With millions of votes tallied, Queensland’s election results are finally in, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk re-elected for a third term.

It’s been an unusual election influenced by a global pandemic, with the state’s borders and economy looming large and hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders voting early.

Here is a breakdown of some of the victors — and victims — of the 2020 Queensland election.

Winner: Labor

Since 1998, Labor has held power in Queensland for all but one term.

Heading into the election, the Palaszczuk Government held a two-seat majority, with the Premier declaring that “minority Governments don’t work”.

That majority is predicted to be increased, which means that Ms Palaszczuk will have her wish of not having to do any deals with minor parties to hold onto power.

The projection is that Labor will win at least 51 seats — three more than the 2017 election.

This marks the first time a four-year fixed parliamentary term will apply in Queensland.

Loser: LNP

The Liberal National Party (LNP) has been wanting to get out of the political wilderness since its 2015 election defeat.

Following the 2017 election, the party lost three seats, leaving it with 39 in Queensland parliament.

Deb Frecklington is the party’s first female LNP leader, who campaigned on a pro-business platform that was heavily critical of the Government’s border closures.

But the LNP is projected to win four fewer seats than it did three years ago, in a result set to be deeply disappointing for the party faithful.

As she conceded defeated, Ms Frecklington vowed to stay on as leader, saying the LNP would “continue to play its part in our democracy” by holding “the Palaszczuk Government to account”.

Winner: Greens

This state election saw the Greens pick up two seats in Queensland’s Parliament.

The Greens won their first seat in the Queensland parliament at the 2017 election when it picked up the inner-city Brisbane seat of Maiwar.

While Greens MP Michael Berkman retained his seat of Maiwar, the party picked up another high-profile seat of South Brisbane.

On Saturday, Amy MacMahon became the second Greens representative to join the Queensland Parliament after ousting controversial former deputy premier Jackie Trad.

The Greens had hoped to win the seat of Cooper in Brisbane’s inner west. While the party secured 30 per cent of first preferences, the seat went Labor’s new candidate Jonty Bush after preferences were delivered.

Greens’ policies for the election included a $374 million proposal to introduce free breakfast and lunch for every state school student.

Loser: One Nation

Heading into the election, conservative minor party One Nation held the seat of Mirani in the Mackay region.

One Nation’s Stephen Andrew comfortably held onto Mirani, from ALP challenger Shane Hamilton, with 58.4 per cent of the vote.

The party failed to pick up any other seats across the state.

Labor maintained its policy to preference One Nation last on its how-to-vote cards.

During the campaign, analysts said One Nation led a “pretty low energy campaign around the state”.

Loser: United Australia Party

Businessman Clive Palmer spent big on advertising this election, tipping more than $4 million into his United Australia Party and candidates since August.

Despite the major cash splash, the party failed to win a single seat in the election.

The mining magnate faced criticism for spreading “lies” when his party’s extensive advertising suggested Labor had plans to introduce a “death tax”.

Having been appointed the party’s deputy leader earlier this month, his wife Anna Palmer ran for the seat of Currumbin.

She performed poorly, garnering only 1.5 per cent of the vote.

Neutral: Katter’s Australian Party

Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) became the third biggest party in the Queensland Parliament when it won three seats in the 2017 election — Hill, Traeger and Hinchinbrook.

And its 2020 performance was a carbon copy of three years ago, with KAP maintaining its status.

Shane Knuth earned 73.5 per cent of the vote as he saw a 3.8 per cent swing in Hill, while Nick Dametto benefitted from a 10 per cent bump in Hinchinbrook.

KAP state leader Robbie Katter won 74.7 per cent in Traeger, despite a 3.8 per cent swing against him.

In the lead up to the election, Mr Katter said “we’re fighting for our lives in remote western Queensland — towns are literally dying — so we’re desperate for allies in that fight”.

Winner: Annastacia Palaszczuk

Ms Palaszczuk is on track to become Queensland’s longest-serving Labor Premier since World War II.

She is Australia’s first female Premier to win three elections in a row.

She had copped criticism from federal and interstate Liberal politicians over Queensland’s border stance, campaigning on how the state’s “strong health response” to coronavirus kept Queenslanders safe.

