YouGov poll reveals two-thirds of Queenslanders will forgive Labor for the Palaszczuk years

Exclusive Courier-Mail polling reveals what Queenslanders care about most when it comes to deciding who they will vote for in October’s state election.

Labor’s election strategy to ask voters to ignore the past nine years and instead vote on the campaign promises appears to be working.

Two-thirds say they will forget about the past nine years under former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk when heading to the polls this October.

Just one in three said Labor’s past would influence their vote.

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In three months, Premier Steven Miles has managed to bolster voter confidence in the state’s future – but he still has a mountain to climb, with nearly half of Queenslanders believing the state is heading in the wrong direction.

Exclusive polling for The Courier-Mail by YouGov has also revealed the most important factor for Queenslanders when deciding how they will vote in the October poll is the policies of the parties – not who will be premier, or the best candidate to be their local member.

While Mr Miles has managed to garner a four-point uptick in voter satisfaction over the past three months, the number of Queenslanders who believe the state is heading in the wrong direction has nearly doubled since 2020 – from 27 per cent to 49 per cent.

In September 2020, a slight majority (54 per cent) of Queenslanders felt the state was on the right track, however by April 2024 this figure had plummeted to just 25 per cent before Mr Miles clawed back ground to get it to 29 per cent in the latest poll.

Meanwhile, Treasurer Cameron Dick’s plea to Queenslanders to forget about Labor’s past under former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk appears to have worked on two thirds of voters, with 33 per cent Queenslanders saying the last nine years would influence their vote.

The majority of voters will instead focus on policy promises put forward by each party.

The latest polling by YouGov shows Labor’s decade-long reign will remain slightly more significant for voters in metropolitan areas (39 per cent) compared to those in rural and regional areas.

Voters aged 35 and above also more likely to consider the government’s chequered past at the ballot box.

Only a third of Queenslanders will be influenced by Labor's past nine years under Annastacia Palaszczuk when they vote in the October election.

The potential premier outcome emerged as the least important voting factor, with less than 20 per cent bothered about whether Steven Miles or David Crisafulli would be Queensland’s next leader.

One-quarter said selecting the best local candidate was the most significant voting consideration, increasing slightly to 25 per cent for those in regional areas.

A staggering two-thirds of Queenslanders revealed their vote would be influenced by policies, with voter optimism over the state’s future currently sitting at a dismal 29 per cent.

The appointment of Steven Miles in October has not alleviated concerns among voters, with 47 per cent unimpressed with the state’s direction last year compared with 50 per cent this year.

Mr Miles gained a small bump in popularity over the past two months, polling shows he remains the most unpopular premier in 13 years.

Originally published as YouGov poll reveals two-thirds of Queenslanders will forgive Labor for the Palaszczuk years