Queensland election 2015: How stunning result saved Annastacia Palaszczuk

LABOR insiders have revealed how close leader Annastacia Palaszczuk came to having to fight for her job before her stunning election performance.

Annastacia Palaszczuk leaving home for work today. Pic Mark Cranitch.

ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk would likely have been forced to fight for the Labor leadership if she lost Saturday’s election.

Senior Labor sources said yesterday Ms Palaszczuk’s GST gaffe during the campaign had been the final straw amid widespread expectation the party would not win the election.

Newly re-elected Member for Woodridge Cameron Dick, an education minister and attorney-general in the Bligh government, and the Left faction’s leading light Jackie Trad were considered likely successors.

Sources insisted Ms Palaszczuk’s position was secure after Saturday’s extraordinary result, but she would be in a precarious position as the term progressed with little support from her own Right faction.

Ms Palaszczuk, who is closing in on becoming Queensland premier, is backed by the dominant Left faction, which is working in a loose coalition with Labor Unity, also known as the Old Guard.

“She’s now pretty much a creature of the Left who’ll make all kinds of demands on her or they’ll tear her down,’’ one source said.

Some Right faction spear carriers are seething at the Labor leader for forcing Lytton candidate Daniel Cheverton to resign before the election.

Mr Cheverton was accused by a female colleague of acting towards her in an inappropriate manner during drinks after a training session in June last year.

The former ministerial adviser was considered one of the Right’s top new talents. He was contesting a highly marginal LNP seat and was believed to be future ministerial material.

However his hopes of a political career now appear over.

Ms Palaszczuk has further angered the Right with her election commitment of cutting the number of Cabinet members from 19 to 14 and assistant ministers from 12 to one.

While the Left will receive seven positions, the Right will receive just four, meaning one of their former ministers who won back seats on the weekend will be left out.

Stirling Hinchliffe, the former infrastructure minister who won Sandgate, is shaping as the unlucky loser in the factional fight, with Mr Dick more likely to be elevated.

Mr Hinchliffe was being touted as potentially Leader of the House, with the important job of running a Parliament with such close numbers. However some sources claimed the Left had also demanded this position.

Meanwhile, up to five Left faction MPs who have not previously been in Parliament will be awarded massive ministries under a structure being drafted by former deputy premier and treasurer Terry Mackenroth.

With all existing Labor MPs guaranteed ministries, Ms Palaszczuk will have to find someone to nominate as speaker.

Member for Mirani Jim Pearce, who served as a Labor member for many years before his seat was abolished, is being touted by some as the only experienced contender.