Deb Frecklington wants a more inclusive Queensland Liberal National Party despite lamenting gender identity theories in schools and her party overwhelmingly being against legalising abortion.
The state opposition leader has given her first major speech to LNP faithful since taking up the role after the 2017 state election loss, calling for a more diverse party membership.
"We must continue to grow our party's membership and connect with more younger people, more females - more diversity across this state," she told the party convention on Sunday.
Ms Frecklington used the bulk of her address in Brisbane to reiterate attacks on the Labor government over debt, new taxes, rail transport failures, tree-clearing laws and unemployment.
She did not outline any new major LNP policies, but repeated a promise for no new taxes and was applauded for her plans to "bust congestion" by upgrading the M1, Sunshine Coast rail and the Bruce Highway.
While making the call for inclusion, she drew loud applause for her broadside over the state education department allowing a Brisbane school to use an educational resource which encourages students to think of gender as a spectrum rather than a strictly defined binary.
"Our schools have NAPLAN results which show them going backwards," she said.
"Labor is more focused on teaching our children gender identity theories rather than teaching them how to read and write.
"That is not a plan for education."
A resolution late on Sunday called on the party to "reaffirm its commitment to existing and long-standing party policy and reject any future attempts to change existing abortion legislation in Queensland".
After five minutes of debate, almost every hand rose.
It comes as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's Labor government moves to reform abortion laws.
A resolution on whether to call on the LNP opposition to block any form of assisted dying or euthanasia laws did not make it to a vote.
The convention on Sunday was the first since the 2017 election, after which Ms Frecklington replaced former leader Tim Nicholls to become the joint party's first female leader.
She will be hoping to cement support with the party rank-and-file as she struggles to gain traction with the wider public against Ms Palaszczuk.
