Senior Queensland Labor figures were on Sunday attempting to rally support behind the deputy premier, Steven Miles, to avoid a messy leadership contest to succeed Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Miles declared his intention to run for the Labor leadership on Sunday, just hours after Palaszczuk announced she would retire from politics.
Other potential candidates include the treasurer, Cameron Dick, and the health minister, Shannon Fentiman.
Palaszczuk’s endorsement of Miles (she said he would “make a great premier”) cements the deputy as the clear favourite.
Miles is from the largest grouping (United Voice) within Labor’s dominant left faction. Fentiman, who is aligned with the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, is understood to have strong support from within the remainder of the left and some within the smaller “Old Guard” unity faction. Dick is from Palaszczuk’s faction, the Australian Workers’ Union-aligned right.
Labor sources said while Dick was ambitious he “simply could not win” a contested leadership ballot against candidates from the left faction.
“But if Cameron decides not to run, and Palaszczuk helps swing the right behind Miles, that’s the ballgame,” said one MP.
But others have suggested Miles is “no shoo-in” and that Palaszczuk’s support would not carry the same weight as, for example, Daniel Andrews when he backed Jacinta Allan in Victoria. Some backbenchers and ministers have been unhappy at the top-down approach by Palaszczuk in recent years. They said her intervention might backfire among MPs looking for a fresh approach.
“The idea she just gets to pick could end up galvanising someone to run,” one MP said.
Palaszczuk said the caucus would meet on Friday to elect a new leader. But a contested leadership ballot, under party rules, involves a vote of unions and branch members. The push to cement Miles as the new premier on Friday is premised on the need to avoid a prolonged contest, and to begin the next year on the front foot, ahead of the election in October.
Some MPs on Sunday expressed a preference for Fentiman, citing concerns about Miles’s electoral appeal. The deputy premier has been the government’s attack dog for the past few years. One MP said Miles “just simply needs more time to polish his image”.
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Labor sources also raised the prospect that Miles and Fentiman, who have a close relationship, might form a leadership ticket, with Fentiman standing for deputy leader. Such an arrangement would effectively end any contest, but would also create concerns about factional stability.
“Ideally you want balance. One woman, one man, one from the left and one from the right,” a Labor source said.
“The idea of a left-left leadership team might not go down so well in a few places.”
Miles released a statement on Sunday confirming he would run. Fentiman and Dick praised Palaszczuk but gave no indication as to whether they would contest.
Miles said he would “work day and night” for the people of Queensland and praised Palaszczuk’s legacy.
“A Labor government that I lead will build on that legacy and refocus the state on the services Queenslanders rely upon.”
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