Steven Miles electorate: What voters in Murrumba think of the Premier

He’s arguably the most powerful politician in Queensland, yet to many voters Premier Steven Miles’ electorate north of Brisbane say they know little about him or what he stands for, and a lot of them are doing it tough.

It is the first thing that hits you when you take the Dohles Rocks Rd exit off the M1 when driving into Premier Steven Miles’ sprawling 63sq km electorate of Murrumba.

A billboard with a mugshot of PM Anthony Albanese, points out that “under Labor’’ mortgages, rent and rates have soared. Albo paid a fleeting visit to the nearby Murrumba Downs Shopping Centre, with the Premier in tow, while Mr Miles has been known to pop in with his family for a bite to eat.

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That doesn’t seem to have made much of an impact on the steady stream of shoppers, who said they knew little about their Premier or what he stood for.

One cafe owner, who declined to be named, was much more blunt.

“When I opened two and a half years ago I had 20 staff. Now I have eight,’’ he said.

“Look,’’ he said, pointing at the docket roll on his cash register. “I’ve only served three customers today.’’

Premier of Queensland Steven Miles. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

Over at the Coffee Club in Mango Hill Market Place, Anthony and Robyn Quinn said youth crime sprang to mind as an issue for them.

Mr Quinn said he contacted politicians if he had a problem, including the Premier (he got no reply to his ideas on pilfered shopping trolleys). He had also attended a forum where he saw Peter Dutton.

“I’m quite happy with (Dutton) but the LNP haven’t had the candidates (at state level), although they are probably in that place now,’’ he said.

“I think Miles will be re-elected but it’s obvious he’s trying to buy our votes. It’s great to have 50c rail fares, but how will we pay for it? $2 sounds more reasonable.’’

Mr Quinn said he also had issues with Opposition Leader David Crisafulli’s lack of detail and costings, dismissing his plan to splurge $50m on the world’s best early intervention policies as “a talk fest on youth crime’’.

First-time voter and retail worker Jaimie Lewis, 18, said she had spoken with friends about the election but was not across the finer points of the campaign. Cost of living was her top issue. Being without a car, she gave the Premier full marks for his signature 50c public transport fares.

Business owner Shier Esk at the Hangout Barber Club in Murrumba Downs. Picture Lachie Millard

There is little sign in Murrumba that an election is in full swing. Locals said they had not seen much of the Premier.

Corflutes are almost non-existent, although at Murrumba Downs Shopping Centre it is pretty hard to walk into Coles without clocking Mr Miles’ beaming face on two signs flanking the entrance.

Over at Mango Hill, Hangout Barber Club owner Shier Esk was not keen to declare his voting intentions, but was very clear not enough was being done on the labour shortage and cost-of-living crisis.

“I have been working six, seven days a week because I can’t get enough staff,’’ he said, pointing at the “barber wanted’’ sign on his front door. “I’ve got customers who used to come in once a week who now come in every second week.’’

Robyn and Anthony Quinn at Coffee Club in Murrumba Downs. Picture Lachie Millard

Internal Labor polling suggests the party is facing a rout in Brisbane’s outskirts, with even Murrumba’s 11.3 per cent margin looking shaky. The seat has previously boasted a Premier – Country Party leader Frank Nicklin (1932-1950).

Queensland’s second-largest seat, by voter numbers, has changed a lot since then. Only a few decades ago, the suburbs stopped at the South Pine River. Since then Mango Hill, Kallangur, Murrumba Downs, Rothwell, Griffin and Dakabin have boomed.

This should be heartland Labor territory. And since 1977 it has been, except for a three-year LNP blip.

But the signs aren’t positive for Murrumba’s second Premier, his toothy smile cruelly parodied on a billboard his constituents can’t help but notice on their drive south.

“Spending, taxing, waste: Can’t afford them,’’ it reads.

Perhaps in an omen for October 26, there was a monster traffic jam from the Gateway merge to Boondall this week as weary voters headed home – another local issue to think about on polling day.