Annastacia Palaszczuk returns from European vacation to leadership storm
The Premier has revealed she suffered a medical episode at the Labor state conference that left her in hospital, as she returned to work from a two-week holiday to face an intense grilling over leadership rumblings and plunging poll numbers.
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has faced an intense media grilling amid torrid leadership speculation, internal leaking and dire polling figures.
Ms Palaszczuk will this afternoon face a divided caucus ahead of a critical sitting week after jetting back into Queensland late on Sunday night following her two-week Italian holiday.
Ms Palaszczuk, who revealed in Italy this month she was battling “health issues”, told a press conference she’s “happy to be back to a normal Monday”.
“I feel refreshed, I feel energised and I’m absolutely determined to lead this government to the next election,” she said.
Labor MPs have privately raised concerns about Ms Palaszczuk’s leadership, however there is unlikely to be any move to oust her.
But in response to backbenchers who have privately expressed concerns about her leadership style, the Premier said “my door is always open”.
The Premier revealed she had a “medical episode” at the Labor state conference in Mackay in early June, which contributed to her need to take a vacation in Italy.
“I was rushed to emergency, I spent about five or six hours in the Mackay Hospital,” she said.
“I’ve had some tests following (and) everything’s fine.”
The Premier did not reveal the specific nature of the health episode.
Ms Palaszczuk dismissed consecutive polls suggesting support for her leadership and the Labor government was wilting.
“The only poll that counts is on election day and I’ve been the underdog on many occasions,” the Premier said.
“Politics should be the contest of ideas, not the combat of personalities.
“This is where politics has been driven to the lowest level. We’ve got to drag ourselves out of that and start having the contest by raising the standard.”
The Premier addressed concerns shared privately to the media by members of her own backbench and admitted she needed to improve how she communicates with her colleagues.
“People can have their own opinions (but) like I said to you, not one person has raised any issues with me,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“I need to communicate more to the people of this state, and I need to communicate more to the people of the party.”
Ms Palaszczuk declared politics should be a “contest of ideas”, but revealed she had not “in completeness” read Treasurer Cameron Dick’s 576-word manifesto to win the next election.
“Everyone’s entitled to their ideas, this is the great strength of the Labor Party that people have their own ideas,” she said.
The Premier said she will give her cabinet members a deadline of October to reveal if they will put their hands up to be re-elected in the 2024 state poll.
“I will be speaking to (cabinet) this afternoon and saying that candidates should be thinking seriously about, with the election coming up, do they plan to recontest (the state election),” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“Let me know by the end of October.”
Ms Palaszczuk said the reason for her vacation was also motivated by impending concern about a potentially disastrous bushfire season.
She insists she was unlikely to get a break during the summer if fires threaten the state.
Deputy Opposition leader, Jarrod Bleijie, said it was ‘telling’ the premier stood alone at her first press conference since returning to the country.
“That doesn’t show a unified force that shows the premier that has been leaked on by her own colleagues,” he said.
“There is so much chaos in this Labor government in the turbulent times seven or seven arriving just arriving from Italy itself.”
He likened the chaos present within the Labor government to the ‘turbulence of a 747 just arriving from Italy itself’.
He reiterated calls for an independent review by the Palaszczuk government into the treatment of neglected autistic brothers Kaleb and Jonathon.
Shadow Minister for Child Protection Amanda Camm said the opposition will continue to call on the inquiry everyday until the ministers involved are held accountable.
Shadow Minister for Education Christian Rowan spoke on the ‘teacher workforce crisis’, criticising the government for only recruiting 587 full time equivalents.
“There’s a crisis going on in relation to our teacher workforce here in Queensland, in relation to permission to teach over the last five years there’s been a 588% increase in the number of approvals granted,” he said.
Mr Bleijie also criticised the premiere for not addressing issues that matter to Queenslanders at her first appearance back.
“Why did the premier not talk about the priorities and issues that matter to Queenslanders like health, housing, law and order and cost of living?” he asked.
“The Labor government in Queensland had an appalling track record dealing with those matters.”
