Anthony Albanese says Steven Miles will win state election

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Steven Miles will defy bad polling to lead Labor to victory in this year’s Queensland state election.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared Steven Miles “a Labor hero” in waiting who will win this year’s state election despite polls showing Labor staring down the barrel of defeat.

Mr Albanese was speaking on the Gold Coast where he unveiled a $20m package of emergency funding for victims of the Christmas-New Year storms and floods.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Steven Miles during a visit to the Gold Coast on Tuesday. Picture: Glenn Hampson

The PM was asked if Mr Miles had a better chance of winning the October state election than his predecessor Annastacia Palaszczuk, who he replaced last month following her bombshell resignation.

“Annastacia Palaszczuk was a very good premier of Queensland, she’s a very good friend of mine, she won three elections in a row,” Mr Albanese said.

“She’s a Labor hero. This bloke here (Mr Miles) is going to be a Labor hero when he wins the next election held later this year.

“The truth is that governments transition. And the transition in Queensland, I’m pleased to say, has been smooth (and) has been clear.”

Mr Albanese said despite only being in the job for less than a month, Mr Miles had shown why he was chosen unanimously by the Queensland Labor caucus to lead the state “and why he will be an outstanding premier for this great state”.

“I look forward to working with him for many years ahead,” he said.

Mr Albanese did not answer when asked if it was politically wise for Mr Miles to be pushing ahead with a controversial Path To Treaty with indigenous Queenslanders after the overwhelming rejection of the Voice to federal Parliament last October.