<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>331821</docID> <postdate>2024-10-27 13:25:55</postdate> <headline>New premier hits ground running after election race</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-331822" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241027134746762182-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Queensland Premier-elect David Crisafulli has vowed to get cracking on election pledges. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Savannah Meacham</strong> and <strong>Fraser Barton</strong> in Brisbane</span></p> <p><strong>The election race is finally over but David Crisafulli has hit the ground running as Queensland's next premier.</strong></p> <p>The Liberal National Party leader ended Labor's nine-year reign after forming a majority government in the Queensland election on Saturday night.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Top of the list will be youth crime.</p> <p>Mr Crisafulli promised to legislate by Christmas his controversial "adult time for adult crime" policy in which juveniles face lengthy sentences for serious offences.</p> <p>"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.</p> <p>"My commitment to viewers watching today is we will not go to Christmas with the same laws we've got now,."</p> <p>"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."</p> <p>Labor has governed Queensland for 30 of the last 35 years.</p> <p>Mr Crisafulli now appears to be making up for lost time after becoming LNP's first premier since Campbell Newman's 2012-2015 stint.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>After almost 70 per cent of the vote count, LNP has 48 seats and Labor 30 with 11 still in doubt.</p> <p>LNP needed 47 to form a majority government.</p> <p>The grandson of Italian immigrants and north Queensland cane farmers, Mr Crisafulli campaigned hard on crime, health, housing and cost of living.</p> <p>He dominated polling early but appeared to stumble with the finish line in sight.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Mr Miles had hinted at staying on as opposition leader.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>"I think we'll let the dust settle," he told ABC TV.</p> <p>"We need to have a good look at ourselves, that's the truth. We need to reflect."</p> <p>Mr Dick said Labor would need to rebuild trust after losing regional areas to LNP.</p> <p>"I do think that crime has been a big issue," he said.</p> <p>"I think that the challenge and problem for our government is that it became an issue, particularly in regional Queensland around trust.</p> <p>"And I think in the end, regional Queenslanders did not trust us to address that issue."</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>All that changed on Sunday morning with Mr Miles' 7.30am call.</p> <p>Counting is continuing but it indicated an LNP majority along with three Katter's Australian Party members and one independent.</p> <p>The Greens, who held two seats in the last parliament, appear to be wiped from the crossbench.</p> </body>