Steven Miles on Qld blitz while Annastacia Palaszczuk overseas

Steven Miles has mounted a blitz of regional Queensland as he assumes the role of acting premier in Annastacia Palaszczuk’s absence.

• Trade mission: Premier’s flights push

Acting Premier Steven Miles has travelled to Bundaberg as part of a regional Queensland blitz in the absence of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, as the LNP leadership fanned out to some of the state’s most marginal seats.

With Ms Palaszczuk leading a delegation of more than 100 people to China in what has been touted as the largest trade mission in the state’s history, Mr Miles travelled to the regional Queensland city to meet emergency services crew who have been battling bushfires.

The timing of Ms Palaszczuk’s five-day mission – coming after Ms Palaszczuk jetted to Europe for a two-week vacation in September – means Deputy Premier Miles is now in the acting premier role for a second stint in just two months.

Greeting fireys with a carton of XXXX beer and a bottle of Bundaberg Rum – to be enjoyed while off-duty, he said – Mr Miles was flanked by local MP Tom Smith, who has the unfortunate novelty of holding the Labor’s most marginal seat at just 0.01 per cent.

Acting Premier Steven Miles bearing XXXX and rum for Bundaberg firefighters. Picture: Annette Dew

“To all of our services, the volunteer and paid services, rural fire, SES, fire, police, ambulance, our health services, housing and communities who are an incredible part of the initial response as well as the longer term recovery, and my team in the Queensland Reconstruction Authority – they all work so well together and that is what makes Queensland the best place in the world at responding to disasters,” he said.

The Acting Premier was also expected to spend Wednesday in regional Queensland.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader David Crisafulli used the absence of Ms Palaszczuk in a non-sitting week to also blitz the regions in an attempt to spruik the LNP’s recently launched “right priorities” blueprint.

Mr Crisafulli headed to Townsville – where the LNP has its eye on three seats – and was joined by Thuringowa candidate Natalie Marr and Mundingburra Janelle Poole to accuse the government of dropping the ball on youth crime.

“Increasingly we are seeing the government disconnected from the views of everyday people,” he said.

“People are demanding an end to the chaos and crisis, and they want to feel safe again in their homes and their businesses.”

Deputy Leader Jarrod Bleijie was talking health issues in Hervey Bay – a seat the LNP lost to Labor’s Adrian Tantari in 2020 – with LNP candidate David Lee, while treasury spokesman David Janetzki was in Cairns with their high-profile candidate Yolonde Entsch.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli is on a tour of his own. Picture: Richard Walker

With less than a year until the election, both parties were expected to be hitting the road hard in a bid to secure crucial regional seats.

On Tuesday Mr Crisafulli was confirmed to have taken up the plum spot of fronting the Queensland Media Club later this month after Ms Palaszczuk pulled out without explanation.

Ms Palaszczuk was due to front Media Club – the Brisbane version of the National Press Club – on November 21 where she would have made a keynote address before taking questions from the press gallery.

Late last week organisers were told she would no longer be coming and no official reason given, with it understood the date was confirmed in September.

With Mr Crisafulli officially locked in as a replacement, the event was now billed as an opportunity to hear from and “interrogate the ideas” of the alternative Premier.

Ms Palaszczuk has not fronted Media Club in this term of government, while Mr Miles, Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon, Treasurer Cameron Dick, and Health Minister Shannon Fentiman have been previous guests.

Mr Crisafulli last headlined the event in July 2021.

Mr Miles, when asked about Ms Palaszczuk’s surprise withdrawal, said being premier was a very busy job.