From antisemitism summit to no net zero: What LNP members want from government

The news

LNP members have called for the Queensland government to a phase-out pokies, commission an inquiry probing a long-term public transport strategy beyond the 2032 Games and revoke policies nudging public servants toward union membership.

These motions and 160 more are among the issues put up for debate by party members and have made the list of resolutions able to be hashed out in the open session of the party’s annual convention from Friday.

Others, directed at the Crisafulli government and a future federal Coalition government, include abandoning net zero, relaxing native vegetation-clearing laws, an antisemitism summit and action on “gender ideology”.

Why it matters

Over three days, grassroots members from LNP branches across the state, along with party officials and elected representatives, will gather in Brisbane for the 2025 convention.

While the positions taken by the convention are not binding on the parliamentary arm, this year’s gathering will be the first in a decade under a state LNP government with power to act on them.

Many also stray from the often careful or even contradictory public positions taken on contentious issues by, particularly, the Crisafulli government, or federal Coalition leaders Sussan Ley and David Littleproud.

The convention will also elect a new party president to replace outgoing figurehead Lawrence Springborg, and both the regional and metropolitan vice president roles.

What they said

All 163 resolutions are not guaranteed to be voted on, but among those at the top of the list are one which would see the convention call for the Crisafulli government to review and revoke public sector union encouragement policies – and potentially lifting restrictions on some LNP-linked worker bodies.

Another, from the Lilley federal divisional council, calls for the state government to “phase out electronic gaming machines [pokies] from pubs and clubs, recognising their role in fuelling addiction, family breakdown and financial ruin across communities”.

While one of the Young LNP’s resolutions on the list calls for the state to commission an independent inquiry tasked with developing a “long-term strategy for public transport options beyond the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games”.

Number 11 on the list would see the convention reject “the Albanese Labor Government’s Net Zero ‘at any cost’ agenda”, support a “balanced energy mix” including fossil fuels and renewables, and “lifting the prohibition on nuclear energy to enable its development in an open electricity market”.

The Maryborough state electorate council wants support of the convention to call on the state to reform native vegetation laws to allow landowners “clear and reasonable rights to manage regrowth and maintain their land” with protections for “genuine and significant environmental zones”.

Members in the Fisher federal divisional council want the state government and/or the federal Coalition to hold an antisemitism summit, while several resolutions call for action on “gender ideology”, including a ban on all gender-affirming surgical or medical treatment for children.

Other resolutions call for a ban on the import, sale, and consumption of lab-grown meat until health, economic and energy effects can be investigated, student loans to be waived in exchange for a period of defence force service – or a probe into whether service should again be mandatory.

What’s next

A meeting of the party’s state council will precede the convention launch on Friday morning, with reports from a number of leaders – including Ley – before open session resolution debate begins.

Saturday will see federal Nationals leader David Littleproud give his report, followed by the office bearer elections, more resolution debate, and a closed session covering the state and federal election campaign reviews.

A gala dinner will take place on Saturday night, before more resolution debate and a report from Crisafulli on Sunday.

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