Steven Miles takes a break after comprehensive election loss

Labor leader Steven Miles is missing in action and his 33 remaining MPs in limbo as the party picks up the pieces after the election.

Labor leader Steven Miles with wife Kim on the Sunshine Coast during the election campaign. Picture: Adam Head

Opposition Leader Steven Miles is missing in action and his team of 33 surviving MPs in limbo as Labor begins picking up the pieces of a devastating election loss.

While Premier David Crisafulli hit the ground running, Mr Miles has not made a public appearance since his press conference on Sunday where he conceded defeat before rushing off to the pub.

Mr Crisafulli has meanwhile had tea with the Governor-General, held two press conferences, met with the Police Commissioner, police union heads and officers, visited public servant headquarters, walked the floor of Transport and Main Roads and organised the parliament sitting schedule with the clerk, all while organising machinery of government and cabinet.

The Courier-Mail has made several failed attempts to contact Mr Miles since Sunday however, it is understood Queensland’s new Opposition Leader has taken a small holiday with wife Kim McDowell to “decompress”.

It comes as Meaghan Scanlon’s Gaven re-election was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon, the former housing minister finally besting LNP star candidate Bianca Stone.

The race for Gaven was one of the tightest of the election.

Ms Scanlon, in a snap press conference, publicly backed Mr Miles to lead Labor and acknowledged she would become the unofficial opposition leader on the Gold Coast as the lone MP to spend the next four years alone in deep LNP territory.

“The LNP and One Nation threw everything they had at this seat,” she said, adding that Ms Stone had put up a good fight.

“This has been a tough campaign and I have respect for anyone who puts their hand up to run in an election.”

Ms Stone posted to social media confirming she had called to congratulate Ms Scanlon.

Rising Labor star Meaghan Scanlon has prevailed in her Gold Coast seat of Gaven. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“A short time ago, I contacted Labor’s Meaghan Scanlon to concede defeat in the seat of Gaven and wish her well in representing the community for a third term,” she wrote.

Five seats remain in doubt. If current projections are correct, the LNP will end up with 53 seats and Labor 35 seats.

Katter’s Australian Party has retained three seats, with Member for Maiwar Michael Berkman the only surviving Greens member.

The new Labor Opposition will not hold a caucus meeting to decide which surviving MPs will take on shadow portfolio’s until the electoral commissioner declares the final seats.

Archived diaries of former opposition leaders show LNP leader Lawrence Springborg’s first meetings started on February 19 2015 – two weeks after Annastacia Palaszczuk’s election win.

With the fate of two former ministers and South Brisbane candidate Barbara O’Shea hanging in the balance, it will likely be another week until Mr Miles can start forming his shadow cabinet.

Former fire and corrective services minister Nikki Boyd was hanging on by a thread in Pine Rivers, leading the LNP’s Dean Clements by a narrow 290 votes, while former transport minister Bart Mellish is in with an outside chance in Aspley, trailing LNP Amanda Cooper by about 115 votes.

Ariana Doolan was still ahead in Pumicestone, leading Ali King by about 520 votes.

Votes for LNP’s Glen Kelly overtook KAP’s Stephen Andrew and will likely win the seat of Mirani in what would be a major upset for the defected One Nation MP.

The LNP is also likely to take retiring Speaker Curtis Pitt’s seat of Mulgrave, with a 53.2 per cent to 46.8 per cent two-party-preferred vote favouring former Cairns mayor Terry James.

Originally published as Steven Miles takes a break after comprehensive election loss