Steven Miles says Labor too slow on crime concerns

Steven Miles has conceded his government was too slow to respond to crime in key regional Queensland seats.

Steven Miles addresses the media on Tuesday after being formally endorsed as Queensland’s new Opposition Leader. Picture: David Clark

Steven Miles has conceded his government was too slow to ­respond to crime in key regional Queensland seats as he prepared to launch a post-election “listening tour” to learn from Labor’s painful election loss.

The ousted premier, who was formally endorsed as Queensland’s new Opposition Leader by Labor colleagues on Tuesday, said he believed he led a “strong” campaign despite the loss of government and at least 15 seats.

He said he accepted personal responsibility for the loss, after taking over as Labor leader from Annastacia Palaszczuk in December last year, with the party to launch a formal review of the bruising defeat in coming weeks.

“I think we were too slow to respond to the concerns about crime, particularly in Townsville,” he said. “And when we did respond, even though that plan was effective, people, ­particularly in Townsville, I think, had ­already made up their mind.”

Asked if he had any regrets from the election campaign, Mr Miles said: “I think I ran a strong campaign, an energetic campaign, one where we’ve managed to secure a number of seats ­people didn’t think we would win, but where we fell clearly short of a majority”.

Mr Miles and his deputy, Cameron Dick, will lead Labor in opposition after running unopposed and will begin their regional “listening tour” in Townsville on Wednesday.

Mr Dick said voters expected Labor to do better, and the party would use the next four years “to reflect, to reconnect, to reset and to renew”.

“I think the truth of the matter is that in many parts of regional Queensland, we have lost the trust of Queenslanders, and we need to now work harder to ­listen,” he said. “That’s important for us now, to get out into community, to get out into regions, to get out into the outer suburbs, and to listen to Queensland.”

Right faction MPs Joan Pease, Linus Power and Corrine McMillan have been promoted into shadow cabinet alongside the Left’s Tom Smith, who fended off the LNP in his ultra-marginal seat of Bundaberg.

Former police minister Mark Ryan has been dumped from the Labor frontbench, with ex-­energy minister Mick de Brenni expected to lose portfolios but ­remain as manager of opposition business.

Miller MP Mark Bailey will return to the frontbench after he was dropped when Mr Miles became premier in December.

Mr Miles said he was confident Bart Mellish would retain the seat of Aspley, as counting continues, and announced he would remain on Labor’s frontbench.