Queensland's election wasn't supposed to end this way — the LNP's ...

It was supposed to be over quickly last night, but somewhere in the past fortnight Queenslanders changed the script.

"If someone was expecting me to call the election by now, all I can say is it's not part of my plan," the ABC's election guru, Antony Green, cheekily declared at 8:49pm.

It was, of course, a reference to the oft-repeated line of LNP leader David Crisafulli in response to the question of the LNP's position on abortion and whether he would allow a conscience vote on the matter.

The issue is a primary reason for a remarkable fall in support for the LNP, which is expected to form government — but only just.

When this campaign began on October 1, pundits were confidently predicting the LNP would march into office with a double-digit majority.

What was perhaps even more remarkable than this last-minute turnaround in the vote was the LNP's inability to see beyond its own inflexible rhetoric on the topic.

Pundits were confidently predicting the LNP would march into office with a double-digit majority. (AAP: Jono Searle)

Moments after polls closed, LNP treasury spokesperson David Janetzki launched a tirade on ABC TV's election night panel.

"I think this is one of the most dishonest scare campaigns that we've seen in Queensland political history.

"It's been deceitful, we've completely ruled it out — we have said there'll be no changes to the termination of pregnancy laws in Queensland.

"It's been a fabrication heaped on a lie and the importation of US-style politics into this debate, into this campaign."

The ABC's David Speers replied: "We can feel your anger over this, but we still don't have an answer — would you get a conscience vote?"

Janetzki: "No, no, David, I'm not going to get into the labelling or any of it, the truth of it is we have ruled out changes to the termination of pregnancy laws."

The ABC's Jessica van Vonderen asked: "How can you rule them out?"

Janetzki: "We've said it. David Crisafulli as leader of the party and all of us have been united and disciplined about it. We have said there'll be no change to the termination of pregnancy laws in Queensland and yet we have had this dishonest scare campaign throughout the last month."

Labor deputy leader and fellow ABC panellist Cameron Dick said what everyone else in Queensland must surely have been thinking. 

"The reason this is such an important issue in the election is that they cannot give you a straight answer to your question, which is whether there will be a conscience vote or not," Mr Dick said.

Cameron Dick said what everyone else in Queensland must surely have been thinking.  (Supplied: AAP)

On Sky News, former LNP premier Campbell Newman was making a similar point. 

He told Sky's election panel the LNP's campaign had suffered due to "the inability to answer straightforward questions like the abortion one — not just the women are cranky about it, it's the bloke beside them".

Campaign discipline is one thing. But Queenslanders like straight shooters and they see through clever words that avoid a direct answer.

The night grew even stranger when Labor leader Steven Miles stood up to speak but stopped short of conceding defeat, saying the LNP could not form a majority — despite the fact that Green had predicted a likely LNP victory.

A short time later, when Green called the result for the LNP, Mr Dick made the concession informally then quickly said it wasn't a concession because that was the leader's job.

Except Mr Dick had just said the LNP had won.

A short time later, Mr Crisafulli rendered that confusion academic by claiming victory as Queensland's 41st premier and graciously thanking Mr Miles for his service.

The Crisafulli government faces a list of challenges in its first 100 days.

They are expected to move quickly to rewrite the Youth Justice Act and pass the LNP's Making Queensland Safer Laws.

Mr Crisafulli has repeatedly promised he would do so before year's end.

He has vowed to bring the "best and brightest minds" together to conduct a 100-day review of infrastructure for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics — after which he is likely to be tested on a repeated commitment to build no new stadiums.

He has promised to end cost blowouts on public infrastructure projects by creating a "world-class public service" and to hold his ministers accountable to charters that clearly spell out their responsibilities.

He has vowed to reduce ambulance ramping and to reduce the number of victims of crime (per capita) within the next four years.

Or else he'll give himself the sack.

"That's the way Westminster government needs to work," he says.

All these things are part of the LNP plan. But governing is also about dealing with all the things you can never plan for.

Today, the rubber hits the road.