Exclusive interview: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk vows to stay in top job

In an exclusive interview marking her eight years in the job, Annastacia Palaszczuk says she doesn’t need any advice from former premiers or ministers, as she reveals she has no plans to step aside because “I’m the Premier”.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in her office at 1 William Street, Brisbane. Picture: Liam Kidston

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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has revealed she has no plans to step aside and she will not back her deputy to succeed her in the top job because “I’m the Premier”.

In a revealing exclusive interview to mark eight years in office, Ms Palaszczuk said her retirement plans were “a matter for the public” – and hinted that she could even lead the party to the 2028 election.

Ms Palaszczuk also revealed she did not seek advice from former premiers or former government ministers, saying: “I don’t need to”.

“I talk to the people of Queensland,” she said. “I talk to families. I talk to my Cabinet colleagues, you know, interest groups …”

Asked if she would still be in charge when the curtains go up on the Brisbane Olympic Games in 2032, Ms Palaszczuk replied: “I hope to be watching the Olympics, in whatever capacity that is.

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“I think my track record speaks for itself,” Ms Palaszczuk said in the interview.

“I’ve been elected. The people actually elected me. I have faced the election … three times.”

Ms Palaszczuk also said her commitment to stable government meant she had no plans for a reshuffle – and would not be promoting any backbenchers before the next election, on October 26, 2024.

“I said that I would deliver a stable government and it’s been, I must say, pretty stable,” she said.

“And it’s actually good to have ministers who have been in portfolios for a while because they actually know the depth of their portfolios as well, which is good.”

Asked why she still wanted the job and what she still had yet to accomplish, the Premier said: “I love this job and I love meeting people. No matter where I travel people stop me and talk to me, and that’s what gives me the inspiration and the drive to keep going.”

Asked what her legacy would be, Ms Palaszczuk said: “It’s actually how Queensland has changed. Queensland has come of age, and whether that’s in employment, giving young people the opportunity to get a job, looking to the future where there is going to be more industries and more opportunities, and having the focal point of never in my lifetime did I think that Queensland would have an Olympics.”

Speaking about Deputy Premier Steven Miles, Ms Palaszczuk said he was “excellent” and doing the job “extremely well”.

When asked if she had a better working relationship with Mr Miles than she had with former deputy Jackie Trad, the Premier said: “I’m not going into personalities and I worked very well with Jackie as well.”

Pressed if she thought Mr Miles – the highest ranking MP from the dominant Left faction in the Labor caucus – would make a good premier, Ms Palaszczuk said she was “not going into any of these questions”.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk with two potential future Labor leaders, Deputy Premier Steven Miles (left) and Treasurer Cameron Dick

“I’m the Premier. I’m determined to lead the party into the next election, and I have the loyal support of all of my Cabinet colleagues,” Ms Palaszczuk declared.

She would not be drawn on whether she had a succession plan, and she also would not say if she thought Treasurer Cameron Dick would make a good premier.

“Cameron Dick is an excellent Treasurer,” she said of her fellow Right faction MP.

“Steven Miles is doing a great job as Deputy Premier, and Cameron is doing an excellent job as Treasurer.”

Turning to the political opponents she had faced in her eight years in office, Ms Palaszczuk named former LNP leader Lawrence Springborg as the toughest she had come up against.

She said she had not “really turned my mind” to how she would describe current Opposition Leader David Crisafulli – who once described Ms Palaszczuk as a “formidable politician”.

“There’s been so many (LNP leaders),” she said.

She said she “just ignores” criticism of her from the Opposition about being the “Red Carpet Premier” – saying “my track record speaks for itself”.

Annastacia Palaszczuk was swept to power in a stunning upset over the LNP’s Campbell Newman in 2015.

Ms Palaszczuk conceded her party had to be “aware of” the threat the Greens could pose to Labor at the next state election, following the minor party’s gains in Queensland at the 2022 federal poll.

“I think it’s something that we have to be aware of (but) federal politics is different to state politics,” she said.

“Federally I think a lot of people didn’t really know Anthony Albanese back then and saw the Greens as a place to place their vote.

“I don’t think you take anything for granted. I was a leader of a team of seven so I know what can happen in elections.”

Reflecting on her eight years in power, Ms Palaszczuk said it was “up to the people to say what they think the accomplishments are”.

“But there are more people in work than I ever would have expected, which is fantastic news,” she said.

“The economy is going extremely well, we’ve got our highest rate of exports, highest economic growth, we’ve got free TAFE courses out there for people, we’ve got schools being built, we’ve got new hospitals being built, we’ve got manufacturing back.

“So I think it’s the changing landscape of Queensland, and then I think all of that is crystallised now looking to the future with the Olympics.”