Qld governor gets ready to crown premier

Governor Paul de Jersey says he will commission Queensland's new premier once polling results are declared, which is likely to be as early as Friday.

A voter at a polling booth during the Queensland state election

A voter makes his selection at a polling booth during the Queensland state election in Brisbane

Queenslanders will finally have a new premier, around two weeks after going to the polls.

Governor Paul de Jersey on Tuesday took to Twitter to announce he'd decide whether Liberal National Party leader Lawrence Springborg or Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk will lead the state once all seats had been declared.

"I will commission new Premier following #qldvotes polls declaration," he wrote.

The Electoral Commission Queensland has indicated that will be either on Friday or Saturday - two weeks after polling day.

Mr de Jersey's comments suggest he won't wait until a contentious result in Ferny Grove had been decided, with a possible by-election in the Brisbane-based seat meaning it may not be finalised for months.

Mr Springborg wants the LNP to govern in a caretaker role until then.

Mr de Jersey's announcement came after Campbell Newman visited him to officially resign as the state's premier.

However, Mr Newman said he would continue in a caretaker role until a replacement was appointed.

Ms Palaszczuk is in the box seat to become the state's premier, with Labor holding 44 seats and gaining the support of Independent Peter Wellington to secure the 45 required to form a minority government in the state's 89-seat parliament.

Meanwhile, the LNP is set to hold 42 seats, but still has a chance at forming a minority government if Katter's Australian Party MPs Rob Katter and Shane Knuth back the party and it picks up Ferny Grove in a by-election.

The KAP MPs met with both major parties' leaders on Tuesday and insist they're favouring neither side and might not even make up their mind until the Ferny Grove issue is resolved.

Palmer United Party candidate Mark Taverner was ruled ineligible after being found to be an undisclosed bankrupt.

However, a legal expert has dashed the LNP's hopes in Ferny Grove by suggesting there's no guarantee of a by-election anyway.

"The fact that one of the candidates wasn't qualified is not grounds in and of itself to result in a by-election," Queensland University of Technology senior law lecturer Peter Black told AAP.

Mr Black said "procedural irregularities" would only result in an electoral count being declared void if it could be established they were likely to have affected the outcome of the election.


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Source: AAP


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