Premier Steven Miles supports kate Jones for Senate tilt

Premier Steven Miles has thrown his support behind former minister Kate Jones as a Senate tilt stokes internal party divisions.

Fellow ministers Kate Jones and Steven Miles in 2020

Steven Miles has thrown his support behind Kate Jones – the woman who helped him become premier – amid threats of an internal power struggle to put her in a winning position on Labor’s Senate ticket.

Mr Miles was coy when asked if Ms Jones, who lobbied for him to become premier, should get a winnable Senate spot – but reiterated his support of the former minister.

“That will be a matter for the party if it were to get to a vote. I only have one vote just like every other branch member but I understand it’s very early days,” he said.

“I like Kate a lot. I respect her a lot. She’s a great Queenslander but I’m not going to comment further on this.”

The premier wouldn’t say whether Ms Jones’s candidacy for the Senate should go to a party ballot.

“Our party has been incredibly united for a very long time now and I’ve worked very hard to continue that unity,” he said.

“It’s incredibly important as we head into an election. You’ve seen already just how disunited the LNP are. You’ve got their headquarters fighting with their branch members. You’ve got one set of their lobbyist fighting with another set of their lobbyists.

“Being united is what has served our party incredibly well for decades and I expect everyone to be working hard to see that continue.”

Labor sources have confirmed there are moves afoot to snatch the second spot on Labor’s Senate ticket from the Right faction and hand it the Left-aligned Old Guard.

This would open up the position to Ms Jones, a former minister turned Australian Rugby League Commissioner and Council of Australia executive director.

Labor Senator Anthony Chisholm, whose Right faction would likely lose out in the move, on Monday declined to comment on Ms Jones.

“I expect a number of candidates will put their names forward for such a great job. We’ve got to let that process happen,” he said.

“I hope that it is a female candidate as I think that would add to our ability to deliver for Queensland and I expect that’s what will happen.”

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman described Ms Jones as a very capable politician, but said it was still early days in the preselection journey for the federal election.

She said Labor hoped to field a very strong group of candidates at the federal election.

“I personally want to see lots of capable women putting their hand up, and if Kate Jones is interested, she should absolutely nominate,” she said.

“But I also know we have many capable people wanting to put their hand up to run for Labor at the federal election.”