Toowoomba South a 'kick in pants': govt

The Queensland government is trying to paint the result of a weekend by-election as a "kick in the pants" for the opposition, despite a likely win for the Liberal National Party (LNP).

The Toowoomba South result remained too close to call after Saturday's poll, with LNP candidate David Janetzki telling supporters that while it would go down to preferences, he was confident of a win.

Mr Janetzki secured 46.36 per cent of first preference votes and his main challenger, independent former mayor Di Thorley, trailed with 35.1 per cent.

Main roads minister Mark Bailey was keen to point out there was a swing against the LNP, contrary to the usual "free kick" by-elections offered to opposition parties.

"What we saw on the weekend was a kick in the pants to Tim Nicholls as the new leader of the LNP," he said on Monday.

Mr Bailey claimed voters had sent Mr Nicholls a message about his role as treasurer and "right-hand man" to former premier Campbell Newman.

The result was "highly unusual", he said.

"It is putting Tim Nicholls on notice - if he wants to sell off our public assets, the electorate will remember."

Labor did not run a candidate in the poll - a decision Mr Bailey attributed to "a lot of resources" being tied up in the federal election.

The seat has been in either LNP hands or its predecessor the Nationals since 1974.

Mr Janetzki's likely win will ensure the LNP opposition remains level with the state's Labor government at 42 seats each in the state's 89-seat hung parliament.

A Thorley victory would have offered Labor a slight edge, while increasing the powerful crossbench to six MPs.