Several whips to keep LNP MPs in line

Queensland’s new Liberal National Party (LNP) government will use several whips to keep its swollen back benches in order.

Saturday’s election will deliver the LNP around 78 MPs, and Labor only about seven.

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney says several whips will be needed to keep the LNP’s numbers, including 47 newcomers, in line.

He said it’s up to Labor to decide how it can be strong in opposition.

It will have access to the public resources of any opposition, but parliament is unlikley to be the combative place it used to be when numbers were more even, he said.

“It’s a matter for the Labor party as to how strong an opposition it can mount,” Mr Seeney told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

“They are numerically small but there are techniques I could know all about because I was in the opposition when we had only 14 members.”

Mr Seeney shelved his own leadership ambitions for Premier Campbell Newman to make his bold bid to lead the party from outside parliament.

But he said the pair didn’t even get to celebrate together on Saturday night.

“It was a very long, firm handshake and a bit of a man hug on Sunday morning I can tell you,” he said.

“There was a lot of emotion on Saturday night.

“We took a big risk and we made a big call in putting this together so Campbell could run from outside parliament for the premiership.

“A lot of people said at the time that it couldn’t be done, that it wouldn’t work.

“It was gratifying to make it work and to see it accepted by the people of Queensland by such an overwhelming majority.”

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