the Liberals. This caused problems between them. In 1983, the Liberals left their partnership with the Nationals. The Nationals then governed alone for a while.

Changes to Queensland Elections

In 1992, new election rules made it even harder for the Liberal and National parties to win if they ran against each other. Also, more seats in the Queensland parliament were now in Brisbane. It became very hard to win an election without winning many seats in Brisbane. The Labor Party often won because they had strong support in Brisbane.

Many members of both parties felt that joining together would stop them from competing against each other. This would give them a better chance to win seats, especially in Brisbane.

The Liberal National Party is Born

On May 30, 2008, the Queensland Liberal and National parties agreed to merge. Members of both parties voted, and most were in favour. The LNP was officially created on July 26, 2008.

After the merger, the new party had 25 members in the Queensland parliament. Lawrence Springborg, who was the National Party leader, became the first leader of the LNP. Mark McArdle, the Liberal Party leader, became the Deputy Leader.

The LNP's first election as a single party was in 2009. They gained some seats but still lost to Labor. Lawrence Springborg then stepped down as leader. John-Paul Langbroek became the new leader. He was from the Liberal side of the merger.

The Newman Government

In 2011, Campbell Newman, who was the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, decided to run for parliament. He announced he would try to become the LNP leader. Newman was also from the Liberal side. Langbroek and Springborg then resigned. Jeff Seeney became the temporary leader until Newman could win a seat in parliament.

In the 2012 state election, Campbell Newman led the LNP to a huge win. They gained 44 more seats and won 78 out of 89 seats. This was the biggest win in Queensland's history! The LNP won almost all the seats in Brisbane. Newman became the Premier of Queensland. This was the first time in 23 years that a non-Labor party had won a majority government in Queensland.

However, in the 2015 state election, the LNP unexpectedly lost. They lost many seats, and Campbell Newman even lost his own seat. He then decided to leave politics. Lawrence Springborg became the leader again.

Later, in 2016, Tim Nicholls became the party leader. He led the party to another loss in the 2017 election. After this, Deb Frecklington became the leader in December 2017.

Under Deb Frecklington, the LNP lost again in the 2020 state election. She decided to step down. David Crisafulli was then elected as the new LNP leader in November 2020.

How the LNP Works at a National Level

The LNP also has members who serve in the Australian Parliament in Canberra. These members are part of the larger Liberal–National Coalition.

In February 2022, out of 29 LNP members in the federal parliament, 21 sat with the Liberal Party, and eight sat with the National Party. These eight members were:

  • The Hon. David Littleproud MP
  • George Christensen MP
  • Michelle Landry MP
  • Ken O'Dowd MP
  • The Hon. Keith Pitt MP
  • Llew O'Brien MP
  • Senator The Hon. Matt Canavan
  • Senator Susan McDonald

Generally, LNP members from Brisbane and the Gold Coast join the federal Liberal Party. Members from country areas usually join the federal National Party.

After the 2022 federal election, Peter Dutton, an LNP member from Brisbane, became the federal leader of the Liberal Party. David Littleproud, an LNP member from regional Queensland, became the federal leader of the National Party. This was the first time that LNP members led both parts of the federal Coalition.

LNP Leaders Over Time

Leader

Here are the leaders of the LNP since it was formed:

No. Leader Portrait Electorate Took office Left office Premier
(term)
1 Lawrence Springborg LawSpr b.jpg Southern Downs 27 July 2008 2 April 2009 Bligh
(2007–2012)
2 John-Paul Langbroek John-Paul Langbroek 2021 (cropped).jpg Surfers Paradise 2 April 2009 22 March 2011
N/A Jeff Seeney 1x1pixel.png Callide 22 March 2011 2 April 2011
3 Campbell Newman Campbell Newman being interviewed (cropped).jpg Lord Mayor of Brisbane
(until 2012)
Ashgrove
(2012–2015)
2 April 2011 7 February 2015
Newman
(2012–2015)
(1) Lawrence Springborg LawSpr.jpg Southern Downs 7 February 2015 6 May 2016 Palaszczuk
(2015–2023)
4 Tim Nicholls Tim Nicholls CEO Sleepout 2011.jpg Clayfield 6 May 2016 12 December 2017
5 Deb Frecklington Deb Frecklington headshot crop narrow.jpg Nanango 12 December 2017 12 November 2020
6 David Crisafulli DC 2022 (cropped).jpg Broadwater 12 November 2020
(unopposed)
present
Miles

(2023–present)

Deputy Leader

Here are the Deputy Leaders of the LNP:

No. Deputy Portrait Electorate Took office Left office
1 Mark McArdle 1x1pixel.png Caloundra 2 April 2009 22 March 2011
2 Lawrence Springborg LawSpr.jpg Southern Downs 27 July 2008 2 April 2009
N/A Tim Nicholls Tim Nicholls CEO Sleepout 2011.jpg Clayfield 22 March 2011 2 April 2011
3 Jeff Seeney 1x1pixel.png Callide 2 April 2011 7 February 2015
4 John-Paul Langbroek John-Paul Langbroek 2021 (cropped).jpg Surfers Paradise 7 February 2015 6 May 2016
5 Deb Frecklington Deb Frecklington headshot crop narrow.jpg Nanango 6 May 2016 12 December 2017
6 Tim Mander 1x1pixel.png Everton 12 December 2017 12 November 2020
7 David Janetzki 1x1pixel.png Toowoomba South 12 November 2020 14 March 2022
8 Jarrod Bleijie Jarrod Bleijie.jpg Kawana 14 March 2022 present

President

The President is a very important role in the party, helping to manage it.

No. President Portrait Took office Left office
1 Bruce McIver 1x1pixel.png 26 July 2008 25 September 2015
2 Gary Spence 1x1pixel.png 22 November 2015 21 December 2018
3 David Hutchinson 1x1pixel.png December 2018 3 August 2020
4 Cynthia Hardy 1x1pixel.png 3 August 2020 24 July 2021
5 Lawrence Springborg LawSpr.jpg 24 July 2021 Incumbent

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