Inside Queensland Labor’s scramble to protect the next generation of leaders as election defeat looms

Labor volunteers are out doorknocking even in historically ‘safe’ Queensland seats, attempting to shore up support in what could be a painful state election. Composite: Guardian Design

If you follow the leader, Labor’s election campaign in Queensland looks unremarkable. The premier, Steven Miles, has set up camp in north and central Queensland, touring regional tipping-point seats that historically decide who forms government.

But out on the hustings, with polls suggesting Labor is on track for a heavy defeat, a fallback strategy is already playing out. Labor’s volunteers have been clustered in places like Waterford – margin 16% – sandbagging to protect the party’s next generation of leaders.