Federal election creates opportunities for the Crisafulli government

That would leave Victoria and Tasmania, not to be punished, but to be encouraged to run their states better.

A Queensland LNP premier also has an advantage in that the federal treasurer is a local, as is the National Party leader, and the Liberal deputy leader, as well as elected representatives constituting 25% of the federal opposition.

GST distributions should only be a starting point. As well as the horizontal imbalance between states, there is a vertical imbalance because the federal government raises much more tax than the states and doles it out, often on a preferential basis.

Our federation has been drifting and declining for a long time, but the situation has now arrived  where enough self-interest and necessity are present that it can be fixed.

If David Crisafulli can lead the push for a fairer federation, he will not only secure Queensland’s future  - he’ll define what it means to be a Liberal leader in modern Australia.