Premier attacks ‘cocky’ Crisafulli as Labor starts election post-mortem

Labor is licking its wounds after a devastating by-election defeat as Steven Miles pledges to work overtime to avoid a political bloodbath in October.

• Green tide: The Labor seats at risk
• Analysis: Why LNP still underdog

A post-mortem will be launched into Labor’s devastating by-election defeat as Premier Steven Miles pledged to work overtime in an attempt to avoid a political bloodbath in October.

The LNP has claimed Labor’s heartland seat of Ipswich West for its candidate Darren Zanow with a two-party result of 53-46 per cent over former Palaszczuk government staffer Wendy Bourne.

In Inala, Labor’s Margie Nightingale won beat the LNP’s Trang Yen with a 58-41 two-party vote, despite a brutal 29 per cent swing away from the government’s primary vote.

Premier Steven Miles on Sunday afternoon. Picture: Lachie Millard.

A victorious Opposition Leader David Crisafulli on Sunday morning declared the by-election results indicated the looming end of Labor’s nine-year reign over Queensland amid major cost of living and crime issues.

“The overwhelming message is that people don’t trust this government to fix those challenges, the message to us is to keep going and focus on the solution,” he said.

Mr Crisafulli said the LNP would be focusing on quality candidates and the issues to acquire “one of the biggest swings at a general election”.

Mr Miles on Sunday avoided the electorates of Ipswich West and Inala, where the government was hammered with “very bad” results.

Jarrod Bleijie and David Crisafulli having coffee in Ipswich on Sunday morning. Picture Lachie Millard

Instead, the humbled premier appeared on the sidelines of his son’s soccer match at Mitchelton to acknowledge voters’ message to the government.

“I was expecting a bad result and they’re even worse than that,” he said.

“They are in the range that you do sometimes see in by-elections against governments … these by-elections, they’re hard for governments, easy for oppositions, but this is a bad result.

“I’m not sugar-coating anything here.

“This is the voters of Inala and Ipswich sending us a message that they want to see us deliver more for them and that’s what I’m determined to do.”

He acknowledged the bruising message sent by voters but insisted there was still time to convince Queenslanders of Labor’s plan.

“Certainly if you looked at these results and if you looked at the cockiness of the leader of the opposition you think we don’t have a chance,” he said.

“Well, I believe we do have a chance.”

Premier Steven Miles. Picture: Lachie Millard.

A post-election assessment of Labor’s two by-election results is expected to analyse the effectiveness of its campaign and how Mr Miles’s messaging can better cut through.

The savage result has also thrown into question whether Labor’s move against Annastacia Palaszczuk – prompting her December 10 resignation – has hurt the party and whether Mr Miles was the best replacement.

“I might leave some of that commentary to you … what I know is that these results tell us we need to do a better job, particularly on cost of living,” the premier told the media.

Labor operatives in Ipswich West said crime was the major issue on the ballot paper and questioned how the party would fix it.

The premier on Sunday said the LNP was “very good at sensationalising and politicising crime for their own political benefit”.

Regional Labor MPs acknowledged the “brutal” result, but insisted the government had time to address the issues and take the fight back to the opposition at of the October state election.

Another Labor politician said the LNP’s “easy message” during the by-election campaigns urging voters to send the government a message, had paid off.

The MP declared “lots of things went against us” in the Ipswich West by-election and insisted the government was unified behind Mr Miles.

Premier Steven Miles and Jess Pugh MP for Mount Ommaney (left), attend the Council and the by-election after-party at the Durack Inala Bowls Club, in Inala. Photo: Steve Pohlner.

“People are locked in behind Steven and he’s doing great job, being consultative and more engaged with the backbench,” they said.

“He’s taking us to the election.”

Ms Bourne will recontest Ipswich West at the general election but is expected to immediately return to work in Mr Miles’s government as a caucus liaison officer.

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party recorded a poor showing in the Ipswich West by-election with its primary vote sliding 4 per cent to see it outpolled by the Legalise Cannabis party by 14.4 per cent to 10.7 per cent.

Questions remain over union involvement in the Legalise Cannabis party’s campaign and the issuing of how-to-vote cards to favour Labor.

It prompted One Nation’s Keppel candidate and Senator Hanson confidant James Ashby to attack the use of how-to-vote cards.

“It’s about time we allow electors the chance to vote in peace,” he said.

“How-to-vote cards are wasted paper, intimidating, and just plain old unnecessary.

“Before the state election in October, the people should be asked if they want some or all polling booths where they can vote without being hassled by party supporters and how-to-votes.”