Lawrence Springborg's retirement comes amid speculation around future of LNP, his crowning achievement
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There's a fascinating irony around the timing of Lawrence Springborg's retirement announcement, just days after Queensland senator George Brandis was overheard speculating that the Liberal National Party would have to split to combat the threat of One Nation at the next state election.
The creation of the LNP in 2008 is Mr Springborg's crowning achievement in 28 years in politics, and now there is speculation that he could move to Canberra to replace one of the strongest critics of the merged party.
But whether or not that happens, history will always remember the Member for Southern Downs as the primary impetus — along with Bruce McIver and Gary Spence — behind the marriage of two previously unwilling partners, the Queensland Liberals and Nationals.
Although the LNP didn't have immediate success, it won the 2012 election in a massive landslide and remains a much stronger force than the formerly separate groups.
It's a twist of political fate that Lawrence Springborg's personal success never matched what he achieved for his colleagues by merging the Liberal and National parties.
He tried and failed three times to become premier, losing in 2004 and 2006 to Peter Beattie and in 2009 to Anna Bligh. And again recently his fellow MPs dumped him as opposition leader.
None of them, and no voter, ever questioned Mr Springborg's intelligence, integrity or political smarts.
It just seems he was doomed never to appeal to enough voters as a leader of government.
Whether it was because of his home-spun, country farmer style and speech (even though in reality he was more urbane in many ways than most politicians), or because the ALP always managed to find a way to beat him at the post, premier Lawrence Springborg never quite reached the top.
But he served the state and his party well and loyally. Even the poisoned chalice of health — a portfolio that invariably trips up most ministers who sit in that office — was handled calmly, thoughtfully and efficiently by Mr Springborg in the Newman government, except notably for missteps in the closing of the Barrett Adolescent Mental Health Centre.
It's rare for the retirement announcement of a backbench MP to attract so much attention.
But Lawrence Springborg will have a unique place in Queensland's political memory.
Topics: state-parliament, liberal-national-party-queensland, qld
