Public servants, MPs, powerbrokers: The winners and losers in Miles’ rise
Steven Miles will be Queensland’s 40th Premier and with the changing of the guard brings a bunch of winners and losers. SEE THE LIST
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He was already considered the most powerful man in Queensland, but Gary Bullock’s crusade for complete control of the state has been realised.
The United Workers’ Union powerbroker is at the heart of Premier-elect Steven Miles’ inner sanctum.
The pair speak almost daily and he is now at the centre of Mr Miles’ relatively small inner circle.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS AND LOSERS BELOW
Queensland’s 40th Premier, the 46-year-old father of three doesn’t have the number of protectors in the parliament that Annastacia Palaszczuk had.
Instead he’s cultivated contacts within the union movement, such as Mr Bullock, and is regarded for his support of staff.
Mr Miles’ chief of staff Katharine Wright, once a media adviser, is likely to follow him into the Premier’s office.
His current Director-General Mike Kaiser – who he is symbiotic with – will become Queensland’s top bureaucrat.
Inside the sandstone walls of the Queensland parliament, Mr Miles’ allies are more varied.
Education Minister Grace Grace is likely to replace Shannon Fentiman as Mr Miles’ most senior confidant in the parliament.
Ms Grace was instrumental in whipping her eight Old Guard colleagues to support the new Premier.
Before Monday’s leadership tilt Mr Miles counted Ms Fentiman as a close confidant, with the pair even appearing together during Ms Palaszczuk’s September leadership crisis to present a credible alternative.
While insisting they remain close friends, Labor insiders say the relationship won’t be the same.
Up-and-coming Left minister Meaghan Scanlon was a staunch supporter of Mr Miles during the leadership change.
Her unwavering support resulted in the privilege of standing alongside Mr Miles, Treasurer Cameron Dick and Ms Grace at the first press conference of the incoming government.
Mr Miles is also known to be close with former Palaszczuk government minister Kate Jones.
Ms Jones has long supported Mr Miles and, as part of Labor’s Old Guard faction, played a role in rallying party elders Robert Schwarten and Bob Gibbs to call for a leadership change.
While Mr Miles takes counsel from his parliamentary colleagues and experienced staff, the final say will remain with Mr Bullock.
Last week Mr Bullock tore down a sitting Premier and now he has installed a new one.
LOSERS
Shannon Fentiman
She rolled the dice and despite a valiant effort, Ms Fentiman came up short. The “significant support” she received from colleagues was meaningless eight hours later when the Right and unions sided with Mr Miles. Her punishment, of sorts, will be to remain as Health Minister - the poisoned chalice - in an election year. A loser now, but Ms Fentiman has announced her ambitions and could be next in-line if Mr Miles falls in October.
Mark Bailey
A hard-working minister over almost nine years, Mr Bailey was untouchable during Annastacia Palaszczuk’s reign despite frequently creating damaging headlines for the government. The use of a private Mangocube email address for government communications which prompted a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation, union influence and repetitive cost blowouts and a cover-up will come back to bite Mr Bailey. When Steven Miles was asked on Tuesday whether he had confidence in Mr Bailey, he simply wouldn’t answer. The reason is; he’ll be the first to be kicked out of cabinet.
Stirling Hinchliffe
Politics needs nice guys, but they also need capable ones, and Stirling Hinchliffe raised fury among colleagues this month when his handling of the RNA Stadium announcement descended into a farce. He was handed a live grenade by Annastacia Palaszczuk, but a more nuanced minister might have handled the announcement more carefully - not with a 4.21pm phone call to the Lord Mayor asking for a $40m commitment that night. With retirement looming, Mr Hinchliffe has effectively quit and will end a nine-year parliamentary career on the backbench.
Rachel Hunter
The first female boss of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet will be turfed. Ms Hunter has been Annastacia Palszczuk’s trusted Director-General since March 2021. Her contract was extended in April for another three years, which would have taken her past next year’s state election. The election of Steven Miles as Premier will see Ms Hunter given a golden handshake and moved on. With a pay packet of more than $771,000 – well more than any other director-general in the government.
John Battams
The Queensland Labor President was late to the party in realising the trouble Annastacia Palaszczuk was in and he struggled to reconcile with her inability to turn the ship around. Mr Battams joined union powerbroker Gary Bullock to meet Ms Palaszczuk last week, but there is a sense in the party he was caught flat-footed as leadership rumblings began to roar.
Shane Doherty & Lane Calcutt
Former Channel 9 political editors Lane Calcutt and Shane Doherty were poached by Annastacia Palaszczuk to become part of her gaggle of spinners. While Mr Doherty had an often combative and dismissive approach to the fourth estate, Mr Calcutt understood its role. Mr Doherty was moved from the customer-facing role by Ms Palaszczuk earlier this year to instead write her speeches. The pair won’t be sacked by Steven Miles, but could be shuffled to other ministers. Mr Doherty will lose influence, at the least - but Mr Calcutt could remain with the new Premier.
Yvette D’Ath
An Annastacia Palaszczuk loyalist, Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath came out swinging as leadership criticism intensified. She was kept on as health minister for too long and just last week prompted a union rally over the government’s dithering to decriminalise sex work. Ms D’Ath is a capable leader of the house but her allegiance to Ms Palaszczuk means it’s unlikely Mr Miles will see much value in her counsel.
