LNP never meant to be separate: Brandis

The merged Liberal-National Party in Queensland was never intended to be a new, separate political party, one of its leading federal members says.

The LNP's executive narrowly defeated a move to set up a separate party room in Canberra, which would have meant all Queensland coalition MPs in federal parliament removed themselves from the Liberal and National congregations.

"It was not designed to be a new political party, it was designed to be an amalgam ... and that model has worked very successfully," Attorney-General George Brandis, who opposed the move, told ABC TV on Sunday.