Speaking to supporters at party headquarters, Ms Palaszczuk acknowledged it had not been an easy year for “many, many people” and that she had won support from unexpected quarters.

The former policy and media adviser took over her father’s seat of Inala in 2006.

Loser: Deb Frecklington

This is the first time Deb Frecklington has led Queensland’s Liberal National Party to the polls.

In June, the Opposition Leader declared she would “not be bullied by the backroom boys” of the LNP after an unfavourable internal poll was leaked.

Having fended off a leadership challenge within the LNP in June, Ms Frecklington could face more pressure after a disappointing outcome.

In her concession speech, Ms Frecklington strongly ruled out standing down as LNP leader and said she was determined to guide the LNP to the next election.

Ms Frecklington — a former lawyer who grew up on a cattle property — has held her very safe LNP seat of Nanango, in rural southern Queensland, since 2012.

She suffered a small swing against her, 1.3 per cent, but still comfortably retained the seat with 62.1 per cent of the vote after preferences.

Loser: Jackie Trad

Earlier this month, Queensland’s former deputy premier Jackie Trad declared she was “in the fight of her political life” to keep the inner-city seat of South Brisbane, which she won in 2012.

In the end, it proved too tough a fight as Ms Trad lost to Greens challenger Amy MacMahon with only 43.6 per cent of the vote, seeing a 10 per cent swing against her.

Ms Trad did not invite the media to her election night event, but praised her supporters on social media, saying that “together we’ve achieved so much for South Brisbane and Queensland”.

Ms Trad resigned as deputy premier and treasurer in May amid a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation into her involvement in the selection of a school principal.

The watchdog cleared her of wrongdoing, but also noted the “nature of her involvement in DoE (Department of Education) decision making created a corruption risk”.

Winner: Michael Berkman (Maiwar)

Michael Berkman made Queensland political history when he won the inner-city Brisbane seat of Maiwar in 2017, becoming the first Greens candidate to be elected to the state’s parliament.

Mr Berkman comfortably retained the seat, after a swing of 5.6 per cent saw him win 57 per cent of the vote.

The LNP’s Lauren Day won 43 per cent after 16 of 23 polling booths were counted.

The seat, which includes parts of Indooroopilly and Bardon, was previously represented by LNP Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson.

Winner: Scott Stewart (Townsville)

Townsville was a key battleground this election and both major party leaders made multiple trips to the north Queensland city in an attempt to shore up votes.

Scott Stewart’s seat of Townsville was the most marginal across the entire state (0.4 per cent).

But the Labor Deputy Speaker comfortably held on, thanks to a swing of 2.7 per cent.

It saw him win 53 per cent of the vote, compared to 47 per cent from the LNP’s John Hathaway, with 18 of 26 booths counted.

Labor pledged more police officers for the region, while the LNP said it would impose a curfew for youths and fines of $250 for parents whose children were picked up by authorities at night.

Winner: Laura Gerber (Currumbin)

LNP candidate Laura Gerber has been the Member for Currumbin since the March by-election.

The former Commonwealth prosecutor looks likely to hold onto the seat with 71.6 per cent of the vote counted.

She has 50.5 per cent compared to 49.5 per cent for Labor’s Kaylee Campradt.

Earlier this year, her predecessor Jann Stuckey announced she was stepping down from the job, citing depression and bullying, before she and her husband Richard quit the LNP altogether.

Dr Richard Stuckey ran against Ms Gerber as an independent candidate in this election and has been vocal about opening the border.

Loser: Jason Costigan (Whitsundays)

Heading into the election, Jason Costigan held the Whitsundays seat on a wafer-thin margin of just 0.7 per cent.

This was the first election he stood for his own minor party, North Queensland First, after being expelled from the LNP last year following a complaint from the family of a young woman.

He won only 9.6 per cent of the vote, with the LNP’s Amanda Camm expected to retain the seat with more than 52 per cent, based on preferences.

In April, the woman withdrew the complaint and offered Mr Costigan an “unreserved apology”.

But LNP leader Deb Frecklington said she stood by the decision to eject him from the party.

Source: news.google.com