Who will be Queensland’s next premier?

After weeks of schmoozing us with cash grabs and crime crackdowns, Queenslanders will this Saturday head to the polls. Well over 1.2 million people have already numbered in order who they want to win, which is more than a quarter of the 3.68 million or so Queenslanders enrolled to vote in the 2024 state general election to determine the members of parliament for the next four years. 

What I want to know is, who do YOU think will take the victory? Did you catch any of the three debates between Premier Steven Miles and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli? I’ve got to be completely frank, this week’s final battle of words was not my choice of quality Tuesday night entertainment. 

Miles won by a whisker over Crisafulli, with a result of 39 to 35 per cent in the current leader’s favour. Yet one in four attendee votes were still up for grabs, with 26 per cent leaving the debate undecided. 

Cost of living, youth crime, health and housing – they’ve been the key issues pulled/spun/attacked during the past few weeks. Both sides are guilty of playing politics to win votes. Don’t get me started on the premier’s free school lunches plan…

It’s hard to pick which way the ballot papers will fall after voting closes at 6pm Saturday, despite a swathe of polls showing an LNP victory of varying degrees. Labor’s chances of securing a rare fourth term, while looking unlikely, can’t be written off just yet.  

What type of leadership does Queensland require to steadily guide it beyond cost of living issues and related growing pains into a remarkable 2032 Olympic and Paralympic hosting performance and beyond? 

I hope you enjoyed the read. 

Matt Lancashire