Labor Secures Victory in Stafford By-Election
Labor has declared victory in the by-election for the Queensland state electorate of Stafford, with the LNP acknowledging that they fell short of winning the seat in Brisbane's northern suburbs. Luke Richmond, who previously served as the state assistant secretary for Labor, is now on track to enter parliament as the next representative for Stafford, having defeated the LNP candidate Fiona Hammond.
Opposition Leader Steven Miles expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, stating that "the odds were stacked against" Labor during the brief campaign. He highlighted that the LNP candidate had a strong local profile, having previously served as a Brisbane city councillor.
"This is a win for Labor and a win for Luke Richmond," Miles said on Sunday. He emphasized that the result in Stafford marks the beginning of the battle lines for the 2028 election. "The new member for Stafford is a community champion who will work hard every day for his electorate."
The by-election was triggered following the death of former MP Jimmy Sullivan, who was found dead in his home last month. As the counting continued on Sunday morning, there had been a 4.2 per cent swing against Labor after preferences.
Premier Acknowledges Results
Premier David Crisafulli expressed his humility in the face of the results, even though the LNP did not secure the seat. "The votes will continue to be counted, we will fall short, but I'm really proud of the effort," he stated. The by-election took place after the passing of Jimmy Sullivan, who was found dead in his home last month.
There had been a 4.1 per cent swing against Labor after preferences, as the counting concluded on Saturday night. "Governments don't usually get a swing towards them in a by-election, certainly not of this magnitude," Crisafulli noted. He thanked the electors of Stafford for choosing "hope over fear" and acknowledged Hammond for her efforts during the four-week campaign.
This was the second time that Ms. Hammond had contested the seat. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie admitted that she "just won't get there," describing the result as a "disastrous" outcome for Labor. He claimed the results were on a "knife-edge" and suggested that Steven Miles's leadership was in "absolute tatters."
"The results are in last night, and it's clear that Steven Miles's leadership is in absolute tatters," Bleijie said. He accused Miles of trying to "rewrite history" by claiming that Labor had received a good result. "He didn't. It was a Labor seat. He tried to make out it was going to be a tough election," he added.
Leadership Questions Arise
Labor has won the seat nine out of 10 times since its creation in 2001. Bleijie raised concerns about Miles's leadership of the opposition, suggesting that he was "out of depth in leadership" and "cannot read the room." He also claimed that Richmond's first vote would not be in parliament and that he would support a Labor Party spill motion.
When asked if he still planned to lead Labor into the next state election, Miles affirmed that he would do so, stating, "absolutely." He mentioned that he had the support of the caucus.
Miles was joined at the press conference by Deputy Opposition Leader Cameron Dick, Shadow Treasurer Shannon Fentiman, and Shadow Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace. All of them expressed their support for Miles as the leader.
Dick emphasized that Miles was the best person to lead the team. "As Steven [Miles] says, a united team is the best way to beat David Crisafulli and the LNP," he said.
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