Premier Steven Miles defends decision to take 11-minute flight on government jet for birthday cake, school fence

Premier Steven Miles has defended the decision to fly the 74km from Hervey Bay to Bundaberg on a government jet, claiming it would have cost more in a hire car.

Premier Steven Miles presented a cake to local MP Tom Smith for his 34th birthday.

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Premier Steven Miles used a government jet to make an 11-minute flight from Hervey Bay to Bundaberg where he celebrated his MPs birthday and announced a new school fence.

In making the short flight, Mr Miles and Health Minister Shannon Fentiman avoided driving the notoriously dangerous, single-lane stretch of the Bruce Highway during a week the quality of the road has been in the spotlight.

The premier’s plane departed Hervey Bay Airport at 4.22pm on Monday and made the 74km journey to Bundaberg – roughly the same distance as Brisbane to Surfers Paradise – before landing at 4.33pm.

The purpose of the overnight stop in Bundaberg has raised questions, with Mr Miles arriving Monday afternoon and presenting a cake to local MP Tom Smith for his 34th birthday.

On Tuesday morning, Mr Miles gave a radio interview, toured the site of Bundaberg’s under-construction hospital and announced a new security fence for the Bundaberg East State School if Labor is re-elected.

His office said the government had already leased the plane and noted it did not cost taxpayers any extra to fly it to Bundaberg.

Premier Steven Miles posted this photo to Instagram captioned: Surprised @tomsmithmp with a couple of mud cakes for his birthday. Happy birthday mate!

Speaking to media on Wednesday morning, Mr Miles said he had no regrets about the flight.

Mr Miles said he would be braving the Bruce Hwy every week before the October 26 election and said taking the flight to avoid the road was “entirely appropriate”.

“I had been very busy and it would have cost more to have hired a car for that leg of the trip and the other legs of the trip could not be completed by other transport,” Mr Miles said.

“I drive the southern leg of the Bruce Hwy every single morning and whenever I’m in the regions we are very often travelling that road.

“So when you look at the trip in totality, it makes sense.”

By making the short flight, the premier and his entourage – which included a photographer and journalist from The Courier-Mail – was able to avoid driving the 110km journey from Hervey Bay to Bundaberg along the two-star rated stretch of the Bruce Highway between Torbanlea and Childers.

The journey in a vehicle would have taken one hour and 20 minutes.

Mr Miles made the overnight stop in Bundaberg during a three-day trip to Hervey Bay and Rockhampton to announce two new satellite hospitals.

Mr Miles revealed he stopped in Bundaberg and “surprised Tom Smith with a couple of mud cakes for his birthday”.

He did not hold a media conference to announce the new school security fence or hospital tour.

Premier Steven Miles and staff exiting a private jet, at Brisbane Airport earlier this year. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Mr Miles’s office said he was in the region to “meet with and listen to Queenslanders” across the state.

“These regions have unique opportunities and challenges that the Miles Labor Government is working hard to address, including a shortfall in access to primary healthcare,” a spokeswoman for the premier said.

“While in the regions, the Premier met with education leaders, community organisations, healthcare workers and local business owners.”

Mr Miles faced criticism earlier this year for taking two jets on a five-day trip zipping between Brisbane and regional Queensland in April.

The eight-seat Embraer Phenom 300 used by Mr Miles cost $83,150 for the trip, while the Police Commissioners Cessna Citation CJ2+ cost $84,640 for the same time period—equating to about $16,700 a day per jet.