Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she is deeply disappointed by Labor's election loss in Queensland and the party needs to respect the message sent by the state's voters.
Ms Gillard, who is in Seoul for nuclear disarmament talks, said she had telephoned incoming Liberal National Party premier Campbell Newman to congratulate him.
She also had spoken with outgoing Labor premier Anna Bligh, who she described as a "woman of great capacity with a great heart".
"I'm a Labor person so obviously to see an election loss like that for Labor is a deep, deep disappointment to me," Ms Gillard said.
"We have had Queensland Labor govern Queensland for 20 of the last 22 years.
