TRANSCRIPT
At the headquarter of Queensland's Liberal National Party on Saturday night, volunteers were cheering for their leader David Crisafulli, set to become the state's 41st premier.
"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, Queenslanders have voted for hope over fear. They have voted for a fresh start, and they have voted for a majority LNP government."
The Liberals are projected to win 49 seats, just two more than the 47 needed for a majority government.
The victory also marks the end of Labor's nine years governing the state.
The outgoing premier, Steven Miles, called Mr Crisafulli on Sunday morning to concede defeat and extend his congratulations to his Liberal National party.
"There was always going to be a challenging election for Labor but I have no regrets about the campaign or indeed the last 10 months as Premier."
Mr Miles says he hopes to stay in the leadership despite the defeat.
His deputy, Cameron Dick, didn't reveal if he would challenge the leadership when asked by the ABC on Sunday morning.
Mr Miles hopes his colleagues will continue their support for him.
"We need to see the count concluded and determine who is in our caucus, the makeup of our caucus, then our caucus will meet and elect office bearers. I'll remain the leader of our party until at least that point in time and I would like to, if they choose to support me, I would like to stay on as Labor's leader beyond then but ultimately that is a decision for them. "
The state election over the weekend has seen a record number of three million voters deciding their government for the next three years.
The two major parties have campaigned hard on key issues such as youth crime, and in his victory speech, Mr Crisafulli vowed that he will act on his promise of tackling the issue.
"What history will show is that tonight was the turning corner of the youth crime crisis. And it will be the turning corner to mean that there are fewer victims in this state and, by Christmas, adult crime, adult time will be law. And were going to work on early intervention and rehabilitation to give kids the opportunity to turn their life around as well."
Several criminologists in Queensland previously criticised the Liberal party's claims of a youth crime crisis in the state, saying the claim isn't evidence based.
Besides youth crime, Mr Crisafulli also vowed to address the ongoing ambulance ramping in Queensland, which was recorded as 45.5 per cent in March, the highest in the country.
With the liberals winning the election, some are worried about the future of abortion in Queensland, as it has emerged as one of the biggest issues during the campaign.
It comes after the state's crossbencher Robbie Katter announced he would introduce a bill to repeal the state's abortion laws - which he has since walked back on.
Mr Crisafulli was asked more than 100 times about his stance on abortion, before he finally stated that he was pro-choice.
Federal Nationals leader David Littleproud told Sky News that Mr Crisafulli's attitude to the issue has cost votes.
"David obviously on reflection would probably say he'd prefer to have been stronger in his language in being certain that there won't be any changes to the laws. He'll be premier, he'll determine what goes through that parliament, and he'll get on with the job Queensland want him to do which is allow them to get out of their houses and feel safe on the streets have a health system that actually works and an economy that actually does encourage investment and growth in Queensland."
The Liberal's victory also draws attention to its impact on the federal election next year.
Just returning from the Pacific to his electorate of Grayndler, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledges that Queensland Labor did face challenges of winning the election.
"Well Queensland Labor of course have been in office for three terms, there are a range of issues and challenges they were dealing with, but it is hard to win a fourth term in the office."
Mr Albanese says he looks forward to working with Mr Crisafulli in both the National Cabinet and in preparation for the Brisbane Olympics.
