Editorial: Steven Miles attacks those he must win back in airport row

Steven Miles has inadvertently branded the voters Labor desperately wants to win back out of touch and not deserving of a fair hearing, writes the editor.

• Watch: Deputy blasts ‘rich elites’

Deputy Premier Steven Miles has declared war on the Greens’ campaign to put a cap on flights and curfew at Brisbane Airport, warning it would drive up the cost of air travel.

But in one of the more spectacular own goals in recent political history, Mr Miles delivered a massive spray at “inner-city elites” trying to restrict flights from Brisbane Airport.

While he is right to say a cap on the number of flights and curfew for the airport would be a destructive idea and do little to help the impacted residents, his method of delivering the message had all the subtlety of a Michael Bay film.

His target was the Greens political party, which successfully campaigned on the Brisbane Airport noise issue in the 2022 election and secured three seats including that of Labor’s Terri Butler.

But, in effect, he is branding residents of the impacted suburbs – and the voters Labor desperately wants to win back – out of touch and not deserving of a fair hearing.

He pointed out the three fledgling MPs’ own frequent flights between Brisbane and Canberra.

But he went on to describe the Greens as “the party of inner-city elites” who were saying “planes shouldn’t be flying over the homes of inner-city elites, they should only fly over the homes of working people”.

Queensland was the only state where Labor went backwards in the 2022 federal election and it can ill-afford to lose any more if it wants to retain government.

The Greens are preparing for an assault against the Palaszczuk government at next year’s state election, and have a good chance of picking up another one or two seats.

Mr Miles even admitted during his spray that he had been warned to “tone down” his language against the Greens and that he had failed to achieve this. He wouldn’t elaborate who had given him this advice.

Perhaps Mr Miles should learn a lesson from Hillary Clinton and her “deplorables” comment that worked against her before the 2018 US election.

Talking down to people won’t win you hearts or minds and certainly not votes.

Speaking at the same event, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner took a much more nuanced approach.

Cr Schrinner talked up the importance of the airport to the city, and reminded people that sometimes an idea that sounds good can’t actually achieve the desired outcomes.

He said living in a large city meant managing impacts and noise, and that there are other ways to minimise those without blunt instruments like caps and curfews.

Steps are being taken to address the airport noise issue.

More flights are already being redirected over Moreton Bay, while a report released by Airservices Australia last year recommended other options be considered including sharing airspace with RAAF Base Amberley and redesigning flight paths to reduce frequency and concentration of flights over residential areas.

It would be better for Mr Miles to speak to what the government is doing about airport noise. Making it personal and attacking those concerned about the issue will only add fuel to the fire.

The last thing Queensland needs is for the government to make a kneejerk policy reaction in response to the airport noise six to 12 months down the track if the issue gains traction and its polling continues to look grim.

IN KEVVIE AND REYNO WE TRUST

There appears to have been two turning points in the Brisbane Broncos recent history.

The first was when they took the brave decision to appoint club favourite son Kevin Walters as coach ahead of the 2021 season.

Although a popular pick, it
was a risk to put the club in the hands of someone with no NRL coaching experience.

The second turning point was when Walters and his staff identified South Sydney halfback Adam Reynolds as the missing piece in the Broncos puzzle, signing the veteran to a three-year contract, and as captain no less.

The result, the combination of captain and coach, now sees the Broncos one win away from a grand final appearance that would have seemed fanciful a year ago.

In today’s Courier-Mail, former Broncos skipper Alex Glenn likens the “little master” to Darren Lockyer, and you can hand out no greater compliment at Red Hill.

“His footy smarts and being the general on the field, that’s something we have been missing at the Broncos and it’s good to have it back again,” Glenn said.

He’s right. And in Kevvie and Reyno, the Broncos have a pair of leaders with a footy IQ the envy of their rivals.

And that’s a great place to be.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here