The 2020 Queensland state election was held on 31 October to elect all 93 members to the 57th Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The Labor Party was returned to government for a third-term, led by incumbent premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. With 47 seats needed to form a majority government, Labor won 52 seats, including all but five in Brisbane, while the Liberal National Party won 34 seats and formed opposition. On the crossbench, Katter's Australian Party retained its 3 seats, the Queensland Greens picked up South Brisbane for a total of 2, Pauline Hanson's One Nation retained Mirani and independent Sandy Bolton retained her seat of Noosa.
Both major parties managed a small swing to them on primary votes, as a result of One Nation's vote sharply declining. On the two-party-preferred vote, Labor had a small swing to it statewide, though the party did notably lose some ground to the LNP in some key seats, including the ultra-marginal seats of Burdekin and Whitsunday, and the LNP also won both Toowoomba-based seats with increased majorities. Labor picked up five seats from the LNP, but notably former Deputy Premier Jackie Trad lost her seat of South Brisbane to the Greens.
At 11pm on 31 October, Liberal National Party leader Deb Frecklington conceded defeat, congratulating Palaszczuk on her victory. Frecklington initially indicated that she would stay on as party leader, but on 2 November announced that she would convene a party meeting and resign as leader. David Crisafulli won the ensuing leadership spill and was elected LNP leader on 12 November 2020.
Palaszczuk became the first female party leader to win three state elections in Australia, as well as the first Queensland Premier to increase their party's seat total across three successive elections.
Retiring members
Labor
Kate Jones MP (Cooper) – Announced 10 September 2020 Anthony Lynham MP (Stafford) – Announced 10 September 2020 Coralee O'Rourke MP (Mundingburra) – Announced 5 September 2020
Liberal National
Mark McArdle (Caloundra) – Announced retirement 27 June 2019 Ted Sorensen (Hervey Bay) – Announced retirement 25 May 2020 Simone Wilson (Pumicestone) – Announced retirement 27 September 2019
Results
↓ 52 2 1 1 3 34ALP GRNIND ONPKAP LNP +Legislative Assembly (IRV) – Turnout 87.9% (CV) PartyVotes%SwingSeats +/– Labor 1,134,969 39.57 +4.14 52 4 Liberal National 1,029,442 35.89 +2.20 34 5 Greens 271,514 9.47 −0.53 2 1 One Nation 204,316 7.12 −6.60 1 Katter's Australian 72,168 2.52 +0.20 3 Legalise Cannabis 26,146 0.91 +0.91 0 United Australia 17,904 0.62 +0.62 0 Informed Medical Options 17,546 0.61 +0.61 0 Animal Justice 9,703 0.34 +0.34 0 North Queensland First 5,616 0.20 +0.20 0 Civil Liberties and Motorists 5,207 0.18 −0.08 0 Shooters, Fishers, Farmers 2,801 0.10 +0.10 0 Independents 70,992 2.48 −2.10 1 Formal votes 2,868,324 96.60 +0.94 Informal votes 101,023 3.40 −0.94 Total 2,969,347 100 93 Registered voters / turnout 3,377,476 87.92 +0.39 Two-party-preferred voteEstimate by Antony Green: Labor 1,524,766 53.2 1.9 Liberal National 1,343,558 46.8 1.9
Vote summary
Seats changing hands Seat 2017 Election Swing 2020 Election Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Bundaberg David Batt 4.20 –4.21 0.01 Tom Smith Caloundra Mark McArdle 3.41 –5.92 2.51 Jason Hunt Hervey Bay Ted Sorensen 9.10 –11.12 2.02 Adrian Tantari Nicklin Marty Hunt 5.28 –5.42 0.14 Robert Skelton Pumicestone Simone Wilson 0.84 –6.11 5.27 Ali King South Brisbane Jackie Trad 3.55 –8.90 5.35 Amy MacMahon
Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election. The Liberal National Party also retained the seat of Whitsunday, where the sitting Liberal National member had resigned and contested the election as a member of their own party.
The swing between the major parties in each seat varied across the state. However, Labor managed a small statewide swing to it.
