Queensland Premier Steven Miles defends decision to take two jets on regional crime tour

Steven Miles blames staff for the decision to use two private jets to fly himself and his Police Minister around Queensland a week after passing ambitious emission reduction target legislation.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles exits a private jet at the Government Air Wing at Brisbane Airport. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Steven Miles has defended the use of two private jets to fly himself and Police Minister Mark Ryan on a regional crime tour of Queensland just a week after passing ambitious emissions-reduction target legislation, saying the decision was made by his staff.

The pair, and new police commissioner Steve Gollschewski, used two jets to travel from Brisbane to marginal seats in Townsville, Cairns and Hervey Bay this week to make a series of police announcements after new figures revealed the state’s crime rate had increased by 11.2 per cent in the past year.

The MPs, their staff and Mr Gollschewski travelled identical routes along the east coast on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, announcing an expansion of the state’s police helicopter program and extra officers.

The Premier, who flew from Brisbane to Cairns on Wednesday on his third visit to the city in as many days, said it had “long been practice” for premiers to use QGAir aircraft to travel.

“We have a team of people whose job it is to work out those itineraries and identify the best way to get to the locations that I need to be in and that was the determination they made,” he said.

“Whenever I can travel commercial I do, but this week I am aiming to be in as much of ­regional Queensland, talking to Queenslanders about what I know is a very important issue to them – and that is our community safety plan.”

Mr Gollschewski said it would not have been possible to use one jet. “There are more people than seats on one plane,” he said.

Mr Miles did not answer questions about the cost to taxpayers of taking two planes or how many staff had travelled with him.

“As I say, there’s a team that works through these details,” he said. “We do have a travelling party, various legs yesterday also involved local MPs travelling with us, it was determined that that was the most appropriate way to deliver the itinerary.”

Mr Gollschewski, who was ­appointed to the role on Monday, believed the trip was a good use of taxpayer money.

“I’d rather get criticised for getting out and about in the ­regions, engaging with people while these big announcements are being made and talking to my staff to make sure that I’m on the right track as a new commissioner, than being criticised for sitting in Brisbane and never talking to them,” he said.

“It’s a leadership issue; I need to be on the ground to do that.

“I want to also take the opportunity, with some captive audiences of the Premier and the minister, to advocate for what more I think the QPS needs.”

The decision to take two planes comes a week after the state Labor government passed laws to enshrine its target to cut 75 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions on 2005 levels by 2035.

LNP deputy leader Jarrod Bleijie said Mr Miles and Mr Ryan should have shared one plane. “Queenslanders can’t afford their electricity bills on the ground while Steven Miles is up in the air in two luxury jets,” he said.