QUEENSLAND premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has called an election for November 25, ending weeks of speculation.
On Friday, embattled backbencher Rick Williams was dumped by the party, and member for Rockhampton Bill Byrne recently announced he would retire at the next election due to ill health.
Ms Palaszczuk previously called Mr Williams' disendorsement "extraordinary", similar language to the words she used to explain what it would take to call an election this weekend.
The loss of Mr Williams meant Labor would be on par with the LNP with 41 seats each.
Since defeating Campbell Newman’s government in 2015, Labor has also lost member for Cairns Rob Pyne and member for Cook Billy Gordon, who both became independents.
The LNP suffered a defection in January 2017, with member for Buderim Steve Dickson joining One Nation.
Several Queensland MPs have announced they will retire at this state poll - the LNP’s Lawrence Springborg, Jeff Seeney and Ian Rickuss, Labor’s Mr Byrne, and independent Speaker Peter Wellington.
The Parliament has two Katter’s Australian Party MPs - Robbie Katter and Shane Knuth.
In June, Treasurer Curtis Pitt handed down his third budget, which set the scene for a battle on job creation and regional Queensland.
Labor holds seats such as Bundaberg and Maryborough on very narrow margins, while the LNP will be in a fight to retain Whitsunday and Glass House.
But psephologists will have a field day predicting the outcome of the upcoming state election, due to an electoral redistribution that created four additional seats and the introduction of compulsory preferential voting.
One Nation will be hoping to nab several seats in the next Parliament, including the electorate of Lockyer.
At the 2015 election, Mr Rickuss beat current One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson to retain his seat, winning by 184 votes after preferences.
After being dumped by the High Court, former One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts announced he would stand for the seat of Ipswich at the Queensland election.
After this election, there will be four-year fixed terms, with the election date fixed at the last Saturday in October, meaning this was the last time the poll date was uncertain.
The following state election will be held on October 31, 2020.
