The ABC’s Chris O’Brien reports (10.3.17) on the simmering feud between current LNP Opposition Leader, Tim Nicholls, and former Premier Campbell Newman, which threatens to derail the LNP’s election planning.
‘Campbell Newman lobbing grenades from the Twitterverse may discombobulate the LNP’s state election build up, but how voters will ultimately react is anyone’s guess.
‘The Opposition now has to worry about a frenemy as well as Labor and One Nation (and the Katters and the Greens), if their erstwhile leader decides to make a habit of responding to things he doesn’t like.
‘Fighting battles on multiple fronts stretches even the mightiest of war machines, and LNP strategists will be wondering how to distance Tim Nicholls from Mr Newman without provoking the combative former premier.
‘This is the Nicholls conundrum: own up and apologise for his role in the LNP losing office after only one tumultuous term (public service cuts, asset leasing plan, etcetera), but also convince voters that he’s somehow changed in only two years and is a different leader to Mr Newman.
‘But he won’t want to talk about it too often without entrenching the issue in people’s minds.’
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