David Littleproud on Weekend Today
SOPHIE WALSH
Let's bring in today's talkers, Nationals Leader David Littleproud and 4BC's Sofie Formica. Good morning to you both. David, first to you. It was a tighter contest than we were expecting, but David Crisafulli got the job done. There must have been some nerves in your count last night though, when those initial votes started rolling in and it was quite tight.
DAVID LITTLEPROUD
You know, I don't think we were ever expecting a landslide. David had to win 12 seats out of a 93-seat Parliament. That's a lot to start with. He'll end up somewhere between 15 and 20, that gain. So close to a six or seven seat majority. That's a big effort. That's a big swing. And I think what happened last night is a reflection of the fact that so many people voted early. There was, I think, over 60 per cent who voted early. And I think it's more about the ECQ, not being able to get those numbers out quick enough so that people could see what was happening.
There was a swing on from the start. It was just the magnitude that changed during the night. So a historic win, David should be very proud of that. He ran a very disciplined campaign and I think he now has a mandate to get on with the job. We've got a unicameral parliamentary system here. He doesn't have an Upper House to worry about. So I think Queensland is expecting change and that change will start day one.
SOPHIE WALSH
If he doesn't get that crime right down, do you think that he should step aside?
DAVID LITTLEPROUD
Yeah, look, he's been very clear. I mean, that took courage just to say, look, if I haven't done the job in four years, well I won't be here. And good on him. And I think that's what people want from their politicians. If you say you're going to do something, get on and do it. And he's got the mandate, it's a lot easier in Brisbane than it is in Canberra. Because he doesn't have to worry about a Senate. So he's got the policies, get on and deliver it. That's what Queensland said last night.
SOPHIE WALSH
Sofie, you were at LNP headquarters last night. What was the feeling like there? And also the Premier now has some big promises to fulfil, doesn't he?
SOFIE FORMICA
Yeah, absolutely. Look, they were, I think, pretty optimistic from the beginning and stayed optimistic through the night. It wasn't until polls closed, obviously all of the polling from inside the booths were counted. And not long after we started to see those pre-poll numbers come through. As David mentioned, we had record numbers here in Queensland, I think the most ever of people who went to the polls early. When those numbers started to come through, there was certainly a sense that we've done enough, it's going to be okay. And you know, I think a couple of things in this campaign had the whole agenda of bringing up reproductive rights and laws.
Had that happened a week earlier, the outcome could have been different. If there was another week before the polls closed, maybe things would've been even tighter. It does look like they will get the majority that they're looking for, five seats in particular are looking pretty strong.
And I think what we also saw last night was the first time that David Crisafulli really stood up and looked more like, I think the Premier that he will be, than maybe we've seen through the campaign. The language that he used in his speech last night I thought was really strong. I was like a lot of people going, oh, please don't bring out all the slogans again. Do not come and stand on that stage holding onto that, you know, yellow and blue brochure again. And instead it was, I think, very heartfelt. His words were really well chosen. He used a lot of the language that I think we will continue to see over these first a hundred days where we see the reviews of so many things.
Not just the Olympics before the change that everybody is hoping for happens.
SOPHIE WALSH
Guys, moving on. Anthony Albanese is this morning under fire, with the PM forced to explain his relationship with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce. After a new book claimed he received dozens of free upgrades for personal travel by making direct requests to the then CEO. David, does this pass the pub test?
DAVID LITTLEPROUD
No, it doesn't. I think the Prime Minister needs to give an explanation. And did he declare to have direct contact with Alan Joyce and when his government made a very pivotal decision around airline competition in this country by blocking Qatar, bringing more flights, driving up more competition in this country. I think the Prime Minister simply has to put it to bed one way or another. Come out and disclose exactly what happened. And if he didn't declare it on his pecuniary interest, why not? And I think that's a reasonable question to ask considering the significant decisions that this government's made around airfares and airlines in this country.
I think it's important for the Prime Minister to preserve the status of his office to come out and do that today. Not hide as he did yesterday.
SOPHIE WALSH
I mean, he has declared it, but a lot of people think that probably it wasn't a very good look, Sofie?
SOFIE FORMICA
It's not a good look. So, the reality is that he's not alone with this. I mean, you'd look at the list of the politicians who will avail themselves to the Chairman's Lounge. And yes, it needs to be declared. But I think more broadly what we're seeing here is another indication of the fact that the bar is not terribly high across the board. Anybody who is in the public eye, whether it be politicians, sports people, media personalities, we could all be lifting the standard of acceptability, I think. So that if you are scrutinized in this way, you accept that the standard that you are walking by also is something that you need to accept.
So across the board, I think we could be looking at this. I think that the Prime Minister, from what we gather, has certainly declared everything. It was the personal relationship. If there was any indication that that also then influenced what happened. As David just mentioned, all of those other things with Qatar. Of course more questions need to be asked. But is anybody surprised by hearing this this morning? I certainly wasn't, were you?
SOPHIE WALSH
Certainly not. Guys, thanks for chatting.
