Steven Miles will need to unleash his inner attack dog if Labor are to win in 2028

The last time Steven Miles tried to be an attack dog he came off looking like the class clown. He’ll need to play the role to perfection if Labor want to reclaim the throne in 2028, writes state political editor Hayden Johnson.

Premier Steven Miles needs to get on the attack. Pics Adam Head

The last time Steven Miles tried to be an attack dog he came off looking like the class clown.

How will he go a second time round as Labor’s opposition leader?

Mr Miles must transition from statesman to chief spear thrower if Labor has any hope of containing the LNP to one term.

As deputy premier, tearing up a hotel quarantine invoice from New South Wales and infamously calling the prime minister a “c**t” left him considered little more than a wannabe high school bully.

So bad was this “giggles” perception, Mr Miles’s minders worked to mould him into a more serious statesman amid fervent speculation he’d soon have the state’s top job.

Now, it’s battle helmets on and back into the trenches.

With consultative new premier David Crisafulli likely to drive bipartisanship, Mr Miles will have few choices other than to attack.

During the campaign Mr Miles rightly slammed the importation of U.S-style politics, yet his (non-concession) concession speech on Saturday night had echoes of the aggression once desperate to avoid – he might have to deliver.

This was a uniquely Queensland election – a two-tier race in the regions and southeast.

Early triumph for Labor turned to tragedy as, predicted, early voting overwhelmingly favoured the LNP.

Labor’s born-to-rule mentality will be knocked from MPs as a smaller team returns to a four-year spell on the under-resourced opposition benches.

Privately, they’re taking comfort in a deeply-held belief the LNP can’t help itself and will resort to the Newman-era approach of “cut, sack and sell” on the way to a 2028 loss.

It’s wishful thinking.

They’re believing their own scare campaign.

Avoiding chaos will be a central tenet of Mr Crisafulli’s leadership.

Jubilation in the LNP will be tempered with realism that although it will form a comfortable majority, eight or more seats will be held on a two-party margin of some 2 per cent.

Impatient Queenslanders marking the LNP on the progress of their laundry list of promises will be unforgiving.

Mr Crisafulli will remain accountable to ensure the number of crime victims he sprouted almost daily during the campaign – 289,657 in the past 12 months – falls.

No wriggle room; despite the 11th hour caveat he attempted to add.

This was an election for the two major political forces.

Katter’s Australian Party has again struggled to maintain a presence outside its trio of MPs in North Queensland.

For the second time, predictions the agitators would hold the deciding vote on who becomes premier failed to eventuate.

Instead, its vote plateaued in the three Townsville seats and Mirani could fall to the LNP.

In Brisbane, bizarrely, there’s no sense of introspection within the Greens despite its abysmal performance.

Michael Berkman took no responsibility for the Greens’ loss of one seat and close call in his own, but instead criticised Labor for teaming up with the LNP to defeat the minor party.

In waxing lyrical about the growth of the Greens movement, without reflecting on the divisive nature of its policies, Mr Berkman is on track to reduce the party to a mere advocacy group.

It must get back to speaking to the moderate, educated voters if it’s to remain a force.

Originally published as Steven Miles will need to unleash his inner attack dog if Labor are to win in 2028