Annastacia Palaszczuk’s $400k polling reveals dire support for Labor days before she quit
Premier Steven Miles has released Labor’s secret, taxpayer-funded polling that was handed to Annastacia Palaszczuk just days before she quit.
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Four in five Queenslanders are dissatisfied with the Labor government’s handling of crime and cost of living issues according to secret taxpayer-funded polling handed to Annastacia Palaszczuk five days before she quit as premier.
The waves of polling, costing taxpayers some $400,000, tracked the sentiments of Queenslanders and helped guide the government’s decision making.
While Ms Palaszczuk had refused to release the results, claiming the polling was not political, Premier Steven Miles on Thursday made public five reports handed to his predecessor.
The fifth wave of research, handed to Ms Palaszczuk on December 5 – five days before she resigned as premier – was devastating reading for the government.
It found Queenslanders’ satisfaction with the government on almost every issue was down significantly since the polling started in May.
On key measures including “being a trustworthy government”, managing population and economic growth and making houses more affordable, voters were increasingly unhappy with the Palaszczuk government.
Ms Palaszczuk resigned on five days later, bowing to union pressure and mounting internal questions about her leadership.
In her final press conference Ms Palaszczuk said the new faces around the National Cabinet table days earlier had reminded her it was time to go.
The government polling found cost of living was “consistently the most concerning issue for Queenslanders” while crime and safety “remains a standout in second place”, followed by housing availability and affordability.
Of 13 categories measuring Queenslanders’ views of the government, preparedness for natural disasters was strongest, with one in two respondents satisfied with Labor’s approach.
Some 38 per cent of Queenslanders backed the government to deliver “quality education and training” while 33 per cent thought the government was providing quality healthcare.
On tackling crime, a significant pain point for the state government, 84 per cent of Queenslanders were dissatisfied with Ms Palaszczuk and the government’s handling of it.
The Ipsos Public Affairs polling surveyed 1200 Queenslanders and was presented to cabinet every six weeks.
In November, a spokesman for Ms Palaszczuk said: “Cabinet considers a range of information such as expert research in formulating policies to provide direct help to Queenslanders, as do governments around the country”.
A Department of Premier and Cabinet explanation within the polling brief justified it as giving the government a “greater understanding of Queenslanders’ views and expectations” and helped “identify any issues or concerns”.
The release of the polling also reveals how Mr Miles has moved to clean the slate and address the issues that dogged his predecessor.
He has written to the supermarket bosses and launched a commission of inquiry into grocery prices, announced the government’s Homes for Queenslanders plan which aims to build one million new homes by 2046 and delivered a new police helicopter to Townsville.
Shadow Attorney-General Tim Nicholls said Queenslanders would judge Mr Miles on his record alongside Ms Palaszczuk.
“What that polling, which has been I think cynically released by Steven Miles is, is an attempt to distance himself from the Palaszczuk government but Queenslanders won’t be fooled,” he said.
“Everyone remembers Steven Miles was joined at the hip and shoulder with Anastasia Palaszczuk on every decision they made.”
Mr Miles told the Queensland Media Club last week he would release Ms Palaszczuk’s polling.
“If we continue that polling we will publicly release it,” he said.
“I intend for it to be released to the Queensland Leaders Forum and publicly.”
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