Queenslanders have been known to, at some points in time, vote for Labor on the state level and the LNP on the federal level; in 2019, when the federal Coalition government led by Scott Morrison was unexpectedly re-elected for a third consecutive term, the LNP won 23 of the 30 House of Representatives seats in Queensland and 58.44% of the two-party-preferred vote in the state, with Morrison's victory being credited to a stronger-than-expected performance in Queensland and Tasmania, despite Queensland having a state Labor government.
Ultimately, Labor managed to gain five seats from the LNP, including two Sunshine Coast seats (Caloundra and Nicklin), two seats in smaller regional cities (Bundaberg and Hervey Bay) and one seat in Brisbane (Pumicestone). However, Labor lost the seat of South Brisbane to the Greens, therefore giving Labor a net seat change of +4.
The seat of Bundaberg was won by Labor with a margin of just nine votes, currently the smallest margin of any federal or state electorate in Australia.
Labor's defeat in South Brisbane was significant in two ways. The Greens won their second state seat in Queensland, after winning Maiwar from the LNP in 2017. However, it also led to the defeat of sitting Deputy Premier Jackie Trad. Trad became the first sitting Deputy Premier of Queensland to be unseated since 1947 (when Labor's Ted Walsh was unseated).
One Nation contested 90 seats at this election, but the party's vote dropped dramatically, having almost halved. One Nation finished second in many seats in 2017, but in 2020 the party only finished second in one seat: the Labor-held seat of Bundamba. Nevertheless, One Nation managed to get an increased majority in the only lower house seat in Australia that it currently holds: Mirani (represented by Stephen Andrew since 2017).
While Labor received a small swing to it in most seats, the party did lose some ground to the LNP in a few key seats, including Buderim, Cook, Mackay, Toowoomba North and Whitsunday.
The LNP managed to regain the seat of Whitsunday, where the sitting member (Jason Costigan) was expelled from the LNP and formed his own party, North Queensland First. The LNP candidate, Amanda Camm, managed to win the seat with an increased majority over the Labor Party.
Post-election pendulum Government seatsMarginalBundabergTom SmithALP0.01%NicklinRobert SkeltonALP0.14%Hervey BayAdrian TantariALP2.02%CaloundraJason HuntALP2.51%Barron RiverCraig CrawfordALP3.06%TownsvilleScott StewartALP3.12%ThuringowaAaron HarperALP3.25%RedlandsKim RichardsALP3.90%MundingburraLes WalkerALP3.93%AspleyBart MellishALP5.16%PumicestoneAli KingALP5.27%CairnsMichael HealyALP5.59%KeppelBrittany LaugaALP5.63%Fairly safeRedcliffeYvette D'AthALP6.11%CookCynthia LuiALP6.26%Pine RiversNikki BoydALP6.70%MackayJulieanne GilbertALP6.72%MansfieldCorrine McMillanALP6.80%GavenMeaghan ScanlonALP7.75%SpringwoodMick de BrenniALP8.39%RockhamptonBarry O'RourkeALP8.62%MacalisterMelissa McMahonALP9.54%CapalabaDon BrownALP9.81%SafeCooperJonty BushALP10.49%Ferny GroveMark FurnerALP10.97%McConnelGrace GraceALP11.06%MurrumbaSteven MilesALP11.33%BulimbaDi FarmerALP11.39%StaffordJimmy SullivanALP11.88%MaryboroughBruce SaundersALP11.89%MulgraveCurtis PittALP12.24%Mount OmmaneyJess PughALP12.61%BancroftChris WhitingALP12.80%KurwongbahShane KingALP13.15%GreenslopesJoe KellyALP13.20%LyttonJoan PeaseALP13.35%LoganLinus PowerALP13.39%MillerMark BaileyALP13.82%Ipswich WestJim MaddenALP14.35%TooheyPeter RussoALP14.52%StrettonDuncan PeggALP14.82%NudgeeLeanne LinardALP15.09%WaterfordShannon FentimanALP16.02%IpswichJennifer HowardALP16.52%MorayfieldMark RyanALP16.73%JordanCharis MullenALP17.10%SandgateStirling HinchliffeALP17.30%AlgesterLeeanne EnochALP17.77%Very safeBundambaLance McCallumALP20.68% v ONPGladstoneGlenn ButcherALP23.49%WoodridgeCameron DickALP26.25%InalaAnnastacia PalaszczukALP28.17%
