Here come the culture wars: can Queensland’s LNP resist wading into the ideological mire?

David Crisafulli’s government has shown an inability to put aside the sorts of culture wars issues that are increasingly damaging moderate Liberals. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

Only four years ago, some Queensland Liberal National party figures were contemplating the breakup of a political party that couldn’t work out what it stood for.

“What is our raison d’etre?” the former party president, Cynthia Hardy, asked senior members in an email. Back then the LNP had lost 11 of 12 state elections. One senior party figure said at the time: “One more loss and the party will surely have to break up. There would be no other option.”