Overview
The election produced an unusual result—Labor did not gain any net seats in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, maintaining 44 of 89, or one short of a governing majority, but the National-Liberal coalition which had governed with the support of Independent Liz Cunningham was reduced from 44 to 32 due mainly to the rise of Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party in their rural heartland. After negotiations between the Labor Party, Cunningham and a new independent, Peter Wellington, the latter announced on 25 June 1998 that he would support a minority Labor government on votes of confidence in return for specific commitments on accountability. The following day, Labor leader Peter Beattie and his deputy, Jim Elder, were sworn in by the Governor of Queensland as a two-man cabinet. Three days later, on 29 June 1998, they resigned so that a full ministry chosen by Caucus could be sworn in.
Read more about this topic: Beattie Ministry