Honeymoon over for Annastacia Palaszczuk

THE honeymoon appears to be over for the Premier, who until now has enjoyed a high popularity rating.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has little to smile about as the honeymoon with the people of Queensland appears to be over and her popularity drops. Picture: AAP/Darren England

SINCE securing a second term and a Labor majority, the Queensland Premier’s popularity had been improving.

Her father, Henry, recently mused that his daughter even may be as popular as Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

But Ms Palaszczuk has not got the honeymoon she enjoyed after the 2015 election.

In the first year after that historic result, her satisfaction rating hit 60 per cent and the LNP party room was spooked into swapping leaders.

Almost 12 months into this term, approval of the Premier’s performance is turning backwards.

There has been little appetite for leadership change within the LNP party room of late. After these results, there is little reason.

It is difficult to link Labor’s flagging support to anything the LNP is doing when satisfaction with Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington’s performance has hardly budged since her ascension to the leadership.

It is more likely that Queenslanders are seeing little that the Government is doing and growing frustrated about its failure to focus on important issues.

And they’re seeing less of the once-popular premier, apart from the odd occasion when she aligns herself with feel good causes, some of which have nothing to do with her Government.

Labor would still out-spend and out-campaign the LNP and win an election on the current numbers.

If Palaszczuk’s popularity is permanently punctured it might not be as easy as many imagined.