Annastacia Palaszczuk says she’s in it for the long haul and will lead Labor to next election

Responding to former premier Peter Beattie, Annastacia Palaszczuk has pledged she’s in it for the long haul but continues to dodge questions whether the next term will be her last.

• Former premier’s advice on making succession plan
• Beattie’s final foray into ‘political cesspit’

Annastacia Palaszczuk has vowed to fight on and lead Labor to the next state election as she took aim at former premier Peter Beattie over his subtle suggestion that she should be grooming a successor.

Mr Beattie penned a column for The Courier-Mail last week to mark his 70th birthday, where he declared leaders should implement their policy agenda, groom a successor and hand the baton over.

Ms Palaszczuk on Wednesday insisted she was determined to stay in the top job, while she also dodged questions over whether the next term will be her last.

Peter Beattie has urged Annastacia Palaszczuk to groom her successor.

“Well I’m very determined to continue doing my job for the people of this state,” the Premier said. “And everywhere I go Queenslanders are encouraging me and supporting me in the job that I’m doing on behalf of them.

“To Peter Beattie, can I say happy 70th birthday. When I turn 70, I hope to be spending it with family and friends and I won’t be writing columns.”

Mr Beattie led the state for more than nine years, and was succeeded in 2007 by Anna Bligh – who he had famously spent several years grooming ahead of her eventual rise to the premiership.

“It is not the time you serve that matters but what you do with that time that is important. Performance and results means more than time served,” Mr Beattie wrote in the column.

“I retired at a time of my own choosing because I believe leaders should implement their policy agenda, groom a successor and then hand over the baton.”

Annastacia Palaszczuk would not be drawn on a potential successor. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Ms Palaszczuk intends to lead Labor to the election in 2024 – but she would not say on Wednesday if the next term of government would be her last.

“It’s up to the people of Queensland,” she simply said.

She also would not be drawn on who her successor should be or whether she had put any thought into it.

“There is a lot of talent in the government ... and they’re working very hard for Queenslanders,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles, who hails from the Left faction, and Treasurer Cameron Dick, who comes from the Right faction, are considered the most likely contenders to succeed Ms Palaszczuk.

Should Ms Palaszczuk go the full term ahead of the 2024 election, she will overtake Mr Beattie’s nine years in office.

And if she was to win the 2024 election against LNP leader David Crisafulli and remain in the job for another term, Ms Palaszczuk would become Queensland’s second longest serving premier – behind Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.