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, defeating 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," he said on Sunday. "What we've seen in Stafford is the battle lines drawn for the 2028 election."
Miles emphasized that the "new member for Stafford" would be a community champion, dedicated to working hard for his electorate. The by-election was triggered by the death of former MP Jimmy Sullivan, who was found dead in his home last month.
There had been a 4.2 per cent swing against Labor after preferences, as counting continued on Sunday morning. Miles attributed the swing to One Nation not participating in the by-election.
"We will never know what the result would have been if they had run and not directed their supporters to vote for the LNP," he said.
Premier Expresses Humility Over Results
Speaking on Sunday morning, Premier David Crisafulli acknowledged the results, expressing that he was "humbled by the results" despite the LNP not winning the seat. He noted that "the votes will continue to be counted, we will fall short, but I'm really proud of the effort."
The by-election was held following the passing of former MP 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 counting concluded on Saturday night.
"Governments don't usually get a swing towards them in a by-election, certainly not of this magnitude," Mr Crisafulli said. He thanked "the electors of Stafford for choosing hope over fear" and praised Ms Hammond for her hard work during the four-week campaign.
This was the second time that the former Brisbane city councillor had contested the seat. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie admitted that Ms Hammond "just won't get there," calling the results a "disastrous" outcome for Labor.
"The results are in last night, and it's clear that Steven Miles's leadership is in absolute tatters," he said on Sunday morning. "This was a swing to an incumbent government that we've not seen the likes of for 100 years."
Bleijie accused Mr Miles of trying to "rewrite history" by claiming 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 said.
Leadership Questions Arise
Labor has won the seat nine out of 10 times since its creation in 2001. Bleijie suggested that the results raised questions about Mr Miles's leadership of the opposition. "Steven Miles is out of depth in leadership, and he just cannot read the room," he said.
"[Luke Richmond's] first vote's not going to be in parliament … He's going to vote for the Labor Party spill motion that inevitably will happen."
When asked on Sunday if he still planned to lead Labor into the next state election, Mr Miles confirmed, "absolutely." He stated that he had the support of the caucus.
Mr Miles was also joined by Deputy Opposition Leader Cameron Dick, Shadow Treasurer Shannon Fentiman, and Shadow Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace at the press conference. All of them expressed their backing for Mr Miles as the leader.
Mr Dick stated that Mr 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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