DEPUTY Premier Jarrod Bleijie has launched a blistering attack on the Queensland Labor opposition, declaring Opposition Leader Steven Miles “cooked” and claiming the party was in “absolute turmoil” following the Stafford by-election.
Speaking after a major housing announcement in Southern Thornlands on Monday, Mr Bleijie said it was a “miserable Monday for Miles” and claimed Labor MPs were already turning on their leader internally.
“It is in absolute turmoil today for Stephen Miles,” Mr Bleijie said.
“You would not want to be Stephen Miles waking up today reading comments in the paper from your own colleagues that say shocking, concerning, disappointing.”
Mr Bleijie pointed to the weekend’s Stafford by-election result, where he said Labor suffered an 8 per cent swing against it.
“The Liberal National Party secured an over 40 per cent primary vote,” he said.
“A swing to a government has not happened for 100 years.
“Stephen Miles saying momentum is now with him — well that’s only Stephen Miles saying it because everybody else in his team is saying he is done.”
The Deputy Premier intensified his criticism by branding the Labor Party a “circus” and mocking possible leadership contenders.
“The Labor circus is five little monkeys jumping on a bed saying ‘pick me, pick me’,” he said.
He also delivered a series of personal attacks on senior Labor figures, labelling them “Fentiman the failure”, “Grace the disgrace” and “Scanlon the scammer”.
“None of them are any good. They’re all as bad as each other,” he said.
Mr Bleijie said Mr Miles had failed to connect with Queensland voters both as Premier and Opposition Leader.
“His result — let’s look at what he’s done as leader of the opposition,” he said.
“He was Premier. He got a shellacking at the 2024 state election.
“He then was leader of the opposition at the Hinchinbrook by-election where he got only 8 per cent primary vote.
“And then he said this is a test of the government at the Stafford by-election and more people voted for the government now than they did in October 2024.”
Mr Bleijie said Mr Miles should “read the room”.
“All he needs to do is read the media today to see what his colleagues are saying about him,” he said.
Asked whether he believed Mr Miles would survive as Opposition Leader, Mr Bleijie said: “He is cooked, he is done.”
Despite the attacks, Mr Bleijie said Queensland needed a strong opposition.
“Every government needs a good opposition, a strong opposition, to hold the government to account,” he said.
“And certainly you don’t have that under Stephen Miles.”
