Opinion: Steven Miles, Labor run out of puff as state election looms

New polling might give Steven Miles reason to wonder what might have been with another six months as Premier, but next weekend’s expected defeat is also partly his doing, writes Hayden Johnson.

It was always going to be a long shot, but Steven Miles gave it his best crack.

In a Mt Everest-like climb towards an election victory, Mr Miles is stuck at base camp.

The more Queenslanders see of Mr Miles the more they like him – but he and Labor have simply run out of puff.

Mr Miles might rue what might have been if he had another six months, yet this likely defeat is partly his doing.

For Labor to create a closer contest on October 26 Annastacia Palaszczuk needed to have quit for Mr Miles in August.

Instead, she was allowed to linger and fulfil her desire of surpassing Peter Beattie’s stint as Labor’s longest-serving Labor premier and then, maybe, attend the Paris Olympic Games. Perhaps then would the government worry about the October election.

Mr Miles and Labor powerbrokers did nothing.

We now also know that the more people see of Queensland’s likely next premier David Crisafulli, the more they don’t like him.

Premier Steven Miles and staff exit a private jet at Brisbane Airport. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

Three weeks of persistent peppering by the press gallery on the LNP’s policies have allowed Labor to paint Mr Crisafulli as untrustworthy.

Populist politics, good policy, shaking hands and meeting babies has allowed Mr Miles to claw his way back to within one point of Mr Crisafulli as preferred premier – but it hasn’t translated into a surge towards Labor.

Voters seem willing to go with the devil they don’t know over the one they do.

Sadly for Mr Miles history probably won’t recall his work to, as Mr Beattie rightly said, save Labor from the “hiding” it was hurtling towards under Ms Palaszczuk.

There’s still a week to go and millions of votes yet to be cast, but the Premier has likely saved Labor’s inner-city seats from being lost to the Greens.

He at least made it a contest.

However, the city support for the premier quickly evaporates as one or two government jets fly more than an hour from Brisbane Airport.

This poll proves again the unique political environment – a two-tier election – between regional Queensland and the city. The regions are desperate to boot Labor from office.

Originally published as Opinion: Steven Miles, Labor run out of puff as state election looms