Springborg’s parting message to the LNP faithful

6 hours ago 3

Queensland Liberal National president Lawrence Springborg urged unity among the conservative party after the widely respected figure confirmed he would not recontest the position at next month’s state convention.

Often dubbed the “father of the LNP” for his role in merging the two conservative parties into one, the former state opposition leader took on the branch leadership in 2021 amid severe disunity between the executive and parliamentary wings of the party.

In a message to party members on Friday, Springborg confirmed he would stay on as Goondiwindi mayor.

Lawrence Springborg served as state opposition leader.

He also revealed it had always been his plan to helm the leadership of the Queensland branch until the year after the state election, which was held in October 2024.

“I wanted to make this announcement now, to provide our party’s membership with enough time to properly contemplate the critical decisions that they will need to make around the party’s leadership going forward into State Convention,” he wrote.

“The only encouragement that I would provide, is for consideration to be given to the teamwork, professionalism and unity that has been built, fostered and harnessed through your party’s leadership working with the membership and our elected representatives in recent times.

“This, notwithstanding the disappointment of our recent nationwide federal election result, has seen our single united LNP continue to maintain itself as the most formidable and functional of our side of politics across the country.”

Springborg, who led the conservative side of politics to three state elections, is widely admired across the political spectrum and credited within the LNP for providing stability that ultimately led to the party’s first state election victory in nearly a decade last year.

Ahead of the 2020 state election, fractures within the party were blamed on claims the executive wing of the branch was leaking damaging polling numbers against then-parliamentary party leader Deb Frecklington to undermine her position.

But since taking the reins, Springborg has suppressed conflict within the broad church of the conservative party.

Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson, State Deputy Opposition leader Bob Quinn, state National Party leader Lawrence Springborg and Prime Minister John Howard saluting the party faithful at the 2004 campaign launch.

This was exhibited at last year’s state conference, where the stoic farmer ensured the heated division between the state and federal branches over nuclear policy played out behind closed doors and away from the conference floor.

Springborg’s departure comes after Peter Dutton and the Coalition’s landslide election defeat, which Griffith University’s political scientist Paul Williams said was not a reflection of the outgoing president.

“Despite getting a black eye by losing so many seats to Labor, [the LNP in Queensland] still managed to capture a majority of the after-preference vote – the only jurisdiction where that was the case,” he said.

“So that’s technically still a win.”

Springborg, the famously reserved figure who avoids the media spotlight, issued a rare statement in May in response to the temporary schism in the federal coalition between the Nationals and the Liberals.

Amid the chaos, he celebrated the unity of the merged arrangement in the Queensland branch, which was echoed in his outgoing message to members on Friday.

“Whilst the recent federal election served as a disappointment to our supporters, we can take some solace from the fact that we remain the only state or territory where our side of politics holds the majority of seats and a majority of the vote,” Springborg wrote.

“We also enjoy the privilege of state government in Queensland under Premier David Crisafulli and his very competent administration, who are winning acknowledgment across our state for restoring faith in good government and delivering our Party’s platform and policies.”

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