Dick declares: Miles will be Labor leader regardless of election result

Premier Steven Miles will be leader of the Labor Party after the October 26 election, his deputy Cameron Dick says. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Treasurer Cameron Dick after Wednesday’s leaders’ debate. Picture: John Gass/NCA NewsWire

Premier Steven Miles will be leader of the Labor Party after the October 26 election, his deputy Cameron Dick says.

But the Treasurer – who is from the same Labor faction as former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk – declined to agree with United Workers Union boss Gary Bullock and Labor luminary Peter Beattie’s claims this week that Mr Miles would be doing better had Ms Palaszczuk bowed out sooner.

Asked if he would put up his hand for the leadership should Labor lose the election – as polls suggest – Mr Dick declared there would be one Labor leader in Mr Miles.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman nominated for the leadership after Ms Palaszczuk’s resignation late last year, but withdrew from the ballot at the 11th hour.

She recently told The Courier-Mail she held leadership aspirations beyond the state election.

Mr Dick made the comments came on the sidelines of the second ­election debate.

“After that debate today, we saw a leader who’s absolutely upfront and honest with Queenslanders, telling them his plans for cost of living, telling them his plans for the future and was very clear and direct,” Mr Dick said.

“And we had the complete opposite from David Crisafulli.”

At Labor’s campaign launch on the weekend, Mr Beattie took aim at the fact Mr Miles had only been given 10 months to prove himself – not long enough for a new leader.

“I gave Anna Bligh two years in office before an election was due with polls showing we would have increased our majority if an election had been held at the time of my retirement – Bligh was re-elected,” Mr Beattie said.

The sentiment was echoed by UWU boss Mr Bullock.

Mr Dick said both men were entitled to their opinion, but said the scenario was entirely hypothetical.

“I can’t change the past,” Mr Dick said.

“Annastacia was a very ­distinguished leader of this state.”

Originally published as Dick declares: Miles will be Labor leader regardless of election result