Pressure cooker: The politicians under the most heat in 2025
From the man tasked with mission impossible, an attack dog who loves a brawl and a minister off to an absolute stinker, these are the politicians who need to fire, and quickly, in 2025.
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A new year, a new government, a new level of pressure.
The LNP made some major promises to Queenslanders as they swept to power last October, and they need to hit the ground running in 2025.
With parliament resuming this week, David Crisafulli will no doubt be reading his troops the riot act. It’s time to shape up or ship out.
But it’s not just LNP ministers who’ll be feeling the heat, Labor needs key figures to fire if they’re any chance of getting back in the game.
If they don’t, the party could resign themselves to political irrelevancy.
See who’s under the most pressure to deliver in 2025 below
David Janetzki – The Man With the Budget Plan
As Treasurer, Minister for Energy, and Minister for Homeownership, Janetzki basically has the keys to Queensland’s wallet.
His mission? Pull off the impossible: lower debt, avoid new taxes, and cut borrowings while keeping the economy afloat.
Janetzki keeps his cards close to his chest, which could work in his favour, but media silence will also draw more scrutiny.
If he messes this up, Labor will have a field day.
If he pulls it off? He’s a political rockstar.
He’s got six months - read how we marked his first 100 days
Shannon Fentiman – The Power Player in Waiting
She’s the Shadow Treasurer, but more importantly, she’s the Labor MP to watch.
Fentiman has been a rising star for years, and if she can keep the heat on Janetzki while looking like a viable future leader, her stock will only rise.
But if she flops? Well, she may have to wait even longer for her turn at the top.
Laura Gerber – Tough on Crime, Tougher on Herself
As Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support, Gerber has a brutal job: get crime rates down and actually make sure victims feel like they matter.
The LNP’s tough stance on youth crime was the catalyst of the election and Gerber is arguably at the helm of four ministers now charged with living up to the promise.
If things don’t improve, she’ll be an easy target for critics, and if Premier David Crisafulli sticks to his word, fired.
Expect her to throw everything at this problem.
She might be the first on the chopping block - see her report card here
Mark Bailey – The Attack Dog Returns
Bailey is back in the Opposition inner circle, and with an important shadow portfolio - health, which means he’s free to do what he does best—hassle the government.
As one of Labor’s loudest and most aggressive critics, he’ll be a nightmare for the LNP every time they slip up. If you like political brawls, keep an eye on him.
Sam O’Connor – The Housing Fixer (Or At Least, He Better Be)
As Minister for Housing and Public Works, all eyes are on O’Connor to tackle the massive housing crisis.
The waiting list is black and white—either it goes down, or he fails. No spin, no excuses.
If he doesn’t start delivering results soon, he’ll be in trouble.
Sam savaged in his 100 day report card
Glenn Butcher – Labor’s Regional Lifeline
Labor is drowning in the regions, and Butcher is supposed to fix that.
As the most senior regional Labor MP, he needs to make sure his party isn’t just seen as an SEQ-only club.
If Labor wants to win outside Brisbane in 2028, it starts with him.
Tim Mander – The Stadium Salesman
Minister for Sport and Racing and the Olympics, Mander has a nearly impossible task—convincing a sceptical regional Queensland that new stadiums and Olympic spending in South East Queensland is actually worth it.
Good luck with that, mate.
How you rated Mander’s first 100 days
Tim Nicholls – The Ambulance Ramping Time Bomb
As Minister for Health and Ambulance Services, Nicholls has to fix one of the most frustrating issues in Queensland—ramping.
The bad news? Everyone before him has failed.
The worst news? His KPIs are brutal, and if the numbers don’t move, the pressure on him will be unbearable.
If history serves, Nicholls will likely be the first MP to test Premier David Crisafulli’s Westminster commitment of sacking underperformers from his Cabinet.
Veteran shows youngsters how to do it in first 100 days
Ann Leahy – The Local Government Saviour?
As Minister for Local Government, Water, Fire, Emergency Services, Disaster Recovery, and Volunteers, Leahy has a packed portfolio.
People are hoping she can clean up local government and handle disasters like a pro.
She’s got the talent, but does she have the time?
Queensland’s LGA landscape is vast and councils are struggling under inflation, as is the state’s own Budget. This will be a difficult tightrope.
Report card: Can Ann continue her strong start?
Fiona Simpson – Cleaning Up Her Own Mess
As Minister for Women and Minister for Treaty and Reconciliation, Simpson needs to recover from a rocky handling of the Treaty process.
The first action of the LNP government was scrapping the Truth Telling Inquiry (without telling those running the Truth Telling Inquiry).
It was largely viewed as a step back for the state and it was handled extremely poorly.
If Simpson fumbles this again, she’ll lose credibility fast.
Readers say Simpson has been slow out of the blocks
Originally published as Pressure cooker: The politicians under the most heat in 2025
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