LNP trying to turn around PR mess: analyst

21 Sep 2012, 5:44 pm   -   Source: AAP

A political analyst says Queensland's LNP party has gone into damage control to claw back public support after dissent from MPs and supporters.

The Liberal National Party (LNP) has gone into fully fledged damage control as it tries to claw back the popularity that saw it win the Queensland election in a landslide.

Just six months after the LNP took 78 seats in the state's 89-seat parliament, state president Bruce McIver on Friday issued an extraordinary statement of support for Premier Campbell Newman.

Mr McIver said the premier and his government had the party's "unqualified support" as it tried to fix the former Labor government's financial mismanagement.

The unprompted vote of confidence comes after LNP MP Trevor Watts warned Mr Newman could face a leadership challenge unless his government starts to soothe public anger over its cost-cutting drive.

"There is no doubt that Campbell Newman has ruffled a few feathers," Mr Watts told the Toowoomba Chronicle.

"There are a lot of government ministers who have excellent leadership qualities and great potential. If the opportunity presented itself those people might put their name forward."

But in a complete backflip on Friday afternoon, Mr Watts issued a statement saying he supported the government's "tough decisions".

"The Premier is doing a terrific job in difficult circumstances, and he has my 100 per cent support," he said.

Fellow LNP backbenchers Ted Malone and Vaughan Johnson have also broken ranks in recent weeks, speaking out against the government's decision to axe 14,000 public service jobs and changes to the rural fire service, respectively.

Billionaire Clive Palmer, one of the party's major financial backers, also rebelled against the government's job cuts.

But he then backtracked, issuing a statement declaring his support for Mr Newman and the government after the party asked him to reconsider his membership.

Griffith University political analyst Paul Williams said it was "curious" Mr McIver issued a statement of support for Mr Newman, given there had been no suggestion he had not supported him.

Dr Williams said it was likely the party was trying to plug the "public relations hole" it had dug itself into in recent months and was going into damage control on "several fronts".

"Obviously there's been some heads banged together," Dr Williams told AAP.

"I don't know who's banged the heads, it might even be McIver or it might be Campbell Newman.

"But there's been some pow-wows, clearly some harsh words have been spoken and obviously the message has been for everyone to pull their head in. There's been no doubt about that."

He said Mr Newman had presented a more "amicable" persona this week by visiting each level of the executive building to speak with public servants.

Dr Williams said the extent the party had gone to show a united front indicated divisions between the parliamentary and organisational wings might run deeper than it appeared on the surface.

Upcoming poll results should indicate support for the LNP had dropped slightly, while support for Mr Newman himself had dropped significantly, Dr Williams said.

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