Non-government seats MarginalCurrumbinLaura GerberLNP0.52%CoomeraMichael CrandonLNP1.08%BurleighMichael HartLNP1.21%ChatsworthSteve MinnikinLNP1.29%ClayfieldTim NichollsLNP1.55%Glass HouseAndrew PowellLNP1.59%EvertonTim ManderLNP2.24%WhitsundayAmanda CammLNP3.26%TheodoreMark BoothmanLNP3.33%MoggillChristian RowanLNP3.59%NinderryDan PurdieLNP4.11%Mermaid BeachRay StevensLNP4.39%OodgerooMark RobinsonLNP4.48%BuderimBrent MickelbergLNP5.29%SouthportRob MolhoekLNP5.41%Fairly safeBurdekinDale LastLNP7.05%Toowoomba NorthTrevor WattsLNP7.32%GympieTony PerrettLNP8.49%MaroochydoreFiona SimpsonLNP9.12%KawanaJarrod BleijieLNP9.31%SafeBonneySam O'ConnorLNP10.07%MudgeerabaRos BatesLNP10.09%Toowoomba SouthDavid JanetzkiLNP10.22%BurnettStephen BennettLNP10.79%Scenic RimJon KrauseLNP11.45%LockyerJim McDonaldLNP11.52%NanangoDeb FrecklingtonLNP12.21%Southern DownsJames ListerLNP14.09%CallideColin BoyceLNP15.83%Surfers ParadiseJohn-Paul LangbroekLNP16.22%BroadwaterDavid CrisafulliLNP16.57%GregoryLachlan MillarLNP17.25%CondaminePat WeirLNP19.20%Very safeWarregoAnn LeahyLNP23.15%Crossbench seatsSouth BrisbaneAmy MacMahonGRN5.35% v ALPMaiwarMichael BerkmanGRN6.32% v LNPMiraniStephen AndrewONP8.98% v ALPHinchinbrookNick DamettoKAP14.76% v LNPNoosaSandy BoltonIND15.85% v LNPHillShane KnuthKAP22.55% v ALPTraegerRobbie KatterKAP24.72% v ALP
Subsequent changes
On 10 June 2021, Duncan Pegg (Stretton) died. At the by-election on 24 July 2021, James Martin retained the seat for the Labor Party. On 29 March 2022, Colin Boyce (Callide) resigned. At the by-election on 18 June 2022, Bryson Head retained the seat for the Liberal National Party. On 31 December 2023, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (Inala) resigned. At the by-election on 16 March 2024, Margie Nightingale retained the seat for the Labor Party. On 27 January 2024, Jim Madden (Ipswich West) resigned. At the by-election on 16 March 2024, Darren Zanow gained the seat for the Liberal National Party.
Background
At the 2017 election, Labor won majority with 48 of 93 seats and formed government in the 56th Queensland Parliament. The LNP won 39 seats and formed opposition. Being allocated to crossbench, the Katter's Australian Party won three seats, One Nation won one seat, the Greens won one seat and Independent Sandy Bolton won the seat of Noosa.
Despite two by-elections, the composition of the 56th Parliament was unchanged, with the exception of the member for Whitsunday Jason Costigan. He was expelled from the LNP over allegations of behavioural impropriety, resulting in him joining the crossbench and eventually forming the North Queensland First party.
Labor has won all but one state election since 1989, and has only been out of government for five years since then. It lost its majority in 1996, giving way to a Coalition minority government that was defeated in 1998. In 2012, it suffered the worst defeat of a sitting government in the state's history, but regained power in 2015.
This election also marks the first time that both leaders of the current government and opposition have been female in a Queensland state election. It is only the second time it has occurred in an Australian state, territory or federal election, the first time being the 1995 ACT election.
A record number of minor parties and candidates ran in the election, 342 minor party candidates, 69 as independents or not officially endorsed by any party. Labor, the LNP and the Greens ran candidates in every electorate, Pauline Hanson's One Nation ran in 90 electorates.
Electoral system Queensland has compulsory voting and uses full-preference instant-runoff voting for single-member electorates. The election was conducted by the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ).
Of the political parties contesting the election, the party, or coalition, that win the majority of seats (at least 47) forms the government.
The party, or coalition that gains the next highest number of seats forms the opposition, with the remaining parties and independents candidates being allocated to the cross bench.