Premier doesn't 'need anyone to hold his hand' on trail

Steven Miles says he would welcome - but doesn't need - Anthony Albanese to join him to campaign. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

Trailing in the polls, the Queensland premier has welcomed the prospect of the prime minister joining his state election campaign.

However, Steven Miles is backing himself ahead of the October 26 state poll, saying he doesn't need Anthony Albanese to hold his hand.

Mr Miles will head into the first weekend of his campaign trying to reel in Opposition Leader David Crisafulli.

The Liberal National Party leader is tipped to end Labor's nine-year reign after consistently leading the polls.

Mr Crisafulli's campaign received another boost when Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton joined him on Friday.

While Mr Miles said he had not reached out to the prime minister, he did not shut down talk of Mr Albanese joining him on the campaign trail.

"I’m not sure what his plans are for the rest of October but whenever he’s around we usually catch up, so if he is in town, sure,” he told reporters.

“I certainly don’t need him holding my hand."

Mr Albanese hinted at making a Queensland cameo.

"I have no doubt that I will be in Queensland as I am regularly," he told reporters on Monday.

"I hope that my friend Steven Miles is successful as the premier. 

"We saw what happened last time the LNP got into power in Queensland."

David Crisafulli and Peter Dutton
Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton joined David Crisafulli (left) on the campaign trail.

Mr Crisafulli is vying to become the LNP's first Queensland premier since Campbell Newman, who was ousted in 2015 after one term following thousands of public service job cuts.

Labor has been in power for 30 of the past 35 years.

But Mr Miles is seeking his first term after taking over the reins from Annastacia Palaszczuk, who tearfully resigned in December 2023.

The premier and Mr Crisafulli spent the first campaign week in regional areas hardest hit by the election's key issues - youth crime, health, housing and cost-of-living pressures.

Mr Crisafulli maintained a hardline stance on crime, including GPS trackers for high-risk domestic violence offenders if elected.

He even vowed to resign as premier if crime numbers did not decline in his first term.

The premier focused on the cost of living, pledging to establish a state-wide, publicly owned energy retailer if re-elected.

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