Miles had addressed an upbeat crowd of his own at a pub in his electorate in Brisbane’s suburban north about one hour earlier, saying it was always going to be a challenge to retain a fourth-term for Labor in government.
In a speech appearing to be a pitch to lead the party in opposition, he said it was clear Labor would be short the 47 seats needed for government in the 93-seat single house of parliament, and the LNP was “unlikely to have a majority”.
“But I have no regrets about the campaign, or indeed by last 10 months,” Miles said, thanking family, staff, the party and union movement, and continuing campaign attacks against the LNP
“Whatever the final number of seats, I will keep doing what matters for Queensland.”
At the end of counting on Saturday, 9 News had projected wins for the LNP in 44 seats, with Labor on 32, Katter’s Australian Party on three and independent Sandy Bolton likely to keep Noosa.
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The ABC’s election analyst Antony Green said just prior to Crisafulli’s victory speech he was confident the LNP would reach 47 seats.
With almost two-thirds of votes counted, the LNP appeared to have collected a swathe of marginal seats off Labor along the length of the coast, including two of the three seats around Cairns and the three around Townsville.
Labor’s almost 110-year hold on Mackay, and decades long reign in Rockhampton, had slipped, and the LNP was also on track to pick up neighbouring Keppel and Hervey Bay to the south.
In the south-east, where Labor’s vote held up stronger than the regions, the party was set to lose its two-seat beachhead on the Sunshine Coast, and the Bribie Island-based seat of Pumicestone.
Redcliffe and Redlands also looked likely to be won by the LNP, with the result in several other Labor-held seats around Brisbane and the Gold Coast still unclear, but maybe offset by Labor winning back Ipswich West.
Question marks remained over the Greens’ hold on South Brisbane and Maiwar, while Katter’s Australian Party appeared on track to retain its four pre-election seats.
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