Qld surgery wait times vote needed: LNP

Queensland's opposition wants parliament to vote on Labor's plan to ditch the elective surgery waiting time guarantee.

The debate over the guarantee is shaping as the first major battle in the new parliament.

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg says Labor did not take its plan to abolish the guarantee to voters at the January election.

He plans to move a motion in the hung parliament to keep it.

"This government does not have a mandate for this," Mr Springboard said.

"We will be taking this matter to the Queensland parliament so that Queenslanders can decide on this important issue through their member of parliament."

The Liberal National Party will need the support of the two Katter's Australian Party crossbenchers as well as Speaker nominee and independent MP Peter Wellington.

Mr Springborg, the former health minister, said Labor was pandering to health bureaucrats and unions by ditching the waiting time guarantee.

The state government announced on Tuesday it planned to spend $30 million on improving the so-called "waiting list for the waiting list" instead of keeping the waiting time guarantee.