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LNP loss caused by hubris

Arrogance, hubris, leadership issues and the alienation of key interest groups led to the Liberal National Party’s disastrous 2015 Queensland election loss, according to a post-mortem analysis.

Former premier Rob Borbidge and his deputy, Joan Sheldon, were tasked with investigating what went wrong after the LNP lost the largest majority in the state’s history after just one term in office.

Their review has made 39 recommendations and blames a false sense of security created after the historic 2012 election win – when Labor was reduced to just seven MPs – among the factors for the Newman government’s downfall.

Newman: ‘I quit. It’s over’ 
LNP begins post mortem

The parliamentary party isolated itself from the organisational wing, according to the review.

“The relationship between the two wings of the LNP is the single most important issue that must be addressed to ensure that a trustful relationship is sustained into the future,” it states.

The document specifically mentions the breaking of a promise that public servants had “nothing to fear” prior to mass sackings, a perception of arrogance, and pursuing large scale privatisation of assets as contributing to the election loss.

“The decision to sack 14,000 public servants and the manner in which the issue was handled poisoned relations with the people who were needed to embrace and implement the government’s reform agenda, and surprised and shocked voters.”

During its term, the party made judgment errors in awarding parliamentary pay increases and making changes to parliamentary committees.

There was also a perception that the LNP government was focused predominantly on the southeast corner, Mr Borbidge wrote.

“The calling of the election during the Christmas/New Year holiday period was a serious mistake and voters resented it,” he noted.

The review also pointed to a major mistake in not addressing the untrue propaganda of a “ruthless union-led guerilla war” against the LNP, particularly over public service job cuts and job losses.

But Queensland Council of Unions president John Battams said the LNP has tried to lump all the blame on to former premier Campbell Newman.

“This report has given a deodorised view of the impact of LNP government on Queensland,” Mr Battams said.

“‘Hubris’ is a clever word for arrogance, and people are more than `disappointed’ if your party loses 36 seats in one election period.”

– AAP

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