Why Queensland has turned on premier Steven Miles – and the social media pictures that have failed to connect with voters

Queensland Premier Steven Miles is looking down on a crushing election defeat later this year despite a social media blitz that included showing his fatherly devotion by making his children’s lunches.

The latest Newspoll, published in News Ltd newspapers on Friday, showed the Liberal National Party had blown a substantial hole in Miles’ government, threatening to end Labour’s nine years in power at the next state elections in October.

Newspoll had the LNP leading the two-party preference vote by 54 percent to 46 percent – ​​a 10-point drop in Labor’s position since they won the last state election in 2020 under then-Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

The poll dampens hopes that the handover of leadership from Ms Palaszczuk – who announced her retirement from politics in December – to Mr Miles would reverse Labour’s decline.

Since becoming prime minister, Mr Miles has tried to revive the government’s flagging fortunes with a series of policy announcements and a steady stream of social media posts starring himself.

He has made a habit of delivering political monologues while making his children’s lunches in social media posts, and sharing many photos and videos of him while out and about in Queensland.

While Mr Miles usually flashes a big grin for the camera – his nickname emerging in Labor ranks is ‘Giggles’ – his latest approval ratings are little to smile about.

Newspoll found only 38 per cent of Queensland voters approved of the job he was doing, compared to LNP leader David Crisafulli who received a 47 per cent satisfaction rating.

Based on the two-party preferred vote reported by Newspoll, the LNP would come to power, with Labor losing 18 seats, with an expected swing of 7.2 percent against them.

A major issue dogging Labor is the state’s growing homeless population, as tent cities spring up around Brisbane’s CBD and even in the Miles electorate itself.

A group of tents have been set up at Mckillop Park in Rothwell, north of Brisbane, in the electorate of Miles in Murrumba.

In response, Mr Miles has announced a $3 billion Home for Queenslanders plan, which aims to build 53,500 new social homes in Queensland by 2046.

Since taking over, Steven Miles has been posting photos of himself in Queensland as he tries to reverse his government’s declining popularity.

It has also stepped up efforts to provide emergency shelter, including buying downtown hotels and other disused properties to increase capacity.

A rise in crime, especially among young people, has also taken the shine off the Labor government in Queensland.

Mr Miles sparked outrage in February when he appeared to giggle when asked a question about youth crime, just days after the horrific alleged death of a grandmother in a shopping center stabbing.

Sky News bureau chief Adam Walters’ repeated attempts to get him to talk about youth crime at the housing policy launch prompted Mr Miles to chuckle.

His response angered many following the death of Vyleen White, 70, who was allegedly stabbed to death in front of her young granddaughter in the underground car park of the Town Square Redbank Plains Shopping Centre.

The Prime Minister was forced to deny making light of the case, in which a 15-year-old boy was arrested.

“No one in Queensland, including myself, is laughing at this tragedy, and it is disrespectful for any news source to suggest so,” he later tweeted.

‘A family and community are grieving. Sensational headlines and misrepresentations have no role to play in Queensland this week.”