The election race is finally over but David Crisafulli has hit the ground running as Queensland’s next premier.
The Liberal National Party leader ended Labor’s nine-year reign after forming a majority government in the Queensland election on Saturday night.
Mr Crisafulli wasted little time toasting his success, summoning senior staff at Queensland parliament on Sunday morning after a 7.30am call from Labor’s outgoing premier Steven Miles to concede defeat.
Mr Crisafulli even had time for a gym session before gathering colleagues to discuss the policies he promised to implement during a rollercoaster election campaign.
Top of the list will be youth crime.
Mr Crisafulli promised to legislate by Christmas his controversial “adult time for adult crime” policy in which juveniles face lengthy sentences for serious offences.
“It’s the defining issue and ultimately it’s the one Queenslanders across the board wanted to see in action,” he told Nine Network’s Today Show on Sunday.
“My commitment to viewers watching today is we will not go to Christmas with the same laws we’ve got now,.”
“We will have adult crime, adult time and we’re also going to do early intervention and give kids hope and the ability to turn their life around.”
Labor has governed Queensland for 30 of the last 35 years.
Mr Crisafulli now appears to be making up for lost time after becoming LNP’s first premier since Campbell Newman’s 2012-2015 stint.
He also plans to introduce a 100-day review of 2032 Olympic Games infrastructure, deliver real-time health data and scrap a payroll tax on general practitioners.
After almost 70 per cent of the vote count, LNP has 48 seats and Labor 30 with 11 still in doubt.
LNP needed 47 to form a majority government.
The grandson of Italian immigrants and north Queensland cane farmers, Mr Crisafulli campaigned hard on crime, health, housing and cost of living.
He dominated polling early but appeared to stumble with the finish line in sight.
Mr Miles reeled in LNP as Mr Crisafulli came under enormous pressure to clarify his stance on abortion after a crossbencher vowed to repeal termination of pregnancy laws if elected.
Mr Miles had hinted at staying on as opposition leader.
But his deputy Cameron Dick said it was too early to make a call as Labor tried to rebuild after losing for just the second time in 13 Queensland elections.
“I think we’ll let the dust settle,” he told ABC TV.
“We need to have a good look at ourselves, that’s the truth. We need to reflect.”
Mr Dick said Labor would need to rebuild trust after losing regional areas to LNP.
“I do think that crime has been a big issue,” he said.
“I think that the challenge and problem for our government is that it became an issue, particularly in regional Queensland around trust.
“And I think in the end, regional Queenslanders did not trust us to address that issue.”
Mr Crisafulli had praised counterpart Mr Miles for rising to become premier as the “son of a factory worker” during Saturday night’s victory speech.
But Mr Miles’ speech on Saturday evening did not include a concession nor did he congratulate the premier-elect despite counting indicating a LNP majority.
All that changed on Sunday morning with Mr Miles’ 7.30am call.
Counting is continuing but it indicated an LNP majority along with three Katter’s Australian Party members and one independent.
The Greens, who held two seats in the last parliament, appear to be wiped from the crossbench.
