Queensland opposition leader Steven Miles has insisted he retains caucus support after Labor suffered an 8% swing against it on primary votes in the Stafford byelection, though the party is expected to hold the seat. Labor candidate Luke Richmond led Liberal National Party candidate Fiona Hammond by about 700 votes on Sunday afternoon, with the result yet to be declared by the Queensland Electoral Commission.
Premier David Crisafulli conceded defeat on Saturday night, saying the LNP had fallen “agonisingly short” despite a strong campaign. He described the swing to the LNP as unprecedented for an incumbent government in a century. Labor’s primary vote was well behind, but it secured a strong majority of preferences from minor parties, independents and the Greens.
The byelection was triggered by the sudden death of former Labor MP turned independent Jimmy Sullivan on 9 April. Sullivan had been expelled from the party in 2025 after winning re-election in 2024. The seat has been held by Labor for most of its history, including by Sullivan’s father Terry from 2001 to 2006.
Speaking at Labor’s election-night party, Miles claimed victory and attributed the result to the party’s campaign against alleged health cuts at the local Prince Charles Hospital. “The 2028 election will be fought on the LNP’s health cuts,” he said. Senior Labor MPs including Cameron Dick, Grace Grace and Shannon Fentiman publicly backed Miles’s leadership.
The Greens did not direct preferences to either major party, while One Nation’s decision not to stand a candidate boosted the LNP. The left vote was split among several independents and minor parties, including the Queensland Socialists, Animal Justice Party and Legalise Cannabis Party. One Nation’s chief of staff, James Ashby, said the short campaign did not allow time to field a candidate.
