Qld Labor leadership threats: Removing a leader is no simple operation
The Queensland branch of the Australian Labor Party has one of the toughest policies in the country to topple a sitting premier. Here’s how it would happen.
QLD Politics
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The Queensland branch of the Australian Labor Party has one of the toughest policies in the country to topple a sitting premier, with a challenger needing to emerge victorious from three separate votes – the parliamentary caucus, rank-and-file members and unions.
The stringent process – which would lead to a messy public fight for the party – means senior figures would only condone a leadership change should Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk agree to step aside.
In this case, the party could agree on a replacement and avoid the votes – a technique used in NSW to install current Labor premier Chris Minns when the party was in opposition.
Labor figures close to Ms Palaszczuk believe she is unlikely to agree to step aside without strong urging from the unions.
The strict rules were put in place after the damaging leadership brawls and backroom votes in the Rudd/Gillard years.
Griffith University political analyst Paul Williams predicted a harmonious resignation by Ms Palaszczuk after a tap on the shoulder from party president John Battams and union powerbroker Gary Bullock.
Mr Williams said a factional and organisational agreement would likely decide who of the three contenders – Steven Miles, Shannon Fentiman and Cameron Dick – would become leader behind closed doors to avoid a messy vote from grassroots members.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen this week but I think it will happen before Christmas and maybe as early as October,” he said.
LABOR RULES
The leader of the party will be elected by a combined democratic vote in three separate ballots consisting of:
• Individual members of the state parliamentary Labor Party (one third)
• Individual branch members (one third)
• Unions affiliated to the Party allocated votes in the same proportions as their respective delegations at the previous state conference (one third)
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