Australia news live: Queensland Labor leader congratulates Crisafulli on LNP victory; fatal stabbing in Geelong

Crisafulli makes first speech as premier-elect

Andrew Messenger

David Crisafulli has spoken at Queensland parliament house for the first time as premier-elect.

The LNP leader again thanked unsuccessful candidates from both sides before declaring he would get to work quickly.

Crisafulli and his deputy, Jarrod Bleijie, will visit the governor tomorrow to be sworn into interim roles. The full cabinet will be sworn in later.

The director general of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Mike Kaiser, will be replaced by the public service commissioner, David Mackie.

“[Kaiser] was incredibly gracious in that phone call. He has prepared an incoming brief for us,” Crisafulli said.

I want to thank Mike for the way he’s conducted himself this morning.

The Labor leader, Steve Miles, is expected to speak at parliament later today.

Jonathan Barrett

Why is Kmart thriving and other questions about retailers in a cost-of-living crisis

The last full-sized Kmart in the US closed this week – yet another casualty of online buying habits proving to be an existential threat to department stores around the world.

But in Australia the discount retailer that shares the same branding is bucking the global trend after engaging in a years-long transformation to shed its daggy image. The result? Supercharged profits for its owner.

Revenue at the Wesfarmers-owned Kmart Group jumped almost 5% last financial year to $11.1bn, even as cost-of-living pressures dampened the mood of many shoppers. Meanwhile, revenues have been sliding at rival Big W.

Read more:

Ben Raue

What does the Queensland election show about the state’s new political realities?

The Queensland electorate has delivered a change of government, but it was not the overwhelming Labor defeat expected at the start of the campaign and has left the ALP with a sizeable opposition.

Labor clawed back support during the campaign and only suffered modest losses in the south-east of the state.

But it was hit hard in the regions, bringing Queensland Labor in line with the federal party and other state branches who have found their support increasingly concentrated in the big cities.

It now looks like the Liberal National party will end up with a majority similar to the modest majorities Labor has governed with since 2017.

Read more:

Immigration minister Tony Burke has cancelled the visa of controversial US conservative commentator Candace Owens, according to the SMH.

Burke said Owens had the capacity “to incite discord in almost every direction”:

Australia’s national interest is best served when Candace Owens is somewhere else.

Owens has shows scheduled in November in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Dutton: ‘Queenslanders wanted change, and they’ve voted for it’

Josh Butler

The federal opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has congratulated his party mate David Crisafulli for his win in the Queensland state election overnight.

Dutton tweeted this morning:

Queenslanders wanted change, and they’ve voted for it. They wanted action on crime, cost of living, health and housing, and they’ve voted for it.

The federal Coalition leader and fellow Queenslander had campaigned for Crisafulli’s election in the campaign’s final days, but questions remain over the disconnect between the two men on the Coalition’s signature nuclear policy.

Crisafulli had said he wasn’t planning on nuclear in Queensland’s power grid – but Dutton has indicated the federal Coalition, if elected to government, would stick with that policy even if state leaders didn’t back it.

Upon Crisafulli’s election win, there will be further questions about how the nuclear issue will be addressed.

Dutton continued:

I wish David and his new LNP Government all the best on delivering a fresh start for Queenslanders.

The federal Nationals leader, David Littleproud, has conceded that the incoming Queensland premier David Crisafulli’s handling of the pregnancy termination debate cost the LNP votes.

Speaking on Sky News, he said:

David, on reflection, would probably prefer to have been stronger in his language – in being certain that there won’t be any changes to the laws.

Abortion emerged as one of the biggest issues in the Queensland election after crossbencher Robbie Katter announced he would introduce a bill to repeal abortion laws before walking back his proposal to “born alive” legislation.

Though signs are pointing to a majority government for the LNP, the win was not the landslide predicted by opinion polls leading up to the vote.

As the polling date drew nearer, the LNP leader was asked more than 100 times about his stance on abortion before finally clarifying he was pro-choice.

– AAP