POLLQLD By Gabrielle Dunlevy, State Political Correspondent

BRISBANE, Feb 23 AAP - Observers of conservative politics will eye the Queensland election with particular interest - it's the first for the newly-merged Liberal National Party.

The new conservative force is the realisation of a dream for its leader, Lawrence Springborg, but also something of a last hope.

The day after he was returned as Queensland National Party leader, on January 21, 2008, Mr Springborg resumed trumpeting his favourite cause - a conservative merger.

With two election losses in his wake, he admitted the feeble opposition had been letting Queenslanders down, and promised a new party that would meet their aspirations.

"It is my absolute, fervent hope and passion that we will go to the next election with a brand new party in Queensland," he said.

Later that same day, the Queensland Liberals and Nationals announced an in-principle agreement to unite the conservative parties.

With the Liberals still reeling after the federal election loss in November 2007, Mr Springborg's timing was right at last.

But it immediately drew detractors, with three Liberal senators - George Brandis, Sue Boyce and Russell Trood - publicly rejecting a merger.

Opposing Liberals repeatedly roadblocked the merger efforts, delaying talks until after Queensland's March council elections, deferring the issue to a federal working party, and then arguing over whether the issue should be voted on at the May convention, or in a rank-and-file vote.

In June, former federal indigenous affairs minister Mal Brough was made the Liberal's state president, stating support for the merger but concerns over the new party's constitution.

The saga climaxed dramatically on the eve of the merger, when a court overruled the Liberal state council's last-ditch attempt to postpone the parties' meetings, which were to include the vote.

On July 26, both parties voted overwhelmingly in favour of creating the Liberal National Party (LNP), with Mr Springborg its leader and Liberal leader Mark McArdle his deputy. Nationals president Bruce McIver was voted its first president.

Mr Springborg won't say whether he will bow out of politics should the LNP fail to win the election, but it's unlikely the LNP has been the clean slate he had hoped for.

The opposition has improved, getting good miles through the continued health crisis, but continues to be embarrassed by the poor conduct and performance of some MPs.

Mr Springborg must win 20 seats to form government - a tall order - but then again, so was merging the conservatives.

Source: Australian Associated Press Pty Ltd.