New Queensland Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls insists his party is united behind him despite barely receiving enough votes to claim the job.
Mr Nicholls secured 22 votes in a second-round ballot of the state's 41 LNP MPs at a party room meeting on Friday to take the job from Lawrence Springborg, who managed to attract 19 votes.
Mr Springborg actually garnered more support than Mr Nicholls - 17 to 14 - during the spill's first round of voting, which saw contender Tim Mander (10) dropped, but couldn't hold on during the head-to-head count.
Nevertheless, Mr Nicholls said the LNP's focus would be on holding the government to account, not internal divisions.
"Today was the opportunity for us to address issues that had been simmering for some time," Mr Nicholls said.
"They have been clearly addressed and the resolution and the resolve of the party room was now, having made that decision, that we come together as a team and take the fight up to the Labor party."
Mr Nicholls, the architect of the former Newman government's unpopular privatisation plans during his time as treasurer, has categorically ruled out putting asset sales back on the table.
He said he would figure out his frontbench over the next few weeks, but indicated he would make spots available for Mr Springborg and his deputy John-Paul Langbroek, who lost his position to Nanango MP Deb Frecklington.
"Both JP and Lawrence have had an enormous input and I would be speaking to them in the near future," he said.
Ms Frecklington, who was elected unopposed as deputy leader, said she was looking forward to fighting for the interests of rural and regional Queensland.
Mr Springborg and Mr Mander both left the party room meeting through a back exit, avoiding media questions after being defeated in the spill.
Share
