‘These conversations happen’: Fentiman weighs in on leadership questions

The news

A future contender for the job of Queensland premier has sought to explain Labor backbench concerns about Annastacia Palaszczuk’s leadership as the one-year mark to the next state election approaches.

But Health Minister Shannon Fentiman – one of a handful of leadership favourites – dismissed succession speculation, telling reporters to come back and ask her and Deputy Premier Steven Miles if either wished to take the top job “if and when that is ever an issue”.

Both Shannon Fentiman (left) and Steven Miles (second-left) are members of Queensland Labor’s dominant Left faction and seen as future potential leaders after Annastacia Palaszczuk, alongside Treasurer Cameron Dick (far right) of Palaszczuk’s smaller Right faction.

“I think we’re in our third term of government, we’re coming up to 12 months out of the election – you know, all of these conversations happen from time to time,” Fentiman said in her first media appearance since reporting at the weekend of fellow MPs’ frustrations.

“It was a very challenging week last week ... but we are absolutely focused on continuing to listen to Queenslanders and deliver.”

Why it matters

In the week Fentiman was referring to, youth justice had flared up, with victims protesting outside parliament before the government bypassed its human rights laws in a surprise decision to “legitimise” detention in police watch houses.

Weekend reports from News Corp about internal Labor frustrations over the handling of that issue, along with recent unfavourable polling, followed by news Palaszczuk had since left for an overseas holiday, reheated long-simmering leadership speculation.

This left Miles acting premier until September 11. Both Miles and Fentiman are members of the dominant Left faction of the party and seen as future potential leaders alongside Treasurer Cameron Dick – from Palaszczuk’s smaller Right faction.

While there is no active push to change leaders, significant barriers to do so, and a historical reluctance among state Labor to fight such contests publicly, the details feed into questions about the future of the party fast approaching its third state election from government.

What they said

Appearing together for an unrelated fee-free TAFE announcement, Miles and Fentiman batted away a third day of leadership questions, with Fentiman saying Palaszczuk had been underestimated her entire political career.

Pushed on whether she would be willing to contest the leadership against Miles, and whether she had any aspirations for the job, Fentiman said she was focused on her relatively new health role.

“Come and ask us if and when that is ever an issue, but we have a strong premier, a strong team, and as I said, we’re really focused on the issues that matter to Queenslanders: cost of living, health, housing,” she said.

Miles defended Palaszczuk’s trip as something all political leaders were entitled to and, being an overseas holiday, it was not something planned – or able to be cancelled – at short notice.

“This was probably the last chance in the electoral cycle for the premier to take a break,” Miles said. “And we have a gruelling, gruelling [14] months ahead of us to the election.”

Perspectives

Asked on Monday who he would prefer as a rival at the 2024 election, LNP Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said: “I’ll let the other side worry about the internal machinations and the infighting that we’re seeing.”