Qld not yet sold on LNP coalition: McIver

14 Jul 2012, 3:35 pm   -   Source: AAP
LNP Queensland president Bruce McIver is warning the coalition not to be overconfident. (AAP)

LNP Queensland president Bruce McIver is warning the coalition not to be overconfident. (AAP)

LNP president Bruce McIver has warned the coalition that a win at the next federal election is not guaranteed and they must change tactics.

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Queensland's Liberal National Party (LNP) president is not confident the federal coalition can win the next election and warned them that Australians are over the blame game.

Bruce McIver delivered a speech at the LNP's state convention in Brisbane, issuing a stern warning to his federal colleagues.

He said he did not believe Australians would vote en masse for the coalition, repeating the unprecedented result seen in Queensland at the March 24 state election.

"This will not be an easy election," he told the hundreds of party faithful.

"They (Australians) are looking for a serious leadership ... and the coalition will have to clearly differentiate itself from Labor, stop playing the blame game, and set up a positive agenda as we go forward."

He said the federal coalition needed to change its strategy to mimic Queensland's, where the Labor brand, rather than the leader, was the focus of attacks.

"The brand is the problem ... and it offers us the ability to link each and every future leader of the Labor party with that toxic Labor brand," he said.

Deputy coalition leader Julie Bishop is ready for Labor to get dirty and personal at the federal election. It comes after Queensland Labor attacked the personal finances of Premier Campbell Newman and his family during the state election, a strategy which ultimately backfired.

Ms Bishop said Labor was at home in the gutter.

"I feel confident that the people of Australia will reject those tactics that ... will inevitably be employed by federal Labor against Tony Abbott at the federal election," she said.

She predicted Ms Gillard would not be at the helm come election time and the "egocentric psychopath" Kevin Rudd would return.

A number of controversial resolutions were passed at the convention, including one that will erode the funding given to Labor.

It calls for the state government to stop public servants paying union fees by a payroll deduction.

Another resolution would allow speed limits to be increased to up to 130km/h on open roads and that a federal coalition government should exempt four-wheel drives owned by people living in rural areas from the luxury tax.

Mr McIver and vice-president Garry Spence were returned unopposed to their roles for the next year.

About 100 equal right protesters rallied outside the conference, angered that state-sanctioned civil union ceremonies were removed and funding for a community organisation that advocates AIDS awareness in the community was pulled.

The government is also planning to ban same-sex people from being parents of an adopted child.

"Many people will be there to show their outrage and disgust with this homophobic government," organiser Jess Payne said.

The three-day convention will finish on Sunday, with Brisbane Mayor Graham Quirk the main speaker.

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