'Quiet Queenslanders' deliver Palaszczuk win with lessons to be learnt in Canberra

Labor elders say federal leader Anthony Albanese will be feeling "optimistic" after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk secured the party its third consecutive state win in Queensland.

By the end of counting on election night, Ms Palaszczuk was confident she would lead a majority government. By the end of her next four-year term, she will be Queensland's longest-serving Labor premier since World War II.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is applauded by her father, Labor stalwart Henry, as she wins a third term in office.Credit: Getty

The election was the first state ballot held during the pandemic and its lessons will be read keenly by incumbents across the country, particularly Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who could call a national election as early as August.

Wayne Swan, former federal treasurer and national president of the Australian Labor Party, said the news would be well received by Mr Albanese.

"I think [the result] would make Anthony Albanese fairly optimistic," he said.

"The [primary] vote in Queensland at the last federal election was 26.7 per cent, there is a state primary vote here of 37 to 38 per cent so I think it shows he can do it if he gets the policy mix right."

Wayne Swan at the Labor gathering in Inala, Brisbane, on election night.Credit: Lydia Lynch

Mr Swan said the Labor victory would rock Canberra, particularly those who campaigned strongly for the borders to reopen.

"Morrison campaigned here in Queensland and pot-shotted Annastacia Palaszczuk all the way through," he said.

"I always thought [the Premier] had the strong support of the public for her COVID measures but I was doubtful they could necessarily transform that into seats."

The father of the re-elected Premier says it has always been her destiny to lead the state.

Henry Palaszczuk, nicknamed Henry the 8th for his eight consecutive election wins in Inala, held the western Brisbane seat for 22 years before his daughter took the reins.

"We all knew she had the ability to become Premier, even from her early days at school when she was school prefect in year 7," he said.

"She was able to carry on a political conversation with some of my friends when she was four, truly, because we had all the posters on the wall of different Labor Party prime ministers.

"It was just her destiny."

Ms Palaszczuk's close friend and federal MP for Oxley, Milton Dick, said the Premier's defiance on the state borders had helped her secure the win.

"I think it is pretty clear that the quiet Queenslanders have come out in force and supported Annastacia as the right leader at this time," he said.

"I think in the past couple of weeks we have seen some very loud business interests and people from down south demanding Queensland do something and I think that got up a lot of people's noses.

"We live here and we know what is best for our state and what they say with Annastacia Palaszczuk was someone they trusted and they were not going to be told what to do by others who do not live here."

Mr Palaszczuk agreed that his daughter's handling of the pandemic had helped her across the line.

"This year, for every single person in Australia and Queensland, has been a horrendous year ... I think people became very afraid," he said.

"They wanted their leaders, from the Prime Minister down, to do the right thing by them.

"I think that is the case, Scott Morrison has led by example, especially by bringing in the national cabinet, and all of the Premiers have also done the right thing."