Labor MPs
Frantic phone calls flew between ministers and backbenchers as Steven Miles, Cameron Dick and Shannon Fentiman battled for power in the past 48 hours. In the end the unions had the ultimate say. One insider this week noted Annastacia Palaszczuk’s reliance on United Workers’ Union boss Gary Bullock would be nothing compared to the power he’ll have under Mr Miles. Unions have been an integral part of the Labor Party since its inception, but some Queensland Labor MPs are right now feeling a little more powerless.
WINNERS
Cameron Dick
While he aimed high and fell short, Cameron Dick has benefitted from Annastacia Palaszczuk’s shock resignation - which he notably got little warning about. Mr Dick has always aspired to be Premier of Queensland, but the numbers haven’t fallen his way. Instead he’ll be Deputy Premier to Steven Miles and Acting Premier when Mr Miles is away. He was instrumental in putting Mr Miles in the top job and will expect favourable industrial policy and more cabinet positions in return.
Grace Grace
The Old Guard leader, Grace Grace became kingmaker when Steven Miles was falling short of the numbers to make Premier. She chaired a meeting of the Old Guard faction on Monday and whipped her eight members behind Mr Miles. Speculation about Ms Grace being booted from the frontbench won’t come to fruition. The fighter from New Farm emerges from the leadership contest with her standing intact.
Assistant Ministers
Assistant Ministers Charis Mullen, Michael Healy and Bart Mellish are tipped to enter cabinet following Mr Miles vote as Premier. They’ve been assistant ministers for several years and are regarded as capable performers.
Mike Kaiser
Almost 20 years after being forced to resign from the Queensland Parliament over a vote-rigging scandal, Mike Kaiser is about to become the state’s top public servant. His signature on a false enrolment form in 1986 years ago forced him to admit to electoral fraud and resign his seat as a 23-year-old. A successful business career and chief of staff stints to Queensland and New South Wales Premiers saw him eventually become Director-General of Mr Miles’ Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning. As Mr Miles rises, so will Mr Kaiser. He’ll soon replace Rachel Hunter as Director-General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
Katharine Wright
Steven Miles’ current chief of staff, Katharine Wright, is tipped to assume the same position in the soon-to-be premier’s office, completing a remarkable surge in responsibility for the rising star staffer.
In less than a year, Ms Wright has gone from media advisor to the then minister, to ministerial chief of staff, and now likely chief of staff for the state’s top dog.
Her team will swell from a few personnel to dozens, but it’s understood Mr Miles has significant faith in the trusted staffer, who has worked alongside the newly minted party leader for nearly half a decade.
Gary Bullock
United Workers Union boss Gary ‘Blocker’ Bullock has long been considered one of, if not the most, powerful people in Queensland, given the significant influence of the union he rules over. The UWU dominates the caucus room, leading to Blocker’s prominence as the Tsar of the dominant Left faction and active party powerbroker.
He has been able to swing this power in recent years but Annastacia Palaszczuk still held on to the top job based on her personal popularity and repeated electoral success, despite being a factional rival of the UWU boss.
But now Blocker’s protege, Steven Miles, has ascended the throne with significant help from the powerbroker’s wheeling and dealing, the union heavyweight has direct access to the ear of the Queensland Premier.
Stacey Schinnerl
The Australian Workers’ Union boss met with UWU powerbroker Gary Bullock and between them agreed Steven Miles would be the next Premier. We don’t yet know what concessions the AWU has extracted from UWU and Mr Miles, but we know it’ll be beneficial to it. There is talk that favourable industrial relations reforms will come.
Chris Taylor
Chris Taylor, a veteran Labor adviser who has worked for the Annastacia Palaszczuk on-and-off since 2012, was plucked from Tasmania in the second half of 2022 in a desperate bid for the former premier to mend relations with the press.
His responsibilities swiftly expanded by the beginning of this year when he was promoted to deputy chief of staff (head of media) — replacing former Nine journalist Shane Doherty.
It’s understood Mr Taylor will continue to lead the media team when the new premier is sworn in, alongside a trusted longtime spinner of Mr Miles, Amy Hunter.
Amy Hunter
Amy Hunter, who is one part of the faithful duo who have followed Mr Miles as he rose through the party ranks, will be enlisted to run the next premier’s media alongside veteran spinner Chris Taylor.
With Kat Wright, Ms Hunter has been a loyal and trusted spinner for Mr Miles, helping the Labor leader manage the chaos of the covid pandemic while in charge of the health portfolio and navigated the complexities of the planning portfolio during the housing crisis.
She is a widely respected staffer in the halls of parliament and is adept with crafting and comprehending complex policy.
David Crisafulli
The alternative Premier couldn’t have hoped for a better few days and the election of Mr Miles, who many in the LNP and even Labor, consider unelectable. As Labor focuses on itself people in Townsville are still suffering from youth crime, people can’t find housing and cost of living is breaking the bank. Mr Crisafulli is right now a winner but the actions of Steven Miles in the next 11 months could quickly make him a loser. Watch this space.
Adrian Schrinner
The Lord Mayor will get his wish for an independent infrastructure authority to deliver the 2032 Olympic Games - putting to an end the political influence and outgoing Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s control of the major event. Mr Schrinner labelled the state’s attempt to secure $40m for the RNA Stadium upgrade as “extortion” and used it to draw a line in the sand on negotiations with the state - no more until an independent authority is established. Mr Miles said he’d act to deliver that “as soon as soon as I get my feet under the desk”.
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