Shannon Fentiman’s takeover of health bombs with Queenslanders

A bold play by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk amid dwindling popularity and growing criticism appears to have failed in the eyes of 91 per cent of Queenslanders.

• Editor’s view: Pressure on Fentiman

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s bold play to enlist rising star Shannon Fentiman to repair the health portfolio has failed in the eyes of Queenslanders, as a new poll reveals 91 per cent feel it has either worsened or stayed the same since the rare ministerial reshuffle.

The poll, conducted by YouGov exclusively for The Courier-Mail, reveals confidence in the health system remains concerningly low despite Ms Fentiman’s bid to restore faith in the critical service.

Five months after the ministerial switch, respondents who were “very confident” an ambulance would reach their home within 15 minutes after being called remained at just 12 per cent – the same figure reported in the previous YouGov poll from early April.

Confidence among those surveyed that they or a loved one would receive the care they needed at hospital in a timely manner also remained low, with those “very confident” rising from just 16 to 17 per cent.

Nearly one in four were either “not at all confident” or “not that confident”.

The widely perceived deterioration in the management of health forced Ms Palaszczuk to shuffle the ministerial team in May for the first time since the 2020 election.

Yvette D’Ath made way for Ms Fentiman, who as attorney-general had steered the government through a number of sensitive matters such as women’s safety reforms and casino scandals.

When Ms Fentiman took the reins, she unveiled a five-point plan to restore confidence that included improving ambulance ramping and reducing wait times for both emergency care and surgery.

She has been more proactive at managing health scandals than her predecessor, routinely launching reviews to improve accountability and endeavouring to be more transparent with performance data.

But the failure to restore confidence in the government’s handling of the crucial service will be a gut punch for Labor as it seeks a fourth consecutive term in office.

Just 9 per cent of respondents believe the health system has improved since Ms Fentiman was installed as minister, while the experiment has flopped more significantly among women with 95 per cent saying health had either worsened or stayed the same.

The political play has even failed in the eyes of Labor voters, with nearly nine in 10 respondents who support the party saying health was worse or had stayed the same since the ministerial shuffle.

The concern for Labor strategists is compounded further by the explosive poll, which reveals belief among voters that an LNP government led by David Crisafulli would be better at handling hospitals and ambulances soared from 26 per cent to 34 per cent in early October compared to early April.

Belief a Labor government led by Ms Palaszczuk would be better at handling health remained the same at 22 per cent, but the widening gap between the two parties for the crucial service is disastrous for Labor’s re-election prospects.

The result of the YouGov poll of 1013 Queenslanders that the general confidence in the health system has remained the same but the belief it would be better managed by an LNP government reveals opposition messaging is resonating with voters.

Mr Crisafulli and his colleagues have repeatedly prosecuted Labor’s handling of health throughout the term of government and it will undoubtedly be a prominent issue for voters heading into the 2024 election.