Liberal National Party of Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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 |
Merger of |
|
Headquarters | Albion, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
Youth wing | Young LNP |
Membership (2022) | ![]() |
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.
Contents
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 | ![]() |
Southern Downs | 27 July 2008 | 2 April 2009 | Bligh (2007–2012) |
|
2 | John-Paul Langbroek | ![]() |
Surfers Paradise | 2 April 2009 | 22 March 2011 | ||
N/A | Jeff Seeney | ![]() |
Callide | 22 March 2011 | 2 April 2011 | ||
3 | Campbell Newman | ![]() |
Lord Mayor of Brisbane (until 2012) Ashgrove (2012–2015) |
2 April 2011 | 7 February 2015 | ||
Newman (2012–2015) |
|||||||
(1) | Lawrence Springborg | ![]() |
Southern Downs | 7 February 2015 | 6 May 2016 | Palaszczuk (2015–2023) |
|
4 | Tim Nicholls | ![]() |
Clayfield | 6 May 2016 | 12 December 2017 | ||
5 | Deb Frecklington | ![]() |
Nanango | 12 December 2017 | 12 November 2020 | ||
6 | David Crisafulli | ![]() |
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 | ![]() |
Caloundra | 2 April 2009 | 22 March 2011 |
2 | Lawrence Springborg | ![]() |
Southern Downs | 27 July 2008 | 2 April 2009 |
N/A | Tim Nicholls | ![]() |
Clayfield | 22 March 2011 | 2 April 2011 |
3 | Jeff Seeney | ![]() |
Callide | 2 April 2011 | 7 February 2015 |
4 | John-Paul Langbroek | ![]() |
Surfers Paradise | 7 February 2015 | 6 May 2016 |
5 | Deb Frecklington | ![]() |
Nanango | 6 May 2016 | 12 December 2017 |
6 | Tim Mander | ![]() |
Everton | 12 December 2017 | 12 November 2020 |
7 | David Janetzki | ![]() |
Toowoomba South | 12 November 2020 | 14 March 2022 |
8 | Jarrod Bleijie | ![]() |
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 | ![]() |
26 July 2008 | 25 September 2015 |
2 | Gary Spence | ![]() |
22 November 2015 | 21 December 2018 |
3 | David Hutchinson | ![]() |
December 2018 | 3 August 2020 |
4 | Cynthia Hardy | ![]() |
3 August 2020 | 24 July 2021 |
5 | Lawrence Springborg | ![]() |
24 July 2021 | Incumbent |
More to Explore
- Katter's Australian Party
- Clive Palmer
- Liberal–National party merger
- 2012 Queensland state election
- Young LNP – the youth group of the party