Australia: Labor party soundly defeated in Queensland state election

Anna Bligh leader of the Queensland Labor Party has resigned after a crushing defeat for her party in the Queensland election. Labor's vote share was dropping to about 27 per cent from about 43 per cent.

The triumphant Liberal National Party received almost 50 per cent of the vote up over 8 per cent. The increase for the LNP and decline for Labor resulted in a probable 7 seats for Labor and 78 for the LNP,. Results were not final when this report was issued by ABC news.

This is the Queensland Labor Party's worst ever defeat. Anna Bligh is resigning from parliament as well. She said:"I will be standing aside as the leader of the Labor Party and further I will be resigning as the member for South Brisbane," Most likely successors to Bligh were defeated in the election although Bligh had kept her own seat. Nine Labor government ministers were defeated.

The new premier elect is Campbell Newman. Newman was gracious in his remarks about Bligh:"I thank her for her service to Queensland... I particularly again pay tribute to her fantastic leadership during Cyclone Yasi and the floods. She did do a tremendous job and she needs to always be remembered for that,"

One of Newman's key goals is to reach a 4 per cent unemployment rate. He pledged also to cut waste and inefficiency in the government. The devastating defeat may cause concern federally as the Labor Party is the government at present. For more see this article.