He said the premiers’ admission she had not read Treasurer Cameron Dicks Manifesto published in the Courier Mail on her second day of leave showed a divided party.
“She has not even read Cameron Dick’s election winning manifesto that he prepared and put all the time and effort into publishing,” he said.
“The premier has not even read her senior colleagues’ response in his manifesto that just shows that they are not, the Labor Party, is not a unified team.”
PREMIER LANDS IN THE MIDST OF LEADERSHIP SPECULATION STORM
Ms Palaszczuk, with partner Dr Reza Adib, arrived from Dubai at Brisbane International Airport about 11.15pm, just 12 hours ahead of the scheduled caucus meeting.
“I’m looking forward to a big week,” Ms Palaszczuk said shortly after arriving back in Brisbane.
When asked whether she intended leading Labor to the 2024 election, she said, “Absolutely,” before ignoring further questions about her leadership.
With parliament returning on Tuesday for the first time since the government’s disastrous last sitting week – which culminated in rushed youth justice amendments – the LNP was expected to zero in on the chaotic past fortnight, and whether Ms Palaszczuk had the drive and the support to continue in the top job.
Multiple MPs have expressed concern over Ms Palaszczuk’s leadership in recent weeks – though none has put their name to comments.
But Environment Minister Leanne Linard on Sunday insisted Ms Palaszczuk would get a warm reception from her colleagues when she returned to work.
“I want to obviously know if she’s had a good break, I hope she has, she deserves that,” Ms Linard said.
“As always we’re focused on business, as we have been for the past two weeks.
“She works very, very hard, she expects the same of us.”
Ahead of Ms Palaszczuk’s return The Courier-Mail asked each one of her 17 cabinet colleagues if they supported her leading the party to the next election. Every one said yes.
While most offered no further comment on the leadership question, Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said Ms Palaszczuk had her full support.
“She has steered our state through very difficult times. Queenslanders know her and know that she will stand against David Crisafulli and the threat he and the LNP pose to Queensland,” she said.
Since Ms Palaszczuk flew to Italy on August 26, Labor has been besieged by internal rumblings and leaks over whether Ms Palaszczuk is the right person to lead the party to the 2024 election in a bid for a historic fourth term.
It comes as a new shock poll showed support for the party had collapsed to just 26 per cent, while the LNP’s primary vote had surged to 41.
Ms Linard denied the LNP’s latest attack ad – released on Sunday – about Labor’s leadership rumblings would hurt the party, and said the Palaszczuk cabinet was a “united team”. “We all remember the chaos of the Newman years,” she said. “Not only are we united and delivering for Queenslanders, we genuinely enjoy working together.”
While Ms Palaszczuk headed on her European getaway with her partner Dr Reza Adib, Acting Premier Steven Miles put on a media assault, holding 10 press conferences in just 13 days and travelling almost 10,000km.
Mr Miles’ performance was touted as a quasi bid for the role of premier, and only further fuelled speculation of a leadership change, though the Deputy Premier repeatedly said he fully supported Ms Palaszczuk leading the party.
Labor’s strict leadership rules mean an internal challenge is basically impossible – and that Ms Palaszczuk would need to stand aside for Labor to take a new leader to the election.
But some Labor insiders said Ms Palaszczuk was still the best hope the party had to be re-elected next October, with one MP saying “What a ratf — ker you’d be to knife the person responsible for your election”.
Ms Palaszczuk defended her time away when approached by the media at the beginning of her holiday, saying she had “health issues” and declaring there were no problems in Queensland.
Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie said: “(The government’s) focus while their Premier has been away is about who will be in the top job in the not too distant future
“What they should have been focusing on is their own job, their own responsibilities, their own ministerial departments.
“They should have been focusing on health, housing, cost of living, the law and order issue, the crime crisis, but they weren’t.
“They were all focusing on Labor jobs. That is all they’re interested in.”
Mr Bleijie said the past fortnight had exposed Labor’s boiling infighting.
“The Labor Party have given up on caring, they’ve given up on openness, transparency and accountability. None more than in the last two weeks,” he said.
“While the Premier has been on her second European holiday, we’ve seen the chaos and crisis in full flight in Queensland.”
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